BTD FAQ: How To Get Volume In Your Hair?

One of the questions you guys ask the most is how to get more volume in your hair. I’ve been putting off writing this post for months because I wasn’t quite sure how to best answer it, but I figured I’d just go ahead and give it a shot and let you guys chime in with feedback to see if I need to address anything more specifically. So I’m really counting on y’all to try these tips and tricks out and let me know if it worked for you because this feedback will help me figure out how to better answer the question if this post doesn’t make your hair dreams come true! Okay?

I’m constantly switching up my hair routine so there’s really not a direct way for me to answer this question, but I tried to summarize “what I do” into a list of tips. Before we get started, I wanted to give y’all a few inspo photos from past blog posts where I got a lot of questions and feedback regarding how I did my hair. So I used this “look” as the inspiration when putting together these tips! Click on the image to see the original post + outfit details.

NOTE: How You Get Your Hair Cut Makes A Difference

I want to mention that in all these photos above, I have A LOT of layers. When you have lots of layering surrounding your face, it makes your hair lighter – aka less heavy so it’s easier to get a bouncy look and thus more volume. Make sense? So if your hair is all the same length, these tips might not work as well for you. I’ve had layers since watching “Parent Trap” in 4th grade lol so I have no idea how to style all-the-same-length hair (ha!).

For the record, I typically only get my hair cut by AVEDA-trained professionals. I know it sounds weird (maybe a little close-minded too) but it’s just what I’ve always done and it works for me. I like they way they’re trained to cut layers – they cut it so that it’s not choppy and just a really natural and weightless look. For all you Dallas girls, I go to Jennifer at Michael Raymond Salon in Mockingbird Station.

7 Tips For Getting More Volume in Your Hair

Before getting started with my first tip, I want to say that it doesn’t matter which order you use these tips in – they’re just a few things I do when my hair is looking flat.  

Some of them work best for when you’re washing your hair (e.g., adding products while your hair is wet), but then others are strictly for making the most of when your hair is a day or two old (e.g., adding dry shampoo); lastly, some tips could would for clean OR dry hair (e.g., texturizing powder, paying special attention to your part, etc.)

Tip No. 1 – Apply Product Before Drying Your Hair

One way to get more volume in your hair is to start before you even blow dry your hair and apply product while it’s still wet. I know it can sometimes be hard to see the difference it makes (since your hair is wet), but the products that you put into your hair while it’s wet actually DO make a difference!

Although I don’t always remember to do it, I think volumizing mousse and tonic spray actually do work. When I put product in my hair before drying it, I can see a difference in how my hair responds to my round-brushing – something about the product helps facilitate the heat and styling as I dry it.

I’m always switching up products. And to be honest, I’m not really sure which are my favorites – I like being able to switch between them all. In the photo above, I’m using Aveda Pure Abundance Style-Prep, which has been a go-to styling product for me for YEARS – you might have seen me mention it in my video and blog post last year on how I blog dry my hair + which products I use for volume and texture.

Recently I’ve been using both the Bumble & Bumble thickening mousse (mostly in my roots but also throughout my hair) and Aveda tonic spray (just a few squirts on my roots).

Product Recommendations:

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Full Form Mousse (use all over but lightly because this stuff is intense) // Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray (use all over) // Aveda Thickening Tonic (just for roots) // Aveda Pure Abundance Style-Prep (use all over)

Tip No. 2 – Use a Round Brush

My second tip for getting more volume in your hair is to try using a round brush when blowdrying your hair – it makes a difference! You can check out my video here where I talk all about it!

My favorite round brush right now is (still) this Olivia Garden one (I like how I’m able to GRIP my hair with it because it has thick bristles) for my whole head and then this DryBar one for the hairs around my face.

As for hair dryers, I’ve been using the DryBar one for the last year. I don’t think it really matter which dryer you use, AS LONG AS it’s a professional grade one and has one of those nose-like things on the end. I know a lot of people love the T3 hair dryers but I’ve had 3 and they keep breaking on me and I’m SO over it….anyone else? (they’re great otherwise though!)

Product Recommendations: DryBar Half Pint Ceramic Round Brush // Olivia Garden Round Brush // T3 hair dryers // DryBar Blow Dryer

Tip No. 3 – Use Lots of Hair Spray + Texturizing Spray

As I’m sure you’re probably already aware, the amount and type of hair spray you use to style your hair can make a HUGEEE difference. Trust me, you need to be using your hair spray! If you’re against it because you’ve had bad experiences with it making your hair hard or yucky-feeling, then you simply  just haven’t use the right products! Hair spray and texturizing spray can help you tremendously with getting more volume AND dealing with humidity if you live in the South.

After blow-drying my hair, I’ll spray some hair spray on it to give it a little more “grit” and texture before curling it (currently loving Dry Bar “Money Maker“). I usually curl it to give it a little shape because my hair ends up drying super strangely if I don’t go through ALL the steps I went through in this video (aka the velcro curlers and thoroughly round-brushing it…sometimes I’m too lazy). So even when I round brush it, it sometimes dries board straight. It’s so strange and just depends on what mood it’s in lol (even though I have naturally curly/wavy hair!)

When it comes to texturizing spray, I LOVE Oribe’s (but it’s super expensive – for the record though, it DOES work!) but I also love DryBar’s Triple Sec spray.

Product Recommendations: DryBar Triple Sec Texturizing Spray // Aveda ‘Air Control’ Hair Spray // Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray // DryBar’s Triple Sec (Texturizing) spray

Tip No. 4 – Use a Curling Iron For Shape

Although curling your hair doesn’t necessarily add to the volume at your roots, I think it helps give your hair an overall shape. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking….well yeah, duh – Thanks Captain Obvious for the useless information. And I know, it’s an obvious one, BUT I wanted to still mention it because it’s part of my “everyday” hair routine – and sometimes I do it so quickly that it only takes about 6 minutes!

Running a curling iron (quickly!) through your hair makes a big difference to your overall look. After all, do you really want volume if the end of your hair looks janky?

I switch between 3-ish different curling irons – I like to switch it up but also because they all sort of do something different. For my everyday look, I’ll use my hot tools 1.25 inch curling iron. In my experience the curls don’t last very long when I use this iron, but I almost prefer that because it gives it a more natural flow to it.

Product Recommendations:Sultra Bombshell 1 in. wand // T3 ‘Whirl Trio’ Interchangeable Styling Wand // hot tools 1.25 inch curling iron.

Tip No. 5. – Use More Dry Shampoo

If your hair is dirty (even if you’re styling it for night and you washed it that morning), use lots of dry shampoo. I’ll sometimes even use it when it’s clean (although not often).

I like how it soaks up ANY oil in my roots AND adds texture, helping with the overall shape/look I’m going for. Regardless of whether my hair is clean or dirty, dry shampoo can sometimes help me get more volume in my roots. I’m currently obsessed with the Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Porter dry shampoo and use it WAY too much! I’ve also done a review on my favorites that you can see here.

Product Recommendations: Aveda ‘Shampure’ Dry Shampoo // Ken Paves Dry Shampoo (umm had to link to Walmart bc I couldn’t find ANYONE else that sold it – not even amazon? but it smells AH-MAZING and I’ve been using it lately)  // Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Porter dry shampoo

Tip No. 6 – Add Texturizing Powder

I think texturizing powder (and what I’ll explain in No. 7) are what REALLY make a difference. In addition to dry shampoo when  it’s dirty (or just alone when it’s clean), sprinkle your roots with some texturizing powder. Section the top of your hair and put a little bit of powder close to your roots (but just a tiny bit because a little goes a long way!)

After putting a bit all over your roots, massage your scalp. Then lift up layers again and slightly teeze with a teesing comb or just a regular one. Then brush over if needed so it doesn’t look too poofy or tangled on top. And voila! You’ve got volume, right?!

Product Recommendations: texturizing powder // teesing comb

Tip No. 7 – Pay Special Attention To Your Part

Okay this is a big one and also (sort of?) hard to explain without talking to you slash showing you. If you’ve styled your hair (even if you’ve done everything I’ve just explained in the previous steps) and you’re still not pleased with your hair, then focus on this step. Assuming that you’re trying to get the look that I go for (with a side part), then this will really help.

Whether your hair is clean and you’ve already spent time round-brushing it OR it’s dirty and you’ve got to go dig out your dryer, let’s give this another shot and spent a little more time on the hair that surrounds your face. Whichever way you part your hair grab the chunk with the most hair (see image below) and pull the rest of your hair out of the way. Let’s give this bit of hair some TLC since it’s sort of the most important – at least as far as volume is concerned. Right?!

You’ll need a SMALLER round brush (love this one!), a blow-dryer with a “concentrator nozzle” (I had to google it lol) on it, and MoroccanOil hair spray. Section off that section (lol) and apply heat to the roots while round brushing and pulling up and away from your face. This will smooth it out and hopefully train your root hairs to go where you want them to go helping you achieve some HEIGHT at your part. Make sense?

Product Recommendations: DryBar Half Pint Ceramic Round Brush // MoroccanOil hair spray // DryBar Buttercup Dryer

That’s It! What Did You Think?!

I can’t wait to hear back from those of you who try some of these tips out! Please report back and let everyone know if any of these tips worked for you :)