It happens all the time. A client walks into a salon with a photo in her hand. The hair in the photo is lush, full and voluptuous—yet the client’s hair is exceedingly fine and thin. You don’t want to crush her “big hair” dreams, but you can’t create something out of nothing. Or can you? We talked to today’s hottest stylists and asked them for their best volumizing tricks. Read on for their ingenious body-building secrets.
- Brush up. “A great way to create volume is by applying Matrix Total Results High Amplify Foam Volumizer to the mid-lenghts and ends of hair. When drying, use a round brush throughout. Once completely dry, use a cushion brush to back brush, encouraging soft volume,” says Daniel Roldan, Matrix artistic director.
- Clip it in. “For hair that needs a little oomph, you can suggest some well placed clip-in extensions, like Hairdo’s Remy Human Hair Kit,” says Kristina Barricelli, Hairdo brand ambassador. “But, you have to have a goal in mind before you start adding in the hair. Find where the client needs volume the most and work in small wefts.”
- Roll with it. “Hot rollers are the perfect way to get quick volume easily into the hair,” says Redken Artist Lauren Hagen. “At the roots, first I spray in Redken Guts 10 volume spray foam. Then I add in a small amount of Redken Hardware 16 super strong hair gel. Using rollers, I take large sections of hair and wrap around the hair—keeping the roller close to the scalp with minimal over-direction. After the rollers heat up, I remove them and run my hands through for a more separated look.”
- Pony up. “For amazing volume, try securing a butcher’s knot power pony in two sections,” suggests Redken Artist Ashley Flora. “The power pony has one up and another knotted right under it—but you can’t even see it. These ponytails are hugely popular with clients right now and make hair look twice as full.”
- Snap in color. “When you add in lighter tone extensions it instantly creates dimension and a fuller look,” says Katherine Lewis, head of education for DreamCatchers Hair Extensions. “DreamCatcher Extensions can give a client the illusion of fullness, without a color commitment.”
- Layer it on. “Layering on volumizing styling products—like Ouidad PlayCurl Curl Amplifying Foam—sculpts your structure, as oppose to weighing it down when there’s a mixture of products,” says Melanie J. Fahey, Ouidad AVP creative education product development.