Best Volumizing Hair Products [Review] in 2022

When it comes to adding volume to fine hair, it is no easy task, from using countless products to add just a bit of lift to the roots to learning the technique to give hair a bit of bounce. Even using products that help hold in the lift instead of dropping after 5 mins.

Certain products weigh our hair down and make it look limp, while others just dry out our ends and offer no benefits on volume. First things first, you need to learn how to choose the right products for your hair to avoid products that are too heavy or offer zero benefits.

Those with fine hair tend to have low porosity hair too, which means that moisture has a hard time being absorbed but once absorbed; it stays in the cuticle. This means some ingredients like coconut oil are too heavy for this hair and will just sit on top.

This causes hair to look lifeless, flat, and limp. Something as simple as opting for lightweight oils like argan oil can already combat this. This oil can improve the condition of your hair by penetrating into the strands as well as remaining lightweight.

So no need to fear; I’m here to help you when adding volume to your hair; no matter if you have a root lift spray, dry texture spray, or volumizing mousse, I am here to show you how to blow-dry and style your hair for the most volume.

Let’s delve in, shall we?

Right, let’s start with the top flat hair fixers to give your hair a bit of oomph. Some of these things are so basic and easy to achieve that you won’t believe that these methods help to add volume to the hair naturally. So let’s talk about a few of my favorite volume fixers.

Washing You hair Correctly:

The first one is the most simple of them all, and it’s how you wash your hair. Did you know you can actually wash your hair wrong? This simple mistake may be the reason you’re struggling to get volume in your hair– just follow these rules:

You’ll first want to start by rinsing your hair with hot water; this will help open up the cuticle (as most fine hair is low porosity). By opening up the cuticles, it can help remove all of the dirt or products that are clogged within your pores.

It also means the goodness of your products can be easily absorbed. When your hair is rinsed with warm water, it also helps to break down the oils in the scalp. Doing this while massaging your scalp will help to break down the oils and stimulate the scalp.

Once you’ve rinsed for a minute or so, apply shampoo to your roots. Spread the lather along the length of your hair, do not rub the ends as this will make them brittle. So focus on massaging the roots, also focus on rubbing the scalp rather than the hair; this is where the buildup tends to occur.

Try to avoid moisturizing shampoos and opt for one that is best for oily hair or one that offers volumizing benefits (go professional!) You will notice that your hair will feel less heavy, and your hair won’t feel like it’s stuck to your scalp.

Sometimes the reason why you don’t have any volume is that your hair has buildup, so from time to time, just doing a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup, followed up by a deep conditioning treatment, will make a world of difference.

Also, try not to wash your hair every day. I know how painfully difficult this can be, but it is crucial. Washing your hair too often can remove the protective layer from your hair, causing it to become weaker and depriving it of volume.

So invest in a good dry shampoo instead and use this in-between washes; this should help to stretch how long you can go between washes and even help with volume when your hair is looking a bit greasy and lifeless.

Blow Dry Your Hair Upside Down:

When styling blow drying your hair and the effect of water can really weigh down your hair. So by blow-drying upside down, the roots are upwards during the drying process, so they are likely to have more volume.

Just lower your head, so your hair hangs down in front of your face and direct the hot air from your roots to your tips. By lifting the roots during the drying process, it will help to give your hair a bit of lift at the roots, and the hair won’t look so flat.

But I will go through a few more techniques of how to blow dry hair for volume shortly.

Give Your Hair A Good Cut:

If you have long locks and struggle tirelessly to get volume in your hair, well, this may be a sign that the long hair look isn’t for you. Just by bracing the chop, it can take the weight out of your hair, so your hair appears fuller.

Shorter hair gives the impression of volume as it is less heavy, so it is unlikely to get weighed down. For fine hair, volume over length is a much better option, just taking the weight out of the hair will allow hair to bounce up.

Layers are also ideal for fine hair, the different lengths make the hair appear thicker, and the hair will bounce up.

Don’t Use Too Much Styling Products:

Don’t overdo it with the styling products; I know some girls can have a five-step styling routine, but for fine hair, this really isn’t necessary. You will need a couple of volumizing products, a heat protectant, and a leave-in conditioner, that’s it.

I personally love the volumizing tonic by Aveda. After applying a lightweight leave-in conditioner on the ends, work in sections and apply the tonic to my roots. I then follow this with my heat protectant and volumizing mousse then style.

But the mousse is completely optional. Personally, I find it’s the best option for volume as it is super lightweight and provides some serious boost on finer hair.

Try to avoid using too many oils and especially avoid heavy oils like coconut or olive oil. Instead, use jojoba oil or argan oil; they’re much more lightweight. Oil is extremely beneficial in hair care for repairing and protecting hair.

So if your hair is slightly damaged, then add a couple of drops of oil either before or after blow-drying.

But all in all, just try to find products that work on giving a bit of boost to the hair. Some products on fine hair just weigh it down and offer no benefits on volume, so finding what works for your hair to give it volume is key.

One word. Round brush. That is the key to unlocking volume in your hair; using a round brush can lift your roots and add a bit of bounce to your hair; it is the brush used for bouncy blowouts and will leave your hair with the salon finish you crave.

The first thing you need to master is how to use the round brush. There’s no point going in with your blow dryer and trying to juggle how to use the brush, so learn the movement first. While your hair is completely dry, start working out how to curl your hair using the brush, as you would if you were drying your hair.

Start at the root and start to twirl the round brush to create tension; if you want bouncy curls, hold for a few seconds at the root and twirl as you go down the hair. Then twirl the hair around your fingers and pin it on top of your head– this will help you get used to the motion before combing with your blow dryer.

Getting used to the motion will massively help when using the blow dryer.

Step One: Wash Your Hair:

This may seem like the obvious first step as to how else will you blow-dry your hair at home? This step is crucial as removing excess buildup will help your hairstyle stay in for longer.= Shampoo and condition hair like usual, doing two washes with your chosen shampoo.

The first wash helps break down the dirt and the second one removes it. So hop in the shower and begin to wash your hair like usual. Give your hair a 5-minute rinse and massage under warm running water to begin with to break down the oils.

This step is super important as the best way to achieve the perfect blowout is through having the right foundation. It will help if you choose your shampoo and conditioner based on your hair porosity and hair type.

There’s no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to different hair types; you need to find a formula that addresses your hair type and concerns, and in this case, this is adding volume to fine hair. No point going for a heavy shampoo as this will just weigh down you’re fine hair.

Step Two: Apply Styling Products:

The next step is to prep your wet hair for heat styling; for starters, you’ll want to seal in moisture into your strands using a leave-in conditioner, and if that leave-in conditioner doesn’t have heat protectant, then your heat protectant too.

Sealing in this moisture will help add shine to each section of hair and help protect your hair from heat damage caused by a blow dryer or flat iron.

You’ll want to remove all excess moisture; you want your hair to be damp before you pick up your blow dryer as 1: your hair is most fragile while soaking wet and 2: it will mean you can spend less time blow drying each section of hair which means less heat exposure and damage,

Too much exposure to heat will cause frizz, too, along with everlasting heat damage and split ends.

The less time you take to blow dry hair at home, the less fatigue your body feels, and the more time you have on your hands for other parts of your daily routine– such as not skipping breakfast! Plus, as a top tip from me, never blow dry soaking wet hair; it will cause damage and frizz.

Instead of leaving your hair dripping all over the place, opt for a super-absorbant towel such as a microfiber towel. It is much better than a cotton towel, especially for hair. They absorb excess moisture, more than traditional cotton towels.

They also don’t cause friction on your strands which can cause damage and dents in each hair strand, causing weaker hair. Towel drying using a regular bath towel can actually cause more hair damage.

All in all, you won’t regret switching to a microfibre towel; your hair will love you for it too.

The top priority for fine hair is using volumizing products. Using a lightweight volumizing mousse will help provide a bit of lift at the roots. I am also loving the Aveda volumizing tonic for adding a bit of lift.

Step Three: Apply Heat Protectant:

When styling your hair using any hot tools, you should always apply a heat protectant no matter what hair type you have. Straight hair, curly hair, wavy hair, we need to protect our luscious locks.

Apply some heat protectant to your damp hair and brush it through your strands to help evenly distribute the product before you blow-dry and help ease any tangles.

Never forget your heat protection, guys.

It creates a seal over the ends of your hair and acts as a shield for your hair. The majority of heat protectants will protect your hair up to 450°F/230°C. They’ll also last up to 4 hours. Use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute the product and help detangle the hair texture.

Step Four Leave Your Hair To Partially Dry:

The top tip is not to use blow-dry wet hair; it is best to let your hair air dry for a little while (not 100%) for the best results. You can wrap your hair up in a towel for half an hour or so before using a round brush; this will help absorb any excess moisture out of the hair strands.

I would recommend that you use a microfiber towel over your regular cotton bath towel. This is much gentler on hair and will prevent your hair from going frizzy. Working with damp, not soaking wet hair is best when using blow dryer brushes.

For additional volume, you can partially dry using your blow dryer and flip your hair upside down; this should help add additional lift and rough dry your hair easily so you can go in with your round brush to create additional volume.

Step Five: Work In Sections:

You’ll next want to work in sections. The best way to use a dryer brush is to section your hair using claw clips and work underneath to the top of your hair. This will ensure each section is lifted, and this will overall give hair a more voluminous look.

Part your hair from ear to ear, creating a top and bottom section. Clip the top section out the way and part the bottom of the hair, bringing each side to the front of your shoulders. Starting underneath and finishing on top will prevent hair from getting weighed down.

You’ll firstly want to rough dry your hair until it is roughly 70-80% dry; your hair is most fragile when soaking wet, plus it will cut down drying time.

Step Six: Use A Concentrator Nozzle:

Now it’s time for the magic; grab your round brush and attach the concentrator nozzle to your blow dryer– if you don’t have one, I would recommend getting one; it saves getting out the flat iron.

I love the concentration nozzle on the blow dryer as it concentrates the hair by directing the airflow exactly where you’d like it to go; it is the key to achieving salon-worthy results. It also prevents frizz and helps add shine to the hair.

I recommend you use a round brush with boar bristles as they help smooth down the cuticle and create tension on the hair. The larger the brush, the larger the waves, so choose your brushes accordingly. I would recommend using a medium-size if you have fine hair.

Using a round brush with boar bristles is also amazing as it helps to create tension and volume without causing breakage on the hair; this is important if you have quite damaged, fine hair. Alternatively, tourmaline ventilated round brushes heat up when drying the hair to help hold in style and provide a bit of volume. The ventilated design also speeds up the drying process.

Step Seven: Section & Style:

Roll each section around the brush and apply heat; keep the round brush in the section of hair until it has completely cooled down before moving onto the next section. Try not to use the highest heat setting, as this will overstretch the hair and take the bounce out of it.

Opt for a medium/cool setting as it will help keep the cuticle sealed and add volume to the strands.

Use the brush to create a bit of lift at the roots; this will help add volume to the style you’re going for. Using this technique and the right hairdryer and some practice, you’ll look like you’ve had a professional blowout!

Hold the brush vertically and twirl away from your face; this will create big, voluminous curls when blow-drying– this is a personal favorite of mine. You can also give your hair a quick cool shot with cool air; this will help keep your style in for longer and help prevent frizz.

Lift your hair with a round brush to lift the hair away from the roots; this will prevent your hair from being weighed down during the drying process. The heat, technique, and products will keep the flatness away, and volume stay.

How do you give hair volume at roots?

The best way to give volume at the roots is to use the brush and lift it upwards when working on the roots. Lifting it upwards and creating tension with the round brush when drying it will massively create lift at those roots and prevent flatness.

Using a volumizing mousse will also help. Simply add a dollop of mousse to your roots and brush through to the ends to evenly distribute the product. Then use the hairdryer and ceramic brush to create a lift at the root is the best way to lock in volume.

What is hair volume?

Hair volume is described by how much body hair has. It is known as how much lift there is at the root and how full hair appears to look, and how thick it feels. Natural hair volume is also described by how many hair follicles grow per square inch of the scalp.

There are three hair types, fine, medium, and thick. This then breaks down even more into thin, medium, and thick hair strands. So the first one describes how many you have, and the second is the thickness of each individual strand.

But there are now many ways you can increase hair volume or increase the illusion of hair thickness, using a combination of hair products and techniques to prevent the hair from sticking to the scalp and giving that voluminous lift.

How do volumizing products work? 

Hair thickening products work by giving the illusion of thicker hair; they make each strand of hair thicker and reduce the amount of space in between the strands of hair. Volumizing products work by not weighing the hair down when applied at the roots.

These products can lift hair away from the head, giving the illusion of more body and volume. Mousse is the best at doing this on fine hair as the foam is light and less likely to weigh the hair down. It works wonders for creating lift at the roots.

So there you have it, the best products for increasing volume and how to increase volume on the hair naturally. All hair lengths deserve volume, but if you have fine hair, you might find that shorter is better for increasing volume.

You don’t need to know every blow drying technique imaginable; just make sure you perfect the use of the round brush and the right styling products; you will notice your hair’s volume will massively increase and last longer.

Give a few of these volumizing products a go on your next wash day and try to teach yourself how to use a round brush; you will be amazed by the results, trust me. Sometimes using the right products and doing a clarifying product buildup removing shampoo is all you need.