SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Watch
  • 2024 Event
    • General Info
    • Presenters & Speakers
    • Tickets
    • Get in Touch
    • FAQ
  • Shop
  • TOPICS
        • CONCERNS

          • Frizz
          • Hair Growth
          • Hair Loss
          • Regimen
          • Scalp Care
        • CURL CARE

          • Braids & Protective Styles
          • Color
          • Haircuts
          • Hairstyles
          • Locs
          • Straightening
          • For Kids
          • For Men
        • LIFESTYLE

          • Business
          • Celebrities
          • Trends
  • PRODUCTS
    • Top Products
    • Cleansing
    • Ingredients
    • DIY Products
    • Hair Tools
    • Moisturizing
  • TEXTURE
        • FINE (1A-1C)
          Straight with minor waves.
        • WAVY (2A-2C)
          Forms a loose “S” very easily straightened
        • CURLY (3A-3C)
          Forms a definite “S” shaped like a corkscrew
        • COILY (4A-4C)
          Very tight curl when stretched creates an “S”
        • LOCS
          Hair intentionally matted to form "ropes"
        • QUIZ
          Take our quiz to learn your curl pattern
      • 1a
        1b
        1c
        2a
        2b
        2c
        3a
        3b
        3c
        4a
        4b
        4c
        Locs
        Discover your curl pattern, the best hairstyles and products just for you!
        Take the quiz now
  • TEXTURE TALES
  • TEXTURE ON THE RUNWAY
  • LEADERS IN CURL
  • BEST OF THE BEST 2024
  • ASK A CURL EXPERT
  • GET INVOLVED
Home • Curly

How to Root Clip Curly Hair for Maximum Volume & Definition

Discover the secret to achieving bouncy, voluminous curls with root clipping.
Share this Article
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
How to Root Clip Curly Hair for Maximum Volume & Definition
By Cristina Cleveland · Updated July 25, 2024

One of the many reasons curly hair is so beautiful is that it can create a halo-like effect of springy, bouncy curls around your head. But sometimes, this is easier said than done. If your hair is fine or low in density, it can dry like a wet blanket close to your head without the lift and volume we see with other curls.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brianne Prince (@brianneprincesalon)

Luckily, curlies have a hack for this. It’s called clipping at the roots. We asked Brianne Prince, a curly hair stylist at Brianne Prince Salon, to share her tutorials and tips for this technique. If you’ve tried clipping at the roots before and failed, it can be tricky at first; you might find her description of ‘O’ Clipping helpful; it definitely makes the concept clearer and easier to understand.

What is O Clipping?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikita Berkhout | Creator (@curlykiet)

O clipping is using clips at the root of your curls to gain height and volume. It adds lift and volume to heavier textures and can boost fine, limp curls. Depending on how many rows you place, it can also help round out the shape. The ‘O’ refers to your arm creating an O around your head when putting the clips in your hair; it just makes it easier to visualize.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PATTY (@curlywavypatty)

Image Source: @curlywavypatty

I have so many clients who come in and tell me that they have tried clipping in the past and couldn’t get the hang of it. Usually, the reasons why are that they are using the wrong type of clip for their hair or that they are attempting to clip at an awkward angle, (either from underneath the curl or because they are crossing their arm in front of their face.) I get many complaints that the little hairs around the crown get caught around the top of the clip and cause snagging on removal.

Article continues after video.

All of these issues can be virtually eliminated by clipping in the example below:

Article continues after video.
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikita Berkhout | Creator (@curlykiet)

Image Source: @anchoringangela

Something we used to discuss in beauty school was wrapping rollers “off base” to create more volume in the hair. Well, here we are using the same idea: allowing the hair to fall off base with your head tilted to gain maximum volume while leaving the clips’ heads exposed to hasten and simplify removal.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jannelle (@jannelleoshaughnessy)

One thing I did not mention in the video is how to approach the back, and that is very simple. Just looking way up at the ceiling, I almost arch my back and grab a section, aiming the clip down towards the floor. I never attempt too many at the back of the head because we do not have eyes back there! This portion of your head will have to be done by feeling, and you don’t want to be fishing clips out back there that got put in sideways or upside down. Less is more until you get the hang of it.

How to Clip Curly Hair at the Roots

Article continues after video.
Image Source: @ringlet.riss

You can find eight more tips on how to get more volume at the roots here.

This article was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.

Read More

How Donni Davy Built Half Magic By Following Her Intuition
Beauty
How Donni Davy Built Half Magic By Following Her Intuition
Our Favorite Beauty Looks From The 2025 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
Beauty
Our Favorite Beauty Looks From The 2025 ESSENCE Black Women ...
Ask A Stylist: Color Combos To Try During Your Winter Arc
Curly
Ask A Stylist: Color Combos To Try During Your Winter Arc
How Growing Up as a Black Man Shaped My Relationship with My Curls
Curly
How Growing Up as a Black Man Shaped My Relationship with My...
Why Deep Conditioning is A Must This Winter
Shop
Why Deep Conditioning is A Must This Winter
Company Information
  • Customer Service
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Subscribe
  • Newsletters
FOLLOW US
  • Home
  • Watch
  • 2024 Event
    • General Info
    • Presenters & Speakers
    • Tickets
    • Get in Touch
    • FAQ
  • Shop