If you have wavy hair, you know the struggle of creating volume. For some, volume may come naturally. For some of us, however, volume can seem like a unicorn or elusive fairytale land always out of reach.
It doesn’t have to be this way! With our six tips on how to boost your volume with wavy hair, you can reach the heights you’ve always dreamed of in no time!
1. Get a Curly Cut
Wavy hair, especially long wavy hair, has a tendency to get weighed down and lose its curl. No amount of scrunching can fix a shapeless cut, so if you are struggling to achieve volume, then seek out a curly-cut stylist who can help shape your hair in a way that encourages your waves, not inhibits them.
Image Source: @thatcurllblog
Every hair type is different, so if your hair is extra fine (meaning the individual strands are not wide) or your hair is low density (meaning it is easy to see your scalp) then your cut will be different from someone whose hair is high density or thick.
If you haven’t found a stylist you like, here are 50 Natural Hair Stylists to Follow Who Specialize in Textured Hair.
2. Plop
When your hair is wet, it is weighed down at the roots. If you allow your hair to dry this way then you’re likely to experience flatness, so one way to avoid the wet dog look is by plopping. Plopping is a curly girl technique in which you accordion your curls and waves into a t-shirt or microfiber towel and tie it on top of your head to partially dry. You can see step-by-step instructions on how to plop here. For many wavies and curlies this is a crucial step in their wash day routine.
3. Dry Upside Down
Image Source: @_wandeeugc
If you don’t have time to air dry, then we recommend speeding up the process with a diffuser. When diffusing your hair, bring the diffuser from the ends up towards your roots so that the air is blowing up and not down. Flip your head upside down and diffuse the roots while inverted for even more volume. This will help raise the roots. When you blow down, you are crushing your roots back down to stay flat on your head.
4. Raise Your Roots With Root Lifter.
Image Source: @megan_a_james
Of course, you can always cheat a little with a great product designed to raise your roots. Some examples are COLOR WOW Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray, Moroccanoil Root Boost, and amika Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Volume Spray.
5. Try O-Clipping
Image Source: @locks.by.libbybrenner
O-clipping is a method of lifting your roots with duckbill clips while they’re wet, and allowing them to dry this way. The ‘O’ symbolizes the shape you make with your arm when you insert the clip at the root. Stylist Brianne Prince shared a fantastic tutorial for how she O-clips for volume here. If O-clipping doesn’t work for you, you could also try her genius chopstick hack, which she calls “Curl Kebabs.”
6. Avoid Build-Up and Calcification
Tying in with dry shampoo, if your scalp has a lot of build-up, it will naturally make hair seem flat. Make sure you are paying attention to buildup. If your scalp feels extra oily, consider a clarifying treatment as needed. A few great products for this include Jessicurl, Clarifying Shampoo, Bounce Curl Enzyme Gentle Clarifying Shampoo, and Mixed Chicks Gentle Clarifying Shampoo.
Need more wavy hair care tips?
Visit our Wavy page now for tips, hairstyles and product suggestions from the NC community.