How to create volume in flat hair?

[sunnylee]

I have been using <product name removed> to stop the hair in the front of my head from lying flat. I have long hair and this does work but only through mid day. I've also been using root awakening spray by big sexy hair, but again only a mid day fix. Any suggestions to keep more volume in the front of my hair?

[Coan-Teen]

I have the same problem and have no better solution than frequent fluffing. I am that woman you see in the bathroom running her hands through her hair all the time, but I also don't use any product on it except special occasions so it's my only trick.

[Yasmine91]

Try this method, it requires no heat but it will make your hair wavy:

Your hair must be washed first and dry, but not too dry.

1. Divid your hair in two
2. French braid your hair from the top, do the same on the other half.
3. Go to sleep and take out the braids in the morning :3

Your hair will have more volume in your hair, with lots of bounce but as I said, this is also if you want to make your hair wavy

[zombinest]

this might sound weird but I find that spraying a dry shampoo can give you some volume..

[feralnature]

Just be careful not to get conditioner up on your head in the shower. Only condition the hair below your ears. You want your hair on your head to remain fluffy and conditioner will drag it down. Also, don't over brush/comb it. Leave it alone.

[Eire]

The top of my hair gets really voluminous if I let it dry pushed back away from my face.

[triumphator!]

Just be careful not to get conditioner up on your head in the shower. Only condition the hair below your ears. You want your hair on your head to remain fluffy and conditioner will drag it down. Also, don't over brush/comb it. Leave it alone.

Weirdly enough, ever since I've been CO-ing my entire head & length, my hair has gotten so much volume! To each his/her own, I suppose :)

[torrilin]

I have been using creative Pro's texture thickening creme to stop the hair in the front of my head from lying flat. I have long hair and this does work but only through mid day. I've also been using root awakening spray by big sexy hair, but again only a mid day fix. Any suggestions to keep more volume in the front of my hair?

On my hair, the stuff you're describing would provide volume for less than an hour. So no, I don't have suggestions.

Having volume is largely a function of your hair type. My hair is straight, and will only show a hint of wave if I keep it very moisturized and am exceedingly gentle in handling it. If I try to perm it, it just laughs at me, and then drops the curl. Same for heat styling. It will take pin curls and braid waves, if I load it up with heavy conditioners, style it when sopping wet and let it air dry for as long as it takes.

And well, that means you're getting a lot of contradictory advice, because there are an awful lot of factors in hair type. Treatment that works great on my hair would be horribly damaging on someone with a lot of natural wave and fairly porous hair that sucks up conditioner and oils. And my hair wouldn't work so well with the some of the stuff a wavy person would do to enhance her waves...

So I'd start by figuring out what your hair actually does best naturally. Once you know that, you have a prayer of fighting the natural tendencies.

[Melisande]

I have the same problem - my hair is not only rather straight, it also grows flat on my head. There are people whose hair grows "upwards" and those whose hair grows "downwards", in addition to having straight vs wurly hair. Even though my circumference is okay, my hair is fine and if left alone, will stick so closely to my head that I look as if I had no hair :-(

You cannot really change that but you can encourage your hair to go "up" a bit. Drying it against the growth direction is one option. I had moderate to good success with making a number of little buns all over my head, pulling hair upwards while I did so. Hair has to be damp, not dripping wet - after it has dried, nice bun waves that "puff" upwards are the result.

Braiding over my head and letting it dry like that gave me loads of volume but terrible pain in my roots - they do not like to be pulled too much.

A rinse with catnip gives me volume, so does citric acid and, to be tried on your own risk, both potato starch or cornstarch (a tiny bit of starch "pudding" in water, pulled over head as last rinse, leave it in). Starch really gives me a full head of hair but it looks dry and big-hairish (read: 80s) so I won't do it again. May be worth a try though.

Another stuff that makes my hair look dry but puts volume is sea salt. If I use Lush BIG (highly diluted! that stuff is concentrated enough to burn holes into your scalp!) or rinse with sea salt, my hair looks much fluffier.

But the caveat: even if I use sea salt with aloe vera gel, my hair looks and feels dry and crunchy.

A gentler way is to mix in a mister distilled water and wheat (or silk) protein and spray that mix on your roots while holding your head down. But a scrunchy into your upside-down-hair and add some protein spray after a while. This gives nice volume without the dry effect (at least for me) but after a while, it falls down again :-( Over time though, good treatment of your roots gives them more strength.

There are some tips for adding over-the-forehead volume in updos on the hairstyle page, written by Nightblooming.

You can see that my flat hair has given me much trouble over the years and I still try what I can to create an illusion of fluffier, stronger hair....

[zombinest]

another idea is to leave some velcro rollers under the top layer of hair and take them out just before you leave the house.

[Dolly]

another idea is to leave some velcro rollers under the top layer of hair and take them out just before you leave the house.


I would suggest against velcro rollers, as they can rip and tear at your hair.....not a good idea.....

[Yozhik]

What about giving yourself a little pouf in the front with twisting the hairs that would make up your bang area together and then pushing them a bit forward? That is, if you're going for this look. :)

[DARKMARTIAN]

Time travel back to the 80's?....:o

(Id give better feedback if I knew more about this kind of stuff.....sorry)

[lapushka]

If you blowdry, try one of these options:
- diffuse
- dry with your head down (not totally, just the last minute)
- hold the hair on the top & sides of your head up 2 to 3 inches (not totally, just the last minute)

Using some styling products along with this, or a tiny bit of hair spray at the end, helps too.

If you want to airdry, try clipping from the curly girl method.

[MAO]

I second the velcro rollers. However, as Dolly mentioned, you have to be extremely careful when removing them.

Don't wash so often.

I've discovered that I have natural volume without any leave-in products and a BBB gives me LOADS of volume.

TOO MUCH moisture (oils, cones) is the enemy of flat hair.

You could also try sleeping with your hair in a loose ponytail on top of your head.

A cornstarch/baking soda mix when you are trying to stretch out your washes and then brushed out with a BBB also gives great volume. I add cocoa powder to the mix b/c my hair is dark.

Oh yeah, and if you want to airdry your hair, occasionally slip your fingers underneath your canopy and give it a little shake/lift at the roots.

[Nicoliee]

When my hair is straight it is SO flat. And even when it's not straight the top is flat! I hate it.