Featured in : Albert Review

Hair Lying Flat? Here’s How To Plump Up And Add Volume To Fine Hair

Unfortunately for some of us, thick hair is not a birthright. And while there isn’t anything wrong with thin or fine hair, there’s no greater follicular offence than hair that falls lank and flat come midday. While it’s impossible to actually make your hair thicker (‘fine’ hair refers to the diameter of each individual strand), it is possible to make your hair look fuller and more voluminous courtesy of few savvy styling tricks and products. Here’s the lowdown on how to achieve fuller, voluminous, thicker-looking hair.

1. Tailored haircare

Using shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated to thicken hair and add volume can make a world of difference. Steer clear of sulfates as these have the potential to leave your hair and scalp dry and irritated; instead, try sulfate-free formulas designed for thin hair like the Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner for Magnificent Volume or R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo which utilises biotin to strengthen hair and saw palmetto to add body to fine hair.

2. Turn it upside down

Make gravity work for you, not against you. Next time you blow-dry your hair, flip your head upside down and lightly tousle your hair. When you flip your hair back up, you’ll have instantly more voluminous locks.

3. Treat your scalp

Thickening and volumising products are a fine-haired girl’s best friend, with just one downside: they often leave residue and buildup on your scalp and strands. Incorporating a regular scalp scrub or treatment into your haircare routine will help exfoliate your scalp, eliminate product buildup, and unclog hair follicles, which also promotes better hair growth. T. Angel from Albert Review recommended our Grow Stimulating Scalp Scrub.

4. Just to clarify

Designed to deep clean your scalp and rid your locks of product buildup, a clarifying shampoo is a haircare essential when using thickening products.

5. Add dry shampoo to your arsenal

If you’re one of those people who washes their hair every day, stop now. Daily hair washing can strip your locks of their natural oils, resulting in lacklustre hair. Instead, opt for a good dry shampoo. In addition to keeping your hair looking clean, dry shampoos can work wonders for fine hair, adding much-needed volume to soft or oily hair. For best results, simply spray dry shampoo along your hairline to soak up excess oil. Let it dry, then use a comb or your fingers to work it through your hair.

6. Spray selectively

Hairspray or texturising spray is often touted as a way to help add volume to fine hair, however, it’s important to be selective with your spraying. To add fullness to thin hair, try spraying hairspray onto the roots and crown of your head, working the product in with your fingers and lightly lifting your hair from the roots.

7. Such a tease

A tried and true method of adding volume to fine hair, teasing can make all the difference to your locks. Using a fine-toothed comb, gently tease your hair by pushing the hairs towards your head. Continue teasing your hair in small sections until you’ve achieved your desired volume, then lightly smooth the uppermost layer of hair to conceal the teased areas.

8. Rethink mousse

While hair mousse often has rigid, drying connotations, the hair mousses of today are very different from those of the early 2000s. Contemporary hair mousse formulas thicken and add volume to fine hair without weighing it down or creating any stiffness, resulting in plumper, softer strands. To use hair mousse, add a generous amount to the palm of your hand and work it in from the roots of your hair to the mid-lengths of your strands.

9. Add some texture

A surefire way to avoid those dreaded lank ends, a texturising spray keeps your hair mussed and wavy, adding an air of carefree insouciance to your locks. Our go-to is the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray for sexy, tousled hair, or the R+Co Trophy Shine + Texture Spray for voluminous, yet sleek styles. Alternatively, a volumising powder may be more your style; added to dry hair, the lightweight Grow Volumising Dry Shampoo Powder is an innovative formula that uses silica to absorb excess oil and provide the illusion of thicker hair.

Find more articles of beauty and grooming in Albert Review