When you have curly hair people automatically think you must have a lot of volume, but it’s not always the case. If you have fine curly hair or long curly hair, getting volume at the roots can be quite tricky.
Part of my Q&A reader series, this post is all about going big and how to maintain height in your hair. It’s inspired by Andrea’s question:
“I have curly hair that has no volume at the roots I tried Deva clips but still no volume, have you any tips on how to get the curl to the root?”
Yes, I do have quite a few tips and hopefully one of them, or at least one of them, will work for you, Andrea. Check out the video and keep reading below.
How to get root volume in curly hair:
Click here if can’t see the video above.
How to get volume in curly hair
1. Change your part
Often our hair automatically has a place where it likes to part and it’s where you tend to wear it regularly.
But if you change this to the other side of your head, you instantly get a root volume boost. Your hair will have ‘learnt’ to grow flatter where your part normally sits, so switching your part means you’re asking hair that normally lies flat to stand up. The result: volume.
If you don’t like wearing your hair to the other side, that’s okay, just try moving your part a little bit – maybe make it a little bit deeper or closer to the centre and you’ll see some immediate volume there.
2. Clip up the volume
If you haven’t heard of Deva clips before, it’s based on a Curly Girl Method using Deva Curl Clips, which they’ve specialised for this technique.
I just use regular pin curl clips, which do the same thing – the clips hold up your curls at the roots while you let your hair dry naturally. Alternatively, you can use a diffuser to speed up the process.
This method really works for me, but I’ve found that you have to experiment and trial the clips in different parts of your hair and clip up different amounts of hair to see what really works for you.
3. Diffuse your hair upside down
My hair is generally very flat at the roots when I let it air-dry, but by using a diffuser and holding my head upside down, I am able to dry volume into my hair. By that I mean I have more volume at the root of my hair because it’s hanging directly out from my head rather than laying flat as I dry it.
If you don’t like to use a lot of heat in your hair, you can let it air-dry naturally, then blast it with a little heat and then use a cool shot just to set it. Even just a little bit of heat to the roots will help lift them, but the cool air shot reduces the hair’s ‘flexibility’ and makes it stay in position a bit better.
4. Volume powders
Volume powders are a magic trick for instant volume at the roots. They do contain some ingredients which aren’t in sync with the Curly Girl Method, but that’s why I don’t follow the CG Method to the letter.
These powders really solve the problem of flat hair and they’re fast too, so that you could have great hair and get out the door quickly.
Here’s more on how to use volume powders properly.
5. Back combing
If you don’t want to try volume powders, go old school. Get a fine comb and back comb at the roots of your hair. If you’re gentle, this won’t really damage your hair and it will give you that volume lift exactly where you need it.
Work around the back of your hair or wherever you want more volume, but avoid your part line and hairline, and only back comb the underneath layers. Then, once you’ve finished back combing, you can lay your finished curls over the top.
I hope these tips help you get some more volume in your curly hair. Make sure you’re following my YouTube channel and subscribe so you’ll be the first to see my videos.
I’d love to know how you’d get volume in your curly hair, let me know in the comments below.
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