How to Add Volume to Fine Hair
The simple definition of hair volumizing is the art of making the air look fuller and thicker in appearance. Hair comes in various types that depend on very many factors that include race, among many others. Some people are born with naturally thick hair that may become thinner with time due to age or activity. Fortunately for those with thin hair, there are ways you can volumize your hair without impacting the general health of your hair.
Things to Consider Before Volumizing your Hair
There are perfectly good reasons why people would go the volumizing route to make their hair thicker. Some of the benefits that come with thicker hair include the following.
- Thicker hair tends to be much stronger which means it is able to withstand combing and most of the hairstyling techniques without strands of hair getting yanked off their roots. The downside to this however is that the time and energy it takes to style thick hair the way you want is quite laborious.
- Thick hair has more styling options compared to most of the other types of hair. When you have more hair per square inch on your head it simply means that there is enough here for you to experiment with unlimited styling options. Some extreme styles like hair twisting which can be harsh on hair roots can work perfectly with thick hair.
- Natural thick hair also reduces the need for external and artificial extensions, something that is very common with people who have thinner hair. Another underrated advantage of thick hair is the fact that you are the least likely person to go bald anytime in the future.
Things to Consider Before Volumizing your Hair
You have thin hair and plan to volumize your hair but you do not know how to begin, what to use or where to get the whole process done. Before beginning the process, some conditions have to be met, things you must do from your end to ensure the success of the procedure.
The key thing you have to understand is that the process does not occur overnight, it takes time as it involves activities that are aimed at stimulating faster hair growth. You have to adhere to the following for a while before commencing your hair volumizing journey.
Get a Check-up
You first have to determine the exact type of your hair and if you may have an underlying medical condition is causing the thinning of your hair. Simply having thin hair is not reason enough to try volumizing it. Not all types of thin hair can yield the result you may have in mind. Certain types of thin hair may be beyond help due to a low density per square inch. You have to determine in advance that your hair can withstand the process and maintain that strength later on.
Your Diet
Greens, fatty fish, eggs, sweet potatoes, nuts, and seeds are among a wide range of foods that are known to promote hair growth. It is possible that you have thin hair because you have been eating the wrong foods. Getting onto a diet that involves some of the food items mentioned above is a good way of fortifying your hair and giving it the strength it needs. In the long run, you may end up not needing artificial extensions.
Your Budget
Natural as they may be, the process of volumizing your hair does not come cheap. The fact that it impacts your look, it is vital that you do it the right way, and the best way to achieve this is to use certified products and processes that will yield the most desirable results. This will leave a dent in your pockets. Therefore, before going down this route, make sure you set up a budget for this.
Safety of the Products
Most hair products are advertised with the sole purpose of getting your attention to boost sales, they may not be entirely honest when it comes to information pertaining to their safety some may have harmful ingredients. Different hair types react differently to each hair product. Once you have determined the type of hair you have, check up on reviews of every product you plan to use to see what people are saying about them. Involving your hairstylist is the surest bet since they are well versed with most of the common products and they will advise you accordingly.Your Intentions
What is driving you towards thicker hair? Are you worried about balding? Is this temporary or are you going for a permanent solution? Answering such questions will help guide you towards the most appropriate products that will suit your needs. You must have a clear picture in your head before embarking on this.
Your Stylist
It goes without saying that being in the care of a qualified hairstylist is the difference between getting the thick glowing hair you want and disappointment. You may get everything else right, from dieting the right way to getting the most appropriate products only for the whole princess to unravel because you chose a quack to handle your hair.
Volumizing Hair Care Tips for Fine Hair
Fine hair is usually considered the easiest to handle and in most people that is the case, thanks to its straight nature. When transitioning from this type of hair to a thicker type of hair, the following are some of the volumizing hair care tips you can stick to for the best results.
Use the Right Shampoo and Conditioner
You have to exercise caution when it comes to volumizing shampoos and conditioners. Using the wrong one may wreck your hair badly. Using the wrong products can dry up your cuticles, causing friction which may lead to your hair even weakening much further. Some volumizing shampoos and conditioners coat hair strands with silicone to give the impression of density, avoid these types of products as they are too heavy for your fine hair strands.
Cut Down on Combing
Combing is a leading cause of balding since it tends to pull the hair off its roots. When dealing with fine hair, you may need to use a gentler comb that does not yank your hair off every time you apply some little strength. When starting out with the volumizing process, you are advised to significantly cut down on combing and brushing your hair. For the time being, you can try a simple ponytail until your hair strands bulk up a bit.
Go with Mousse
Anyone with fine hair should always have a bottle of mousse nearby at all times. Mousse comes in many types from various brands. There is no much difference that sets them all apart, but it is a good idea to go for something that has worked well for you before. Mousse lifts the hair from the root without leaving any residue or feelings of stickiness once you are done. They help strengthen the hair follicles making it easy to your fine hair without worrying about a fallout.
Go Easy on the Drying
Most people use an ordinary towel to dry their hair. As much as this method is effective, it can be a tad too much for fine hair. In the process of rubbing your hair against the scalp using the towel, you end up weakening your hair due to the friction between your scalp and the towel. This could lead to hair loss which will ultimately defeat your goal of getting thicker hair. Using a hairdryer is a much better option compared to intense rubbing with a towel.
Regulate Heat Exposure
In the course of volumizing your fine hair, you may find the need to go under the dryer at your hair salon and that is totally fine. However, do not expose your hair to too much heat at one go. Heat tends to make the hair static and dry, sucking away all the moisture. This increases the chances of hair breakage. Even when using a blow dryer, hold it at a fair distance and bring down the heat to a temperature that is comfortable for your skin.
Keep Things Simple
Hair is sensitive and when you expose it to too many products and changes within a short period of time it will break. Whatever you chose to do in your journey to volumize your fine hair, do not overdo things. Keep it simple and natural as much as you can. Give the hair the chance to bulk up the normal way before introducing other external elements. Once you have nailed down the appropriate volumizing product then stick to that till the end.
Add Some Color
You will be amazed at the effect that new hair color will have on the general look of your hair. If you have bright hair, you can switch it up with a darker tone, or for a better effect, mix different shades of related colors. It will not physically increase the volume of your hair, but it will give the illusion of thicker hair. It is hard to notice that hair is thin if it is styled in different shades.
Volumizing Styling Tips for Thin Hair
It is easy to know if you have thin hair. If a single strand is smaller than the conventional thread then you have thin hair, you can barely feel it when you roll a strand between your fingers. Thin hair can be considered to be the most delicate type of hair and this is the reason why many people who have it always strive to volumize it and make it much thicker and stronger. The following are volumizing styling tips for thin hair.
Lift Your Roots
Lifting your hair roots is a simple process. You style your hair in the opposite direction of growth. Start by holding a section of hair in your hand then apply the brush at the roots, then like a roller, lift that section over to the other side and that’s it. Lifting your hair roots gives your hair more volume, therefore it is a process you have to master if you want to volumize your thin hair without having to go use hair products.
Thicken Individual Strands
Paying attention to individual strands sounds like a slot of work but it is one of the most effective techniques for fortifying thin hair during volumizing. There are varied ways of thickening hair strands, the most common one is scalp massage, it improves the circulation of blood which in turn ensures that your hair roots receive adequate nutrition necessary for an increase in hair strength and the thickening of the roots.
Switch Your Part
Everyone has a unique way through which they part their hair. When you wear your hair in the same manner for a very long time, it tends to develop weakness in one area. To counter this, switch up things a little bit by alternating among different parting styles. When it comes to volumizing thin hair, you are advised to part your hair before sleeping, something different from what you were wearing during the day.
Add Volume With a Curly or Wavy Hairstyle
You can never go wrong with a wavy hairstyle. Most people with thin hair wear their hair in a straight style, letting it fall over their shoulders. This does not do any justice as far as hair volume is concerned. Once you begin the process of volumizing your thin hair, switch things up by using a wavy hairstyle, it will give you the look of someone who has thick hair even if you do not possess that.
Turn down the Heat
Heat is never good for any type of hair and is, even more, harsher on thin hair than the other types. Too much heat damages the keratin proteins which are responsible for giving hair its strength. Another negative effect of uncontrolled heat is the zapping of moisture which then makes the hair brittle and prone to breakages. Try as much as you can to avoid applying direct heat to your thin hair, always apply heat-protectant spray before dealing with a heat tool.
Common Hair Volumizing Mistakes You Should Avoid
In the never-ending search for hair solutions, mistakes are bound to happen. It takes time, a lot of trial and error, to finally land the right products and the right style for your hair. You are bound to pull some missteps along the way. To help you avoid falling into that trap in your hair volumizing journey, here are some of the common mistakes people make that should be avoided at all costs.
Failure to Understand your Hair Type
You will be surprised by the number of people who do not have an inkling of the type of hair that they possess. Hair comes in four types based on the Andre Walker hair typing system. Failure to know the type of hair you have will end with you using the wrong products and styling techniques that will stop you from achieving the volume of hair you desire. Your hairstylist can help you understand the type of hair on your head.
Letting Your Hair Grow Too Long
Contrary to popular expectations, growing your hair too long does not do it any service, especially if you possess thin hair. The recommended hair length is shoulder length, anything bigger than this only serves to weaken the roots which lead to hair loss. The longer the hair gets the stringier and lifeless the hair strands to look, which defeat the initial aim of having healthy and good looking hair.
Using too Much Conditioner and Shampoo
Too much of anything is never good. As much as volumizing your hair may largely depend on shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products, you have to exercise caution on the amount and frequency of application. Using too much conditioner for example weighs down the hair strands from the roots, making them look flat. If you intend to handle the hair yourself, make sure you read all instructions carefully and if you need any clarification, get in touch with your stylist or any other expert for that matter.
Using Oily Products
Fine and thin hair are naturally silky even without doing much on them. Using heavy amounts of oily products will weigh down the hair and given how delicate the strands are, it is only a matter of time before hair breakages begin. Oily products also trap a lot of unwanted moisture, sweat especially, which can lead to scalp infections and the festering of dandruff and even lice at times.
Not Washing and Over-Washing
You have to strike a balance between washing the hair enough without overdoing it at the same time. Clean hair is healthy hair and to achieve that you have to wash it as regularly as you can. But what is the criterion here? It is recommended that you wash your hair once a day or once every 2 days. Doing it over twice a day is a bit too much and it may weaken the hair eventually. Other important factors to keep in mind are the products, some cleaning shampoos can hold for over a day, reducing the need to wash the hair more than once in a day. Find a balance that works.
Using too Much Styling Foam
Styling foam comes in handy when you want your stubborn hair to take the shape that you want. However, excessive use of it can glue your hair up making it heavier which consequently gets in the way of your pursuit of a bigger hair volume. To properly regulate how much styling foam you use, make use it never goes beyond a little lump on the palm of your hand. If you can avoid it all together the better for you.
The Bottom Line
Getting things right with your hair is a process, patience is key. Expecting instant results will only lead to disappointments. Volumizing your hair is not complicated and once you find a working formula you will never need anything else again. Maintaining your hair should not be another source of burden, there are countless ways you can achieve that without blowing a hole through your wallet.