Turning up the volume for your hair style is easier than you think! From volumizing hair trends to fact vs fiction, here are the key tips to give your hair the style and lift it deserves. Go big or go home!
- Volume goes beyond hair texture. Sure, many people with fine hair want volume and lift to add dimension to their look. But even those with medium textured and curly hair want volume sometimes. It’s not all about your hair’s natural texture. The cut, thickness, and even the environment, all combine to define your hair’s volumizing potential too. The wrong cut can leave your hair flat. A misty day can pump up the volume beyond your wildest dreams (yes, frizz is volume). The trick is to know how to control the frizz and that depends on knowing your hair, using the right hairbrush and getting your ideal cut. Wash your hair and then air dry your hair without styling. Does it curl up and go vertical? Does it fall completely flat on your head and face? Is it a combination of all of the above? Knowing your hair’s true identity can guide you to the right products, the right hairbrush, and the ideal styling techniques.
- A little product goes a long way. Fact is, most of us use WAY too much product. Certainly a quality shampoo and conditioner are key, but too much of any product can weigh hair down and create less volume Some volumizing shampoos can help, but go for products that skip the synthetic ingredients which can build up and attract dirt then flatten hair. Where you put the product is important too. For maximum volume, start at the roots. Your hair grows from the scalp and that’s where dirt can build up, so focus on cleansing the scalp and work your way to the ends. Even just rinsing your shampoo thru your hair rather than scrubbing it will get it clean without damage. If your hair has dry ends, a dab of leave-in conditioner goes a long way but ONLY on the very ends. As for styling products, try a lightweight volumizing foam if you’re looking for fluffy volume or a gel if you want a stiffer hold or your hair is chin length or shorter. Either way, apply it to the roots only, not past 1-1.5 inches.
- Section hair from bottom to top. It might seem logical to start blow drying on the top layer but most people’s hair is thicker along the bottom so you have more volumizing potential and it can push up the top layers even higher by volumizing the bottom first. You want to build layers of volume starting at the base. Always start with the back of your head when you style. Work from your neck then up to the top of your head. If you want mega volume, you will want to use a blow dryer with a directional nozzle and the correct combination of brushes for your hair type. Say these words out loud: “Prep, Style and Finish”, each with a different brush! Yes, you need at least 3 brushes to do the perfect volumizing blow dry. First, get hair about 80 percent dry with a prepping paddle brush designed for wet hair, with nylon, ball-tipped bristles and a cushion base. Wet hair is very fragile, and you can stretch it and crack the hair cuticle if you use too much tension. Obviously damaged hair will have more frizz and that’s not the kind of volume you want! Once your hair is about 80 percent dry, switch to a round brush to start building volume. Why? Because round brushes are the best hair brushes to get the hair at the roots to move out from the scalp.
- It’s all about root control. Maximum volume is only created when you can get lift at the roots. You need a blow-dry brush that is designed for your hair type and length of hair, one that grabs and lifts at the roots while also smoothing away the frizz. Many people find that a 2.5” barrel works well because it grabs the perfect amount of hair for a quick blow dry on most hair lengths. The key to smooth hair with lots of volume is to always use high-quality, 1st cut boar bristle brushes because they are the least damaging to the follicle. Boar bristle brushes redistribute the natural oils from hair and scalp without stretching the hair cuticle. Premium boar bristle is a natural fiber that performs under the heat thru years of blow-dries, and it helps close the cuticle of your hair to make it shiny and smooth. Volumizing hair brushes like the Brushopolis Monroe Etiquette feature bristles that are angled out from the core and provide even tension and control during your blow dry. The angled bristles help lift the hair away from the scalp more than bristles that come straight out of the barrel. This adds volume fast!
- Don’t go upside down. You’ve seen it before, hold your head upside down and blow dry and brush at the same time. While this may seem ideal, it can be counter-productive because you don’t have the control of the roots you’ll get from sectioning. You might build volume initially, but it just doesn’t have the staying power of a thorough blow dry.
- Try holding your brush or curling iron vertically. Horizontal blow dry sections at the roots are perfect for building volume. But, as you work on the middle and the ends, you can turn the brush vertically, building curl or wave to add volume and movement, giving the illusion of more size too!
7 Finish! The ideal tip to add true volume? Don’t skip the last step, finishing. Blow thru your hair with cool air to make sure you’ve really dried it all and the volume is set, especially at the roots. Then pick up your finishing brush, a boar bristle brush with 3 compact bristle rows made for teasing and finishing. These brushes, like the Brushopolis Teasedale Teasing Brush, are ideal to add sections of volume at the root, to smooth ends, and to blend in those “baby” hairs around the face or very top of head. A smaller brush lets you do the details without disturbing all the volumizing you’ve done during your blow dry.
Hear that? You bet you do, because your hair has so much volume now!