How To Add Volume To Your Hair: Products, Styling Techniques, and Hair Habits

Flat hair happens, whether it's due to your hair type, styling habits, or just a bad hair day. Good news, though — we’re about to go over everything you need to know on how to get volume in your hair.

You don’t need to fork out tons of cash for a salon blowout to see some lift. Healthy hair care habits, smart styling hacks, and the right products can go a long way in making your hair look fuller.

In this guide, we’ll break down the top strategies for instant volume and long-term fullness. Plus, what to do if thinning hair might be behind your flat mane.

When it comes to adding volume to your hair, the right products are essential. While some shampoos and conditioners can make your hair look flat or limp, others can give it some oomph.

Choose Lightweight, Volumizing Products

Using the right shampoo and conditioner is key. Look for volumizing shampoo and conditioner that contain ingredients like biotin or rice protein, which help add structure and lift.

On the flip side, you’ll want to avoid heavy, ultra-moisturizing formulas that can weigh your hair down.

Use The Right Hair Washing Techniques

Shampooing and conditioning your hair is simple, right? Not exactly. There’s a little technique to it.

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests the following:

• For shampoo, focus on cleansing your roots and scalp. When you rinse, let the suds run through the lengths of your hair.

• For conditioner, apply it only on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair.

Shampooing the ends of your strands can strip your hair of moisture, leading to dry hair. On the other hand, conditioning your scalp can lead to greasy roots, which will weigh your hair down.

This technique can keep your hair clean, healthy, and hydrated, without making your roots greasy or adding to product build-up.

Prep with Styling Products

To add structure before styling, apply a volumizing mousse or root-lifting spray to damp hair.

If your hair is dry, dry shampoo or a texturizing spray can create instant grip and body by absorbing oil and adding texture.

Cover Sparse Areas

A favorite hairstylist trick to making hair appear thicker and more voluminous is to cover any sparse areas with a scalp powder or hair fiber product.

If your hair is thinning or balding, hair powder can help create the illusion of fuller roots.

The right styling techniques go a long way in giving your hair some body.

Blow-Dry for Maximum Lift

Your blow-dryer is your best friend when it comes to volume. Different techniques can help add lift to your roots.

Try the following:

• Blow-dry your hair upside down to lift hair at the roots.

• If you have curly hair, scrunch it for more defined, bouncy curls.

• Use a round brush to pull the hair up and away from the scalp.

• Try a blow-dryer brush (a hair dryer with a round or flat brush at the nozzle) if traditional tools feel like too much of a workout.

Don’t forget to use a heat protection spray to protect your hair strands from damage, frizz, and breakage.

Use Rollers While Hair is Warm

Consider using large velcro rollers, which can give more structure to flat hair or straight hair types. Make sure to wrap only small sections around each roller. It’s best to do this while your hair is still warm because as it cools down, it’ll hold shape better.

Think of how a cookie is pliable when fresh out of the oven but hardens and holds shape as it cools. When you unravel the rollers, your strands will have more lift from the soft curls the rollers created. Set with hairspray to lock in your look.

Switch Up Your Part

If your hair always falls the same way, it can get used to lying flat. Simply changing your part can instantly lift your roots.

Have a middle part? Switch it to a side part. Have a side part? Move it over to the other side. It might feel odd at first, but it’ll give your hair a little more volume.

Volume is often a matter of the right products and smart styling techniques, but it’s easier to style your hair if it’s healthy in the first place.

Damage That Leads to Limpness

Damaged hair isn’t just prone to breakage — it can also make your hair look limp and flat.

Here are some tips for reducing hair damage:

• Minimize heat styling or use a heat protectant. Heat damage is a shortcut to flat, lifeless hair.

• Avoid tight hairstyles that tug at the scalp. Overly tight ponytails, cornrows, and ballerina buns can lead to a form of hair loss called traction alopecia.

• Skip chemical treatments that weaken strands. Bleaches, perms, and relaxers can make your hair fragile, dry, and breakable.

• Be gentle with wet hair. Wet hair is more prone to damage, so take care when detangling and drying your hair. Pat it dry with a towel — no rubbing.

 While these healthy hair habits aren’t a shortcut to volume, they help keep your hair in tip-top condition, which makes it easier to style (and less likely to break).

An Unbalanced Diet

A nutritional deficiency can impact your hair structure and hair growth.

To support healthy hair growth, eat a diet rich in:

• Protein (chicken, eggs, lentils)

• Biotin (sweet potatoes, almonds)

• Iron (spinach, red meat)

• Vitamin D and Vitamin A (fatty fish, carrots)

Learn more about the different types of foods for healthy hair in our blog.

If you have a deficiency, consider using vitamin supplements, like our biotin gummies.

The Wrong Styles

The right haircut can create the illusion of volume.

Here’s what to consider before heading to the salon:

• Layers add movement and prevent hair from looking weighed down.

• A blunt bob or lob can make fine hair look thicker.

• Curtain bangs or a tousled shag can give the top of your hair more lift.

• Extra long hair can be heavy, which can weigh your hair down and make it look flat.

Consult with your stylist about cuts that work well with your hair texture and face shape while maximizing volume.

Waiting to Treat Hair Loss

If you’re hoping to add volume to your hair because it feels thinner, it’s important to start a hair loss treatment ASAP — the faster you treat it, the better.

Science-backed hair loss treatments for women include:

• Topical minoxidil. Available as minoxidil solution and minoxidil foam, this over-the-counter medication stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles

• Oral minoxidil. A once-daily pill, oral minoxidil encourages hair growth from within.

• Topical finasteride and minoxidil spray. Our prescription-only Hair Growth Spray contains both minoxidil and finasteride to reduce hair loss in postmenopausal women.

Not sure what’s best for you? A Hers provider can help customize a treatment plan for your hair goals.

You can learn more in our guide on female pattern hair loss.

Getting volume in your hair doesn’t have to be an expensive or complicated task. With the right approach, you can add plenty of oomph to your once-lifeless hair.

Here are some key takeaways about adding hair volume:

• Use volumizing shampoos and lightweight conditioners. Focus shampoo on the roots and conditioners on the lengths and ends.

• Style smart. Blow-dry upside down, switch your part, or try velcro rollers. Consider using hairspray or mousse for some root-lifting magic.

• Practice healthy hair habits. Healthy hair is easier to style — so avoid damaging your hair, eat a balanced diet, and handle it with care.

The right products — plus some healthy hair care habits and smart styling hacks — can be a gamechanger for adding volume to your hair.

But if you think a bigger issue is at play, like hair loss, you’ll want to treat it ASAP. To take out the guesswork, start a consultation with a healthcare provider who can help you understand what your hair actually needs.