The Hair Body-Building Tips Every Woman MUST Know
When you’re doing any kind of job or project, it helps to start out with the finest raw materials.
For example, a recipe always tastes best when you use fresh, high-quality food.
Or, if working in the garden’s what you love, you know the prettiest flowers grow from rich, well-watered soil.
Well, when it comes to sculpting striking hair, the most essential raw material is your hair itself.
That means, if you want a voluminous style, bursting with lush, seductive energy…
...you’d expect the most satisfying results from hair that’s already full of bounce and volume!
“This woman has the kind of volumized natural hair so many of us only dream about!”
WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE THE BEST MATERIALS
Of course, not all of us are blessed with that kind of naturally body-full hair.
And you may find yourself constantly battling to breathe life into fine, limp strands.
If this sounds like you, take comfort…because you’re not alone.
A survey by L’Oréal Paris says almost 40% of women struggle with thinning hair…1
...but it doesn’t have to be this way!
Day in, day out, in salons around the country, professional stylists prove this point…
...by giving women with hair as thin as yours amazing looks that are crazy with volume!
So, we asked a collection of the world’s most celebrated pro stylists:
“What are some of your most powerful tips for adding volume to fine hair?”
Try these elegantly simple suggestions during your next home styling session…
...and you’ll transform the “curse” of fine hair into a shimmering style opportunity!
CAUTION! DRY WITH CARE
When you first step out of the shower, it’s perfectly normal for your locks to hang limp and lank.
But how you dry that hair is critical to ensure it doesn’t stay that way!
That’s according to Sam Lavella, an internationally acclaimed stylist and colorist who has trained thousands of hairstylists worldwide.2
For starters, Lavella says, you can’t just pass the blow dryer over your hair in a wide sweep.
For volume-energizing results, he suggests drying your locks in smaller, concentrated areas.
"Working your blow dryer in small, isolated sections of your hair will give you a more effective volumizing boost.”
And, if you’re looking to boost your height along with your volume, pay special attention to the top of your head.
“Take a vented brush,” he says, “and push it into the hair right on the hairline at the top of your head. (Then), slightly pull back on the brush, creating a soft bend in the hair.”
Once that’s done, says Lavella, all you have to do is apply heat until the hair is dry, then gently brush it out. “This will produce nice volume at the scalp.”3
Simply stated, a proper drying routine can make all the difference between hair that weighs down your style and your mood…
...and tresses that galvanize you with glamour and confidence!
THE RIGHT PRODUCTS, THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE
Even with your drying game on point, you may have tresses that still need the kind of amped-up volumizing support only high-quality salon styling products can provide.
If so, it’s important to know what you can do to help your products give your hair all they’ve got!
For example, Brianna Colette, a stylist with LA’s NINE ZERO ONE salon, says “The most important step in getting volume for fine hair starts in the shower.”
In other words, volumizing shampoo and conditioner are a must for maximizing body.
But not just any old volumizing cleansers will do, says celebrity stylist Mark Townsend, whose client list includes Gal Gadot and the Olsen twins.4
Townsend says you always want shampoos and conditioners with moisturizing ingredients.
That’s because volumizing shampoos and conditioners tend to dry out your hair…
...which causes your scalp to overproduce natural oils to compensate...a problem far more noticeable in fine hair!
Townsend also has a strong tip on applying dry shampoo, which he calls “any woman with fine hair’s best friend.”
He suggests simply leaving the product to set in your locks, rather than combing it through.
“If you leave it in there,” Townsend says, “the powder and starch will literally build on one another,” adding both volume and fresh texture.
And Colette says it’s time to reacquaint yourself with volumizing mousse...a product she feels has come a long way since its dry-and-crispy ‘80s heyday.
“Apply a volumizing whip or mousse when hair is wet,” advises Colette. “Comb a small, palm-sized dollop of product through hair from root to ends.”
Of course, she cautions against using too much mousse. “This will only weigh your hair down.”
The goal is hair that looks rich with volume and life...while still keeping that airy, carefree feel!5
THE STYLE’S THE LIMIT
Now that you’ve got the right drying technique and the proper products for supercharging your volume, it’s time to pair your primed-and-ready hair with the right volumizing style.
Fortunately, our salon pros had plenty of suggestions for choosing a high-volume cut and style:
- “If your hair lays flat as a board...I suggest opting for a blunt cut with microlayers. You definitely want to avoid ‘the Rachel’.” - Fae Norris, stylist for Neighborhood Salon, Los Angeles
- “Don’t cut your bangs. Female pattern hair loss typically begins at the crown. By creating bangs, you’re removing hair from where you need it the most!” - Giovanni Mele, co-owner and artistic director of the Giovanni & Pileggi salon, Philadelphia
- “The key word you should hear from your stylist is ‘texture’...Texturizing the ends will make hair look longer and fuller.” - Claude Baruk, owner of his own self-named Las Vegas salon
- “Layers near the crown of the head gives the hair more lift without interfering with the perimeter, giving the hair and the style more density.” - Holly Pistas, artistic director, Gordon Salon, Chicago
- “A short precision cut that is worn above the shoulder makes a bold statement while still remaining classic and elegant.” - Cassandra Carter, stylist for Oranj Studio, Portland, OR6
These suggestions are all stylist-approved for providing volume without weighing down your hair...or sacrificing that glamourous edge!
But of course, you always want to consult with your own personal stylist to determine which of these techniques will work best with your unique face shape and features.
“Your stylist will have their own insights for getting the most volume out of your one-of-a-kind hair!”
TURN UP THE VOLUME
There’s nothing more inspiring than an exciting new hairstyling change…
...which is what makes it frustrating when you’re afraid your fine hair can’t achieve that goal!
So major thanks go out to our ingenious panel of pro stylists.
They’ve made their reputations by giving women with all types of hair the styles they dream of.
And with their volumizing tips and tricks, here’s hoping the next time you look in the mirror, you won’t be dreaming…
...you’ll really be wearing the richly volumized, full-of-life hairstyle you’ve always wanted!
CITATIONS
- Carell, Julianne. “15 Volumizing Hair Tips That Will Change Your Life.” Glamour, Glamour Magazine, 4 Apr. 2016, www.glamour.com/gallery/volumizing-hair-tips-for-adding-volume-to-thin-fine-hair.
- Salon Moxi - Team, salonmoxi.net/team.html.
- Fantozzi, Sienna. “How To Style Thin Hair.” Bustle, Bustle, 25 Apr. 2018, http://www.bustle.com/articles/139229-how-to-style-thin-hair-give-yourself-extra-volume-bounce-according-to-a-stylist.
- Mau, Dhani. “How Celebrity Hairstylist Mark Townsend's Clientele Evolved From Barbies to Olsens.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 1 June 2018, http://fashionista.com/2018/06/mark-townsend-hair-stylist-career.
- Marturana, Amy. “14 Styling Tricks Women With Fine, Flat Hair Need to Know.” SELF, SELF, 16 Oct. 2017, www.self.com/story/styling-tips-for-fine-hair.
- TodayShow. “9 Things We Learned about Making Thin Hair Appear Thicker.” TODAY.com, Msnbc.com Contributor, www.today.com/style/hairstyles-thin-hair-try-now-t125432.