A top hair trend for Fall is the voluminous blowout seen on the runways of Dior, Chloé, and Versace. We love hair with luxurious volume; it instantly makes us feel ultra posh. We’ve put together some of our favorite tips and tricks that will instantly amp the volume on any lackluster strands . . .
Clean Slate
Voluptuous hair starts with a squeaky clean scalp. You want to cleanse your scalp with a product that will clean the residue that weighs hair down. A bonus is finding a product that cleans and has essential ingredients that naturally add volume like vitamins B5, C, and E. A tip that works great for me is switching up my shampoo. I like to use a nourishing shampoo throughout the week, and on the weekends I switch to a clarifying shampoo to get all the residue out from a week of styling.
Thicken in the Shower
To achieve thicker strands try applying a in shower thickening treatment. There's a new ingredient on the market that works to thicken your hair follicles, called filloxane. The thickener works by inserting itself into the hair shaft, and bulking hair from within. There are several affordable brands like Redken and L'Oréal Paris that have recently launched products including filloxane. To use: shampoo first, then apply the treatment with a bit of Volume Filler Conditioner in your palm and apply evenly throughout damp hair. Let it sit for one to two minutes before rinsing out thoroughly. Apply the treatment once a week.
Amp up your blow dry
Polishing up on your blow-drying skills is the most important step in your volume-achieving escapades! You can prime your hair by squirting a bit of volumizing hair product directly onto your roots before you begin. Then you’ll want to flip your hair over and rough-dry your hair upside down with your blow dryer. I use my fingers to tousle my hair while I blow dry. You want your hair to be semi dry before you flip your hair and stand up. Once your hair is about 75 percent dry, grab your round brush and continue to dry your hair from root to tip. You want to concentrate on lifting your hair at the roots and pulling your hair taut while you dry.
Add a Little Color
This is a little secret for those of you don't lighten your hair! Adding a highlight gives your hair texture. A little lightener creates added body and roughs up the hair cuticle. This is a great trick if you have very slippery flat hair that doesn’t hold volume. You don’t have to completely change up your hair color. Instead, by adding a few subtle highlights placed in the under-layers of your hair and in a tone-on-tone color, you can give your hair a boost without having to worry about re-growth.
Mix up Your Part
Most of us have a favorite side we part our hair on. Usually, that is where our hair naturally lays; however, that is also where our hair lies the most flat. By flipping your part to the opposite side, you instantly create volume at the crown. A secret I’ve implemented is to do this while my hair is still wet. Then once my hair is completely dry, I flip the part to my “normal” side part. And viola, instant volume! You can build extra height by trying a deep side part and lightly misting with hairspray to hold. This style is super model-esque.
Be a Tease
Teasing has gotten a bad rep. You don’t have to aggressively back-comb your hair to create volume. Doing that will leave you with massive tangles that are a nightmare to get out! Instead you can create volume by back-brushing your roots using a soft brush. A favorite technique of mine is to pin up the top layer of hair and then back-brush the underneath layer, working section by section. I hold each section taut and away from the head, brush toward the roots in quick strokes. Then I spray each teased section with hairspray to secure the volume. Once you completed all the sections, let down all your hair for extra volume.
Ready, Set, Roll…
Hair rollers can do wonders when it comes to adding volume to your hair. Whether they are hot rollers or Velcro, they will add the extra oomph to your hair. Once your hair is completely dry, begin taking sections of your hair and rolling them into the rollers. We suggest using at least one-inch rollers (the bigger the rollers, the more volume). Secure the volume by spraying a touch of hairspray to each section before you begin rolling. You can choose which direction you want your waves. For example, placing the rollers away from your face gives you glam Hollywood waves, while towards the face creates a more vintage wave. You’ll want to let the rollers sit for about 15-20 minutes. We like to do our makeup while the rollers are in! Before removing the rollers make sure they are cool to the touch, this will lock in the volume. Once you’ve removed the rollers, gently brush out and shape your waves.
Tiffany Campbell
Editor in Chief