To learn how to add gorgeous volume that stays put until happy hour, SELF talked to a few top hair stylists for their best tips and favorite haircut styles for people with fine, flat hair.
Styling Tips & Tricks
Use a lightweight volumizing shampoo and conditioner to create a foundation.
“The most important step in getting volume for fine hair starts in the shower,” explains Brianna Colette, stylist at NINE ZERO ONE in Los Angeles. Make sure you're using a lightweight volumizing shampoo and conditioner that also have some moisturizing ingredients. These types of shampoos tend to be more drying and can cause your scalp to overproduce oils to make up for it, explains celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend.
Never apply conditioner to your scalp
“Any time you wet your hair you should use conditioner,” Townsend says. “But only from mid-length to the ends.” Since you’re opening up your cuticle, your hair needs the nourishment. But glopping it on the roots will just make you look greasy and limp within a few hours.
Get over your fear of mousse
Unlike the mousse our mothers used that dried out hair and froze it in all its permed glory, mousse formulas today are more elegant and hydrating. “Apply a volumizing whip or mousse when hair is wet,” Colette recommends. “Comb a small, palm-sized dollop of product through hair from root to ends. Be careful not to apply too much as this will only weigh your hair down.” We recommend the Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse, $39, which is great for a blowout.
Blow-dry to activate volumizing products
You may be tempted to skip the blow dryer, especially if your fine hair dries straight and smooth. But if you skip blow drying, your volumizing work will all be for naught. “[With] almost all volumizers you need to use a blow dryer with heat to activate them,” Townsend says. He uses Dove Oxygen Moisture Root Lift Spray, $10, before both blow-drying and air-drying clients like Mary-Kate Olsen, who doesn’t like a perfectly polished, blown-out look.
Skip the round brush until the very end
“Flip your head upside-down and start by rough drying,” Colette explains. In other words, use nothing but your hands. “This will lift the roots and rough up the cuticle, maximizing volume. When hair is 60 to 70 percent dry, flip back over and start blow-drying using a ceramic brush to smooth ends and add softness to the style.” But be careful not to pull too hard—that’ll just flatten everything out.
Set hair with Velcro rollers to add extra lift
Colette explains that after blow-drying, section off pieces of hair at the crown, roll them up into Velcro curlers, and use the cool setting on your dryer to set the style. Finish with a texturizing spray like Oribe Texturizing Spray, $22, or OUAI’s Wave Spray, $26, spraying at the root in sections. “That way, when the style starts to fall throughout the day all you need to do is flip your head over, massage your scalp and fluff your hair up,” Colette adds.
Get acquainted with a good dry shampoo
“Dry shampoo is any woman with fine hair’s best friend,” Townsend says. “I find I get a better hold and long-lasting volume using dry shampoo over hairspray.” Instead of spraying and then brushing out like you would to absorb oil, leave it be. He explains, “If you leave it in there, the powder and starch will literally build on each other.”
Get highlights if you want to add lasting volume
Highlights are a great way to add texture and volume to fine hair. “It roughs up the cuticle, making hair that is naturally limp and flat hold a voluminous style longer,” Colette explains. Alas, this is the same reason highlights weaken hair and require extra TLC. As long as you’re not overdoing it (a.k.a going in for touchups every few weeks), it’ll plump up your strands a bit sans product. If you’re concerned about damage, Colette suggests asking your stylist to use henna, “a plant-based hair color that is often used to make hair feel fuller, healthier, and shiner without the added damage of highlights.”
Splurge on an in-salon volumizing treatment
Kérastase offers a Fusio Dose Densifique treatment at its salons, specifically designed for women who struggle with fine hair but still want to keep hair healthy. “Densifique treatment will leave your hair full of revitalized texture, which lasts for four weeks depending on how frequently you shampoo,” explains Jasmine Anna Galazka, Kérastase educator and senior stylist at Warren Tricomi Plaza Salon.
Backcomb hair at the crown to get more height
Townsend does this on almost every photo shoot and red carpet. Lift hair in small sections, backcomb each section two or three times using a fine-tooth plastic comb, spray with dry shampoo, and then comb the hair down on top lightly to smooth it out and hide the teasing.
Shampoo less often—yes, really
“I know it freaks out women with fine hair,” Townsend says, since fine-haired gals tend to get oily fast. “When you shampoo every day, volumizing products are usually not the most moisturizing, so your scalp will produce more oils to moisturize itself.” Get on a cycle of shampooing only three or four times a week, and he promises it will really help in the volume department.
Haircut Styles For Fine, Flat Hair
Consider your jawline and face shape when picking hair length and layers.
No matter what your hair type, Joel Warren, founder of The Salon Project, tells SELF that layering for your hair type and face shape is essential for a flattering look. For thin, flat hair, he suggests anything shoulder-length, because it creates a look of fullness.
If you have fine, curly hair…
Try a style that is layered and point cut, John D. says. Point cutting is a technique the pros use to remove dead weight from the ends to create texture and movement in the hair. “The point cut creates softness at the ends, while the layering will encourage the curls to feel more voluminous, making the fine hair look much more thick and full.” But be mindful of cutting too many layers, Adam Livermore, hairstylist and international educator for Oribe Haircare tells SELF. “Because [this type of hair] has very little natural weight, if it is cut with too many layers, it can go from full to chaotic really quickly.” For fine, curly hair, Livermore likes a mid-length cut with very light layering to encourage the fullness while avoiding a bottom-heavy look.
If your hair is dry or oily....
Oily hair and dry hair don’t require special haircuts, John D. says. Instead, they benefit most from a dry shampoo or a light-weight hair mask, which works to repair damage and bring back your hair’s health. When applying the mask to fine hair, you want to coat from mid-lengths to ends and let it sit for a few minutes before shampooing. He recommends the TRESemmé Repair & Protect 7 Instant Recovery Mask Sachet, $3. For dry shampoo, we recommend the cult-favorite Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, $20.
Source: self.com
