7 Ways to Volumize Hair With a Blow Dryer
Straight hair often appears limp and lack volume. One good way to add volume to your hair is the blow dry it. But there are certain ‘rules’ to follow, otherwise, you’d end up with with an even flatter hair than you started with.
When you have thick hair, the key is not to add volume but to make sure that the volume your hair comes with is not messy. Thick hair usually comes with frizz and dryness, and that’s something that you can solve with a hair dryer.
If you know these important tips, you can easily tame your thick tresses and make them look smooth, bouncy, and yes, beautifully voluminous:
How to add volume to hair with blow dryer:
1. Before you blow dry, make sure your hair is ‘ready.’
It’s important to use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type even before you blow dry your hair. This will prepare it for the styling process. There are shampoo and conditioner variants that add extra volume to the hair, and you can make use of this as well. Before drying, you also have to make sure that you towel dry your hair and that all the excess moisture is gone. Aside from this, you should also remove all the tangles beforehand with a wide-toothed comb and apply protective hair drying lotion. Some volumizing mousse will also do the trick.
2. Dry with braids.
One trick that can add volume is to split your hair into two (down the center) and make simple braids on both sides. You should do the braiding when your hair is still a little bit damp. Blow dry your hair while the braids are still on, and then remove the braids when you’re done. Once the braids are out, your hair will have a little volume and even some added curl for texture.
3. Do the flip.
Another way to instantly add volume is to flip your head and aim the airflow of the hair dryer to your roots. Dry your hair while your head is in this position, and then you can run your fingers through it when you’re done. You can still use a brush and still section your hair even when drying it in this way. As soon as you restore your head to its upright position, you’ll see that your hair has instant volume and a textured, “rough” look.
Here’s a video showing you how:
4. Work in sections.
When blow drying thick and long hair, you need to divide your hair into sections to ensure that all parts of your hair are dried evenly. By dividing your hair into sections and working on these sections separately, you build up volume as you move from one section of the hair to the other. It’s also best to begin at the bottom while the rest of the sections are held up using clips. If you don’t work in sections, you’ll send up with hair that’s inconsistent and frizzy.
5. Use a good brush.
A good hair drying technique is to brush through the underside of your hair while you’re aiming the blow dryer at it. For this, you will need a good quality round brush because the brush will work hand in hand with your blow dryer. This will help define the shape and volume of your hair, and you can even make your hair look like there’s a curl at the ends by spinning the brush in that part. You also have to make sure that you’re using the right kind of brush that’s really made for styling.
6. Mind the temperature.
If you set your hair dryer too hot, you could trigger frizz and your hair will not look as nice. The key is to be blow drying your hair while you’re at the lowest of all the heat settings available, and when your hair is nearly done you can turn the heat up a bit. Before you complete the hair drying session, a good cold shot will also help seal the moisture and lock in the style.
7. Ready, SET, go.
Just like when you use curling irons or curlers, you need to allow your hair to set when you use a hair dryer. Say you’re working in sections and with a good brush. You need to allow your hair to dry before letting go of the brush so that the section has completely set and the beautiful shape that you have set it for will be retained. If you don’t give your hair enough time to set, the volume won’t be retained and it will not look as nice.