How to Add Volume to Straight Hair

Straight hair, often characterized by its fine texture and lack of natural wave, can present a challenge when aiming for voluminous styles. The cuticle of straight hair tends to lie very flat, which contributes to its smoothness and shine but can also make it resistant to holding a curl or lift. Adding volume is about creating structural support and texture.

When to Add Volume

Considering volume-boosting techniques is beneficial any time you desire a fuller appearance for your hair. This is particularly relevant for special occasions, updos requiring a sturdy base, or simply to enhance everyday styles that might otherwise fall flat.

Tools and Products Needed

Effective volume creation relies on a combination of specific tools and products designed to add lift without weighing hair down.

Essential Tools

• Round Brush: Different sizes cater to different volume levels. Smaller brushes (1–1.5 inches in diameter) create tighter curls and more concentrated lift, while larger brushes (2–3 inches) produce broader waves and overall fullness.
• Blow Dryer with Concentrator Nozzle: The nozzle directs airflow, preventing frizz and focusing heat for precise styling and lift.
• Sectioning Clips: These help manage hair during drying and styling, ensuring each section receives adequate attention.
• Teasing Comb/Brush: A fine-toothed comb or a brush designed for teasing allows for backcombing at the roots.
• Velcro Rollers (Optional): These offer a heat-free way to set volume and can be applied after blow-drying for added lift and longevity.

Key Products

• Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner: These formulations are typically lightweight, designed to cleanse without residue and often contain polymers that coat the hair shaft, making it feel thicker.
• Root Lift Spray/Mousse: Applied directly to the roots, these products provide targeted support and hold. They often contain ingredients like PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) or VP/VA copolymers that form a film on the hair, creating stiffness and lift.
• Volumizing Mousse/Foam: Applied throughout the mid-lengths and ends, mousse adds overall body and light hold. Look for mousses with a lighter consistency that won't stiffen the hair excessively.
• Texturizing Spray/Powder: These products increase friction between hair strands, creating grip and fullness. Texturizing powders often contain silica silylate, which absorbs oil and provides matte texture.
• Light-Hold Hairspray: A flexible hairspray sets the style without making it feel crunchy. Avoid heavy-hold sprays that can weigh down newly created volume.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preparation (Shampoo & Condition): Begin with freshly washed hair using a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. Focus conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends, rinsing thoroughly to prevent residue that can flatten hair.
2. Towel Dry: Gently squeeze excess water from your hair with a towel. Avoid vigorous rubbing, which can disrupt the cuticle and cause frizz. Hair should be damp, not dripping wet.
3. Apply Root Lift: Section your hair and apply a root lift spray or mousse directly to the roots, particularly at the crown and sides. Distribute evenly with your fingertips. For overall body, apply a general volumizing mousse through the mid-lengths and ends.
4. Rough Dry (Upside Down): Flip your head upside down and rough dry your hair using the blow dryer on a medium heat and speed setting until it's about 70-80% dry. This technique encourages the hair to lift away from the scalp, building foundational volume.
5. Section and Blow Dry with Round Brush: Right-side up, section your hair into manageable parts (e.g., top, sides, back). Using your round brush and blow dryer with the concentrator nozzle, take a section of hair and place the brush at the roots underneath the section. Lift the hair upward and outward as you direct heat from the dryer at the roots. Follow the brush through to the ends, turning the brush to create tension and a slight bend. Repeat for all sections, focusing on lifting the roots.
6. Set with Cool Air (Optional): After blow-drying each section, hit it with a blast of cool air. The cool shot button on your blow dryer helps to set the style and lock in volume by rapidly cooling the hair and reforming its hydrogen bonds.
7. Teasing for Extra Lift (Optional): For targeted volume, gently tease the underneath sections of hair at the crown. Take a small section, hold it upright, and use a teasing comb to gently push the hair downwards towards the scalp, creating a cushion at the root. Smooth the top layer over the teased section.
8. Apply Texturizing Product: Lightly mist a texturizing spray through the mid-lengths and ends, or apply a small amount of texturizing powder at the roots for added grip and fullness.
9. Finish with Hairspray: Lightly mist a flexible hold hairspray over your finished style to maintain volume throughout the day.

Pro Tips for Lasting Volume

• Blow Dry Against Growth Pattern: When blow-drying, lift sections of hair and dry them in the opposite direction from their natural growth pattern. This forces the root to stand up.
• Overdirection: For maximum lift at the part, overdirect hair in the opposite direction. For example, if your part is on the right, blow-dry the hair from that section towards the left side of your head.
• Velcro Roller Trick: While hair cools after blow-drying, place large Velcro rollers at the crown and top sections. Leave them in for 10-15 minutes to enhance and set volume. Remove carefully to avoid tangling.
• Dry Shampoo for Refresh: On non-wash days, a dry shampoo can absorb oil and provide renewed lift at the roots.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using Too Much Product: Over-applying heavy conditioners or styling creams can quickly weigh down fine, straight hair, counteracting any attempts at volume.
• Applying Product Incorrectly: Volume products need to be applied strategically—root lifts at the roots, mousses through mid-lengths and ends.
• Drying Hair Completely Flat: Always start with a rough dry and lift the roots away from the scalp from the beginning of the drying process.
• Skipping the Cool Shot: The cool air stream is crucial for setting the bonds in the hair, which helps to lock in the volume you've created with heat.

Aftercare

To maintain volume between washes, consider sleeping on a silk pillowcase, which reduces friction and helps preserve your style. Avoid touching your hair excessively, as natural oils and manipulation can cause volume to diminish. If your volume begins to fall, a quick spritz of dry shampoo at the roots can help revive it.

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Find these ingredients in Watermans products

• Silica — you will find this ingredient in our Hair Growth Shampoo.

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Did you know?

• Hair volume is largely determined by the diameter of individual hair strands, with thicker strands naturally appearing more voluminous.
• The way light reflects off the hair’s surface can create the illusion of volume, even in finer hair types.
• Hair density, or the number of hair strands per square inch on the scalp, plays a significant role in overall hair fullness.