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Why is her hair so big? Because... It's full of secrets!
In this post I'm reviewing my favorite products for adding BIG volume and thickness to thin hair.
Are these products going to make your hair as voluminous as the photo above?
Not even close lol...But they may make those flat tresses come to life and give you that bit of lift at the root you've been dreaming of...(Wind-machine not included).
If you're familiar with my blog then you know I have androgenic alopecia and struggle with hair thinning all over my head. This means my hair is very fine and wispy. Emphasis on wispy. So I'm always searching for ways to add volume and thickness to my thin hair.
What I've found is that, in addition to products that I use to conceal my hair loss (like fill-in powders and hair fibers)...Products that add BIG volume and thickness can really make it way easier to conceal my hair loss. (For more on the 6 products I use almost daily to conceal my hair loss you can find a link HERE to my blog post).
I'm always trying out new products and will be sure to update this post with anything that I end up falling in love with. But right now what I have listed below is part of my styling routine and I have to say... I've been pretty happy with the results.
1. Kenra Volume Spray 25 | Super Hold Hairspray. After I'm done styling my hair I like to add this as a finishing spray to lock in my style. I can still run my hands through my hair and it doesn't leave my hair looking stiff and hard. Best of all it doesn't flake!
Let's say I've blown dry and styled my hair already. This is the next step in my styling routine. I find that this product layers really well with the other products that I recommend below.
I do a couple blasts all over my head and find the fragrance to be very light. (I really don't enjoy the super chemical smell of lots of hair sprays but with this one I notice the scent disappears pretty quickly).
The hold is great without being super sticky. I'd say it's a flexible hold that lasts me all day and it drys very quickly. I love that I can still comb through my hair with this product and it doesn't flake on me. I also use it after I sprinkle in my hair-fibers as well to lock those in place too lol.
2. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Great Body Blow Dry Creme for Unisex as a tool to give thin hair volume. This cream is great for instant thickness and volume. I apply it to my roots when my hair is damp for an extra lift.
I've talked about this product before in my post about tools I use to conceal hair loss and it has remained a staple for me.
I have really struggled to find a product that adds thickness without leaving my hair feeling oily or just plain grungy after I blow dry. I’m not auditioning for a Nirvana cover band… So I’m into that, “product-free feel.”
I also struggle with having dry hair because of my frequent use of Ketoconazole shampoo as a treatment method for combating hair loss. (You can find my post about this shampoo and how it works to fight hair loss HERE). But, this cream product is made from fruit extract and hydrolyzed wheat protein. I find that it moisturizes my hair without making it feel oily. It also tames and smooths any frizz I might have when I blow-dry.
My process with this cream is pretty simple. I work this evenly through my damp hair at my roots and then blow dry with my head flipped upside down.
Give me that volume, baby.
I suggest starting with a small amount. A little bit really does go a long way, especially for me. This product lasts me soooooo long because I use only a little bit at a time.
Maybe try about half the size of a dime at first when you're testing it out and build from there depending on your own hair length and thickness...
3. Sea Salt Spray for Hair Men & Women as a way to give thin hair volume. This baby really is volume in a bottle and smells amazing.
My fine hair has a bit of a natural wave to it already but if I leave it to air dry it usually is a bit frizzy. When I use this product I notice it doesn't weigh down my hair at all, and keeps it feeling soft as opposed to other sprays I've used which leave my hair stiff after tousling.
This product also has a bit of a vanilla scent that's not overpowering at all. I like to spray this product all over my hair and then go over it with a diffuser.
I find that it does a great job of adding volume to my fine hair and making my waves look fuller. It also keeps my hair from frizzing.
Once I've finished with the diffuser I usually go in with the ceramic curling wand I've linked HERE to take care of any pieces that might need some extra curl to them.
4. BOLDIFY Hair Thickening Spray - Get Thicker Hair in 60 Seconds Hair Volumizer + Texture Spray Hair Thickener for Fine Hair. This spray feels super light weight and doesn't make my hair feel sticky or gunky... like I wouldn't even know I added any product and has been a great product to give my thin hair volume.
If I'm styling my hair I will use the bumble and bumble cream linked above on my roots and combine it with this product that I spray throughout my hair. It comes out like such a fine mist which is nice because I feel like it gets distributed evenly throughout my hair.
What I notice after I blow-dry is that my hair looks thicker and doesn't feel sticky or stiff. It also makes the layers in my hair really pop and adds some texture. There is a bit of a light hold to it which is also nice if your hair is fine and wispy like mine lol.
Have you ever sprayed in a product and then the next day had your hair feel super dirty?... Like product build up? With this product I noticed that my day 2 hair still feels like I've added nothing to it. You know I love that...
But you don't have to blow-dry your hair with this product. You can also let your hair air dry, and just comb or tousle your hair and still achieve that increased thickness and volume.
This product is paraben and SLS free with ingredients like epsom salts, algae extract, and giant sea kelp.
5. INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Spin Air Rotating Styler/Hot Air Brush, 2-inch. This product is my go-to for big volume and my favorite thing about this is that it blows my hair dry while it rotates! So it does all the work for me. Give your arm a break lol!
Wow. This tool has been an absolute game changer for adding big volume. I had seen these tools being advertised before and always thought they were a waste of money.
Like why not just use my blow-dryer plus a round brush? Isn't it the same thing?
No. No it is not...
What is awesome about this brush/blow-dryer is that it spins (but you can also use it without the spin function). I simply add a strand to the brush, click the button and it rotates which totally smooths out any frizz and adds big volume to my thin hair.
The roller brush also has short and soft bristles which helps with the smoothing and doesn't pull or tug on my hair. I don't even need to use a flat-iron after using this tool.
Now I will say, initially for me there was a bit of trial and error figuring out how to place my hair on the brush and get the rotation going in the direction I wanted. So it may take a bit of practice to get the hang of... But...After just a few uses I am basically a pro.
I always use this tool when my hair is damp, not wet. Or sometimes I even dry the lower half of my hair and just use this tool on the top part of my head for added volume.
You can use the heating setting when initially using and then the cool setting to lock in your style (but the brush will not spin on the cool setting). Boom! Then you're out the door with shiny, bouncy hair.
I've also linked below an option that does not spin which is less expensive and had a high number of reviews, (but I have not tried this tool and I'm telling you...I love the one that rotates. Give your arm a break!)
6. Moroccan oil dry shampoo. My go to for absorbing oil and increasing thickness. I love this product as a way to give thin hair volume.
Now I have used a ton of dry shampoos in my day to revive my hair in between washes...
In general, my scalp is super oily... My friends have always said..."You can grease a pan with that scalp". Thanks.. lol.
This is the one dry shampoo that I continue to re-order.
I have linked the dark-tones version above but they also have one for lighter shades as well. You can find that linked HERE.
The other dry shampoo I use regularly is linked HERE by Got2B, but I only use this one for when I'm wearing hair extensions because it adds a ton of texture but can turn my hair into a giant tangle if I'm not careful. The Got2B product allows me to wear my hair extensions without having to back comb my hair so my clips have something to actually hold onto. I talk about this product in more detail in my post about the tools I use to conceal hair loss HERE.
The Moroccan oil Dry Shampoo product linked above is more of a day to day product for me. First off...I think it smells great. So that's a plus.
I just spray this product 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) away from my dry roots. I let it dry, then massage into my hair and brush my hair out.
I find it thickens my fine hair instantly and absorbs any oil without making my hair feel like there's a ton of build up or residue. This has a light-weight feel in my hair.
What I also love is that the white cast it creates is very minimal compared to other dry shampoos I've tried. I don't get why they say this is for dark tones because it's not like the spray comes out dark to me... I still do see some white cast. But it disappears quickly after I massage this product into my scalp and makes my hair look instantly refreshed.
My hair is thinning around my hairline and if I pull my hair back in a bun or ponytail I always use this product. If I couple this product with my hair fibers and fill-in powder it looks like my hair isn't even thinning. A dream...
7. Hairizone Universal Hair Diffuser Adaptable for Blow Dryers with D-1.7-Inch to 2.6-Inch for Curly or Wavy Hair...Remember diffusers, though?
Look...If you have a blow-dryer then you probably already have a diffuser but just in case you tossed it, I linked a universal one above.
So... Why diffuse?
More like...Why not?
Because I have such fine hair I prefer to keep my bio hair about shoulder length with few long layers.
I like to have minimal layers to preserve the fullness and body in my hair. But I love the look of tousled ends when I'm not adding extensions. I've found that after applying either spray from numbers 3 and 4 and coupling them with a diffuser can really add volume to fine hair along with thickness.
After I've applied my products to my damp hair I will then place a section of my hair into the bowl of the diffuser. I gently move the diffuser over my scalp while drying and keep this process up throughout my hair until my roots and ends are dry.
I use the diffuser that came with my blow dryer. So I can't comment on how this diffuser works but here is some information I gathered about this product in case you need a diffuser. I encourage you to research others as well.
This hair diffuser attachment universal connector is compatible for over 99% of different blow dryers designs on the market and fits almost all types of hotel blow dryers.
