How to get more volume?

[moniquerenaud]

I have 1a/1b hair, and it's kinda between thin and thick but closer to thin. It always falls so flat on my head and is so boring. I want a way to get thicker more voluminous hair, any ideas?

[Madora]

Some people use cassia to thicken their hair.

Volume is another matter entirely. Some cut layers. Of course there is the usual horror of back combing/teasing but both are not hair friendly.

Also, you'll find volume is pretty much out the window once the hair reaches a certain length.

[Naiadryade]

Brushed-out braid waves!

[moniquerenaud]

My main problem is volume at the roots like my scalp basically

[Madora]

Ideal solution, Naiadryade!

[red-again]

When 95% dry I put my hair up into a top of head lazy wrap bun and leave till dry It gives kits of root lift and swing down the length which makes my hair look more vibrant and alive

[swetz]

Back combing will give volume to but make sure that it wont damage the hair.Use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner.

[ErinLeigh]

I have the same problem. I have zero volume on my roots. Hair is flat to scalp.

For airdrying: Wearing it in a top knot helps the volume issue but it ruins the look of the rest of my hair so it is a trade off for me (this issue is because of my extreme layers).

For heat styling: The only thing that works for me really right now is blowdrying with a big round brush, taking hair in the opposite direction I want it to lay. A volumizing mousse is supposed to really help but I hate the feel of product in my hair. If you can handle that it may to apply some mousse and diffuse the roots or round brush them.

[Naiadryade]

Hmm, okay. Here's an idea (just an idea, haven't exactly tried it).

Section your hair to make smaller braids. Maybe 4-6 of them, with half starting on top of your head and half starting in the layer beneath that. Clip or scrunchie the sections you're not working with at any given time to keep them out of the way. Then get yourself upside-down, by bending over or hanging off the edge of the bed or what have you. braid your hair, starting as close the roots as you can, upside-down like this. When all your hair is in upwards-pointing braids, go to sleep with the braids hanging over the other side of your pillow. In the morning, take them out, detangle and brush.

What I'm thinking is a) this will bring the braid-waves, and therefore post-brushing volume, much higher up your hair, and b) having your hair pointing in that direction all night will give your roots a little lift.

Let us know if you try it and how it goes for you!!

[Firefox7275]

Do everything upside down from washing through styling. Blow fry the root area on warm or 'pineapple' hair whilst air drying. Avoid ingredients that smooth or weigh hair down like waxes and silicones. Use volumising ingredients like hydrolysed protein, also dry shampoo.

[katiebeans]

I agree with the above suggestion of a top knot/bun when your hair is near dry. Also agree with braid waves, sleep in a braid or leave one or a few in for a few hours, then take em out, flip your head upside and give it a good shake.

Dry shampoo also helps give the roots lift too, even on dry hair. You can buy some or use cornstarch and/or coco powder depending on your hair color.

Also, when I had problems with volume, I would flip my head over and spray everything with hairspray, then flip it back. Come to think of it, I sometimes miss hairspray since I've given up products :rolleyes:

[clioariane]

Wash with volumizing shampoo (John Frieda has a good one) and a light conditioner. Try a mousse or a root-lifting spray. Sleep with hair in a bun and wake up with voluminous locks!

[LauraLongLocks]

I have 1a/1b hair, and it's kinda between thin and thick but closer to thin. It always falls so flat on my head and is so boring. I want a way to get thicker more voluminous hair, any ideas?

Ascribe to a religion that teaches reincarnation, and come back as someone with thick, voluminous hair. Sorry, I meant that in a joking way, and no offense... my baby just hit the "post" button before I could FINISH MY SentenCE, AND NOW he's got the all-caps button going. I guess I'm done responding. You were born with the genes you have, and nothing can change that.

[KellieMai]

I have naturally very straight hair and when I want some volume I either take sections and I make a kind of poof at the top of my head while it's damp and leave it to dry, it works pretty Well for the front part of my hair but harder to do all over. Or I dry my hair upside down with a hairdryer(on a cooler setting) I know you can by a spray gel type stuff to spray in the roots that holds to volume, it's not expensive or 'crunchy'. Hope this helps :)

[lapushka]

There's a volume powder by got2b that you shake into the roots (sparingly, though) and it lifts them up for more volume. It's called powderful, I think. Here it is:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTfmlWLnnu0/TheKLo9yWbI/AAAAAAAAARk/5wXql07FkYs/s1600/Got2b_Powderful.jpg

[ErinLeigh]

there's a volume powder by got2b that you shake into the roots (sparingly, though) and it lifts them up for more volume. It's called powderful, i think. Here it is:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jtfmlwlnnu0/theklo9ywbi/aaaaaaaaark/5wxql07fkys/s1600/got2b_powderful.jpg

thanks for that tip

[lapushka]

thanks for that tip

You're welcome! :) Just saw the link is broken, so here it is (hope this one works):
http://chicklitplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/got2b-powder.jpg

[stachelbeere]

My main problem is volume at the roots like my scalp basically

I have the same issue with my hair. Here is what I tried without heat and teasing:

- upside down french sleeping braid. The next day my hair looked CRAZY so I did a side french braid (Katniss from the Hunger games style) and I had some nice volume at the back of my head
- overnight pin curls. They only give me volume in the front though, not in the back of my head
- dry shampoo/ cornstarch. It has to be brushed out though.

[bunnylake]

Giovanni makes a nice root lifting spray. I use it and it works well without feeling sticky or gunky. You have to spray it onto damp/wet roots and blow-dry, but I always use my dryer on a low setting and then cool and it comes out great. Also, dry shampoo even if you're hair is clean will give your roots a little lift.
This is actually one of the reasons I cut my hair. It was so long and heavy that it was impossible to get any volume. It looked like it was stuck to my head, even after adding layers!
Good luck

[moniquerenaud]

Thanks for all the help!

[bunnylake]

Oh I forgot!
Try skipping conditioner in the shower, and only if you really need it use a light leave-in conditioner only on the very ends. When I did that when my hair was long, I got muuuuch more volume and my hair looked a lot thicker. Two products that also worked the best for me are Lush "Big" shampoo and "Roots" treatment.

[clioariane]

Oh I forgot!
Try skipping conditioner in the shower, and only if you really need it use a light leave-in conditioner only on the very ends. When I did that when my hair was long, I got muuuuch more volume and my hair looked a lot thicker. Two products that also worked the best for me are Lush "Big" shampoo and "Roots" treatment.
I also back 'Big', it's a great volumizing shampoo! (Just beware of the salt, it can be scratchy and drying.)

[kidari]

So many great suggestions! I echo using protein and cassia treatments, they really do thicken up your hair big time! Also, washing upside down kneeling over a tub with a shower head attachment and then keep the hair in that position while wrapped in a microfiber towel. I like to roughly blow dry just the roots with the hair dryer on a neutral cooler setting while upside down, then I make sure to brush everything straight down with my head still bent over upside down and put it into a neat bun as high on top of my head as possible and sleep. In the morning it's super voluminous. A shorter length and some long layers help hold the volume best for me. Also, dry shampoo on a non-wash day helps if I need it. Every night even when I haven't washed my hair I still sleep with it in a high bun or I will set my hair in a manner similar. After I take down my bun, I bend over and brush it all upside down with my Aveda paddle brush. My hair looks more than 3x fuller this way and it lasts a decent while. The less layers I have and the longer the overall length is, however, the volume doesn't always last as long. I refuse to use teasing or hairspray because your hair feels gross and it doesn't move.

[kme81]

If you part your hair on the side, let it dry parted on the other side. Then after its dry part it as you normally would. It may help. :) That's the only thing I can think of that hasn't already been said.


If your concerned with volume when you have your hair up, here is something that I like to do. It may work for you:
Sometimes when my hair is being very flat, I french rope braid the areas near my forehead like in this (http://youtu.be/r5rbesw0f6s) or this (http://youtu.be/baPFmgsH_Js) video, except I often do a different type of bun. If braided loosely, it can add volume and softness to the front of an updo or half up.

[misspage]

Sleeping in a bun at night, using dry shampoo, brushing out braid waves or pin curls, volume shampoo and conditioner, getting layers cut into your hair, teasing (be careful though), henna...etc

[leayellena]

I begin a French braid very high on my head. It works just as well with a Dutch braid of course. I don't know if you have any back pains but if you are ok you can do double French or Dutch braids.

[desisparkles]

for me it'd be skipping creams and leave ins. basically anything moisturising.

I think if I just used mousse or gel alone I'd still have volume though. I know when I go completely product free I get the most volume. It does get silkier therefore less volume as the days go by though.

[Kat]

I have the same problem. I have zero volume on my roots. Hair is flat to scalp.

Me too. Since I have my hair back in usually a single braid every day, from the front I look like I'm either bald or have very very short hair. Not an attractive look, but I wouldn't enjoy leaving my hair loose/in my way any more than I enjoy the ill/masculine look, so I just pull it back and try not to worry about it.



Brushed-out braid waves!

I have been trying to experiment lately with a series of small French or Dutch braids at the scalp... full small braid-waves makes my hair really frizzy (and unmanageable), so I've been trying the small braids just further up.

You have to make sure the braids are at your scalp-- otherwise you have lovely braid-waves from the neck down and the hair on your head is still flat. It's a weird look. Ask me how I know.



Hmm, okay. Here's an idea (just an idea, haven't exactly tried it).

Section your hair to make smaller braids. Maybe 4-6 of them, with half starting on top of your head and half starting in the layer beneath that. Clip or scrunchie the sections you're not working with at any given time to keep them out of the way. Then get yourself upside-down, by bending over or hanging off the edge of the bed or what have you. braid your hair, starting as close the roots as you can, upside-down like this. When all your hair is in upwards-pointing braids, go to sleep with the braids hanging over the other side of your pillow. In the morning, take them out, detangle and brush.

What I'm thinking is a) this will bring the braid-waves, and therefore post-brushing volume, much higher up your hair, and b) having your hair pointing in that direction all night will give your roots a little lift.

Let us know if you try it and how it goes for you!!

*headdesk* why did it never occur to me to just do small regular braids, rather than trying to fiddle with French/Dutch??



Giovanni makes a nice root lifting spray. I use it and it works well without feeling sticky or gunky. You have to spray it onto damp/wet roots and blow-dry, but I always use my dryer on a low setting and then cool and it comes out great. Also, dry shampoo even if you're hair is clean will give your roots a little lift.
This is actually one of the reasons I cut my hair. It was so long and heavy that it was impossible to get any volume. It looked like it was stuck to my head, even after adding layers!
Good luck

My hair was like this even when shorter (chin length). It's part of the reason I started growing it-- I figured if my hair was just going to hang there flatly, it could at least be long and that would be the way it was expected to look.

[whoisida]

Seanik shampoo bar from Lush. Only thing that helps me with volume :)

[WonderGirl]

I use clarifying shampoo and very light conditioner for oily hair so it doesn't make hair sleek and hard to hold. Dry hair upside down. Cut layers on top. Dry shampoo it and use those volumizing powders. I have this problem all my life but when I bleached my hair for the last 20 years I have no problem because it has alot of volume from the bleaching because the strands are open and look thicker.