8 EASY WAYS TO ADD VOLUME TO FINE HAIR

Fine hair can be a mixed bag - it’s easy to maintain and style, but if you’re using the incorrect styling techniques and products, your hair can start to look a bit lacklustre and flat by the end of the day.

You might find that a mixture of approaches work for you - so take your time trying and testing these methods, and you can build your own volumising regime for work, play and everything in between.

1. Use a volumising shampoo and conditioner

Depending on whether you have thin hair or fine hair but a lot of it, we’d recommend you start by overhauling your shampoo and conditioner routine to give your hair the best possible start.

Our Volume Lift range is expertly-designed to lift fine, flat hair - these lightweight hair care products are infused with Air-Silk Technology to lift flat hair, prepping it for gloriously-full, light styles.

If you’ve got thinning hair and you want to boost the appearance of thickness, our PROfiller+ range gives thin hair an instant, plumping boost for hair that feels and looks thicker and stronger.

2. Don’t use conditioner on your roots

To give your roots the best possible foundation for volume and avoid weighing your hair down, make sure that you only apply conditioner to your lengths. Unless you have extremely dry hair, your roots won’t benefit too much from your conditioner’s hydrating and smoothing properties as the sebum your scalp produces will help to keep your roots shiny and moisturised.

3. Tease your roots

We’re not talking serious 1980s backcombing - but gently teasing your roots adds all-day volume, whether you’re wearing your hair up or down. It works best on slightly dirty hair, but if your hair’s freshly washed, use a root booster to add texture.

Split your hair into sections and using a comb, start gently ‘pushing’ hair from the middle of the section further up towards the root. You want to create natural-looking volume, not tangles, so go slowly and repeat several times on each section until you’ve reached your desired volume.

You can also tease the hair on your crown for a little extra oomph if you’re wearing an updo - smooth a small section of hair over the teased sections to camouflage them, and secure with bobby pins and hairspray. The extra volume should last for a couple of days if you don’t wash your hair.

4. Massage your scalp

Healthy hair follicles with good circulation are key to improving fine, limp hair and caring for your scalp. Massage conditions your scalp, encourages increased blood flow and can help to increase hair growth by stretching the cells of your hair follicles. It’s also a great way to reduce muscle tension and improve your mood.

If you’re worried about your hair looking greasy after a scalp massage, do it the day before you wash your hair. Taking some time out for yourself and enjoying a scalp massage in the evening is a great way to boost your hair’s health and unwind.

5. Blow dry your hair upside down

If you don’t have the time to tease your roots, dry damp hair upside down after you’ve brushed it. This drying technique dries your hair away from your scalp, adding volume and bounce. To get a smoother finish, only blow your hair upside down while you’re doing an initial ‘rough’ dry, then once it’s damp, style as usual. If you’ve got flat curly hair, you can still use this method - just use a diffuser on a low setting to enhance and plump your curls.

Top tips to protect fine hair while you’re blow-drying it

• Always use a heat-protectant spray
• Use a lower heat to avoid scorching your hair - high temperatures also encourage your scalp to produce more sebum, which leads to lank roots and greasy hair
• Keep your hairdryer moving and at least three inches away from your hair
• Use a lightweight detangling spray to avoid tugging on knots and flattening any volume you’ve built up

6. Use a dry shampoo in between washes

Dry shampoo works by absorbing excess oil on your scalp and lifting your roots to give the appearance of washed hair - it helps you go longer in between washes (useful for keeping your festival hair looking fresh) and works almost-instantly.

Spray in small bursts onto your roots or any problem areas where your hair’s starting to look greasy, and gently pat into your scalp. Brush your hair through to remove any excess dry shampoo, and style as usual.

7. Change your hair parting

If you always wear your part in the same way, your hair gets used to growing in one direction - and changing your part is a great way to shake things up a bit and inject some volume into your style as your hair’s forced to go against the grain, lifting your roots.

• Side partings are an easy way to add instant volume to fine hair - use a comb for a clearer parting or your fingers if you want a messier, just-undone look
• Deep side partings are great for adding dramatic volume
• Zig-zag partings can help to disguise patches of thinning hair in your current parting - gently use a wide-toothed comb to flick sections of hair to opposite sides of your part

8. Curl your hair overnight without heat

One of the easiest ways to wake up to big, bouncy waves is to embrace overnight waves. This method works best with slightly dirty hair - so give it a go one day after your last wash.

Split your hair into sections, plait it and secure with a non-snag hairband - the tightness of the plait will determine how curly your hair looks in the morning. If you’re worried about your plaits coming out overnight, treat yourself to a satin sleeping cap or some silk pillowcases to reduce friction.

When you wake up, carefully remove the bands and run your fingers through your hair, style, and lock your wavy hair into place with a firm hold hairspray.