The 80s may be long gone, but big, voluminous hair will never go out of style. Contrary to popular belief, size does matter, and today, we've teamed up with our friend Sarah Angius to show you how to get mega hair volume. Whether your hair is thin and straight or thick and curly like Sarah's, these tips will leave you with big hair and a bigger sense of confidence.
How to get voluminous hair with a blow out
You will need...
1. A hair dryer with concentrator attachment
2. A big round brush
4. A curling wand or curling iron
3. A teasing brush or paddle brush
4. Volumizing spray or volumizing powder
Step 1: Apply heat protectant
Start off with freshly washed hair, and apply a heat protectant spray all over the hair. As we will be applying quite a bit of heat to the hair during this volumizing process, a heat protectant is essential to retain moisture in the hair and keep it from drying out, which leads to frizzing.
Step 2: Blow out your hair
Have you ever wondered what the secret is to the perfect hair salon blow out? Well here it is: using your round brush, take small sections of your hair and wrap the hair around the brush, starting at the root. Start blow drying, and slowly pull the brush out from roots to tip while drying the hair, being sure to keep the hair dryer's nozzle pointed downward. This will ensure that all the hair dries in the same direction smoothly. Roll the round brush up toward the roots and and pull toward tips again and again until the section is completely dry.
For even more volume, keep the sections lifted and blow dry upward, which will create that hair volume at the roots.
Once you've blow dried all your hair, finish it off with a blast of cool air to hold and set the style.
If you are looking for a heatless method, we recommend using hair rollers instead to get the voluminous hair of your dreams.
Step 3: Add hair extensions
Luxy Hair extensions are perfect to add that extra thickness to your hair - we suggest going with our thickest 220g set for mega volume. Click here to learn how to clip in a full set of Luxy Hair extensions.
Step 4: Curl the hair
Using a curling wand, twist sections of your hair away from your face, curling all the hair sections in the same direction. You can use your finger to tell when the hair is getting hot enough to release it. Leave each curled section alone until you're finished curling all the hair. This will allow the curls to cool and set, and they will hold for much longer.
One you've curled all the hair, scrunch them upwards to make sure all the hair is perfectly curled. Click here for 5 ways to curl your hair with a curling wand, or learn how to curl your hair with a straightener if you do not have a curling wand or curling iron.
Step 5: Tease the curls
Yes, you heard right! Backcombing the hair is Sarah's styling secret to literally make your hair bigger. Usually, this is done at the roots to give the hair lift, but if you backcomb each curled section, the hair expands, giving your hair volume and thickness.
You can either use a teasing brush or a paddle brush to tease the hair. Be gentle when teasing the hair though, as you do not want to create a big ball of frizz!
Step 6: Add volumizing spray or volumizing powder
This is what your hair needs for that extra oomph. Spray the hair at the roots and through the curled sections, with a volumizing spray or volumizing powder, and work the product in. Be sure that you are not adding too much product as this could weigh the hair down.
How to get more volume in your hair, naturally
If you'd like to skip the heat or hair extensions, there are a few other secrets to getting more volume in your hair:
1. Add layers or go shorter
As hair grows out, it tends to get weighed down, sitting flatter on our head. To add bounce and lift back, we recommend cutting your hair to at least collarbone length. If you're tied to your longer hair, opt for layers, with the shortest layer falling at around your collarbone. This will give your hair that lightness it needs, while still allowing you to keep your length.
2. Change your hair part
This is probably the easiest and quickest way to get more volume in your hair! If you usually part your hair down the middle, try flipping your hair into a side part. If you're already partial to parting your hair on a specific side, simply flip your part to the other side and watch your hair grow in volume instantly.
3. Use a volumizing shampoo
These exist for a reason! Volumizing shampoos are usually formulated with lighter ingredients so they do not weigh hair strands down. Some volumizing shampoos have keratin or collagen as ingredients, which coat hair strands, plumping them up. Be sure that you are using the right shampoo for your hair type, as this could be the culprit to your flatter mane.
4. Use conditioner only on the ends
Conditioners have smoothening agents, which are what gives your hair that silky soft feeling. For the most part, most people have oilier roots and dry ends, so skip conditioning your scalp the next time you wash your hair, to maintain volume at the roots.
5. Skip the heat
While blowing out your hair leaves a wonderful, glossy result, it can also leave hair looking flat, if not done correctly. Instead, apply a volumizing spray to your roots, and simply let you hair air dry. Scrunch your hair with your fingers for extra volume, and add a texturzing sea salt spray for a beachy finish.
6. Sleep with a bun or claw clip
Gather all your hair at the top of your head and tie it into a bun before you go to sleep. In the morning, remove the bun and your hair should look much more volumized. Another trick include the hump claw clip—gather the front section of your hair and clip it up at the top of your head a la Snooki from Jersey Shore. In the morning, your roots should hold themselves up, giving you that extra volume.
7. Apply dry shampoo
When hair gets oily, it tends to lay flatter and limper. Revive flat hair by applying a volumizing dry shampoo to your roots, using your fingers to work the product in. Not only will the dry shampoo soak up any excess oils allowing you an extra day of no hair washing, but the powdery formula is inherently volumizing, giving you a double whammy of natural volume.
8. Try velcro rollers for heatless waves
The simply act of rolling your hair up for a couple of hours should be enough to add a life and fullness that curlers or blowouts just can't give you. Try rolling up only a few strands for extra volume at the roots or your whole head. Our Velcro Roller Set is an easy way to get salon worthy volume at home.
9. Backcomb your hair
As shown above, teasing your hair can have a big effect on your hair's volume. In order to keep the look modern, tease only the underneath sections of hair, and only at the roots to give that extra lift. Style the rest of your hair as normal, to hide the teased sections.
10. Use hair mousse
Sticking the retro theme, hair mousses have come a long way since their crunchy hey days. Choose a volumizing mousse, and one that is of a medium hold to avoid crunchy locks. Then, apply a generous amount, working the product through your roots and midshaft.
And that's it! Say hello to your new, big, beautiful hair.