Click here to visit the Beauty Brains blog.
Welcome to the new Forum. Please feel free to start a new discussion.
Best products and techniques for volumizing limp hair
-
Hi everyone! I've got really flat, limp hair and I'm wondering if anyone has good tips, tricks, techniques, or must-have products that can help with this. To give you a bit of background, my hair is long-ish (goes past my shoulders), with a fine texture, but it's also thick in the sense that there is a lot of it. And it's dry from coloring, so skipping out on conditioner isn't an option unless I want to look like I've got a pile of hay on my head.
I've tried quite a few different root boosting products with pretty mediocre results. I've found that putting it up in some big velcro rollers makes it look great...for about 10 minutes and then it flattens out again. Is there anyway to keep the bounce? My hair needs help! :-) -
The velcro roller technique works for me, except after I put the rollers in, I wrap my head in a towel and then take a shower. The steam/heat from the shower seems to help.
Also, the right haircut really helps. I stumbled upon a hairstyle magazine that happened to have a feature about good haircuts for fine hair. I got one of them and saw an immediate difference. I would look for something like that. -
I've found when I have a lot of splitends my hair is much flatter. I have a split ender (one of those as seen on tv things) that works well for me. Every other day I put coconut oil mixed with conditioner in my hair leave on for an hour then wash and condition. I find the dryer my hair is the flatter it is.
Cristavalentine -
I have fine hair that is curly, but unfortunately not curly enough to give it good volume and most products weigh it down. What I usually do is "straighten" it with hot rollers. I use Conair Ion hot rollers (pretty cheap, only about $25). I put a gel or mouse in and either let my hair dry naturally or blow dry without worrying about what it looks like. Then I comb through sections and wrap them around a curler. I don't divide sections up carefully or neatly; it doesn't really matter. I leave them in for about 10 minutes (longer if you want the curl to stay in better) and then take them out, spray on some hairspray, shake out the curls, and finger comb. I also usually use a curling iron to fix the front pieces until they don't look so crazy. And poof! instant volume.
-
I have searched for years to find a product that would thicken my hair. One that I liked and didn't leave a residue. I have fine limp hair, and not enough of it. Just a few months ago I tried AVEDA's Bountiful Shampoo. I love it. It claims to increase the volume of your hair by 17% and it really does. It is not cheap but it works. They have a Bountiful conditioner too, that has clay in it. I didn't care for that and ended up returning it for a full refund. It might work for you though, I think it would depend on your hair style. I like better their Cherry Bark conditioner. I won't be without it now. I highly recommend both of them. YOu can purchase from the Aveda website or at a salon near you that carries their line.
I have also found that drying my hair with a cool temperature, instead of heat, makes my hair thicker. It takes longer, but it looks better and smoother. I know what you mean about damage from hair coloring, that is why I only use the hair "rinses" rather than coloring. They wash out after 6 weeks, but they have no lye in them so no damage.
Michele -
I have naturally volumeless hair too, and a semi-permanent way to get volume is by perming your hair. I haven't had to worry about not having volume for a long time, but then it's a bit annoying when you want the sleek look.
Anyhow... you can see if your stylist can give you some layers that'll help your hair look not so limp, and I guess make you look like you have less hair. Try some volumizing shampoo/conditioner and see if that would work. I like using this volumizing product from Bed Head called Superstar too. It smells yummy, and after a quick blow dry you do see some more volume.
Oh.. try blowing your hair with your head upside down. I just blast heat to my roots like that to get more volume. And after you've put on your velcro roller, blast it with heat for like 5 seconds, and blast it with air for another 5 seconds. See if that helps.
Hair spray can also help keep your hair from flattening. -
My hair is fine but thick and can be limp without product. I really like tigi's Catwalk Root Boost the best. It works equally well whether I do my hair curly or straight...but I've also learned that getting height is all about technique when styling! (I'll give the details only if asked so my post isn't too long here.)
Sally's Beauty Supplies stores have knock-off versions of a lot of the Catwalk products and they cost a lot less money. I haven't tried their version of Root Boost but I do love their "Noodle Head" for curly hair. I've never been a Sally's shopper - I found out about this line through enthusiastic reviews at epinions.com.
Epinions can be a great source of information with tons of reviews by product users. It always surprises me what is reviewed there and how thorough the reviews are. That's how I have found many products that I use.
Knock-off products: Gee! Maybe that's a good one for The Brains to tackle! How close can they come to the real thing? -
I have thin, fine short hair. I use Alterna's thickening leave in cream...works great...my girls use it as well for their fine (but thicker) longish hair...
-
Rice Bran oil!!! My beauty secret for hair..... will make it lush and full and youre hair will be AMAZING!!!! but just use a DAB!!! just a dab
-
I have thin hair, but a lot of it. I get it cut in layers and lift the roots as I blowdry. Also, X-Large velcro rollers are a godsend.
-
scynthia: Where do you get your rice bran oil? I've never heard of it before.
-
Anonymousblonde--I LOVE my velcro rollers although the hair was to short for a while there...maybe I'll try them again.
I used them for my pink wig to flip the hair up and then I just left the wig in the bathroom and when ever we took a shower the steam would help set the hair (it was a cheap wig) and when I finished showering I'd turn it all the way hot to steam up the bathroom...good for wig..bad for paint. -
I used to LOVE velcro rollers! I haven't used them in awhile but I still have sets.
I remember when they first came out - we thought they were SUCH an improvement over the old hairbrush-style rollers where you had to use bobby pins to keep them in place.
Stiff plastic bristles in your scalp + bobby pins everywhere = OUCH!
And how about this: Does anyone remember those little rubber rollers that looked like bow ties until you rolled your hair into them....and then you had to flip them inside out so they looked like little flying saucers? I wonder if you can buy old sets on eBay? It would be a nostalgia item for Baby Boomers. They were fun just to play with!
Okay....now I'm really dating myself! :shamed: -
I use Nexxus Diamatress thickening shampoo ( i wash 3x's and the last wash i leave on for about 3minutes and then rinse)and then i use Humectress conditioner then I use the big hard roller to set with Bed head Ego boost then dry .I take them out and use a blow dryer on low setting to style.....YOUR HAIR WILL LOOK GREAT!!! oh I have thin hair about the middle of my back.
-
I have thin fine hair too and I use a dry shampoo for volume- i flip my hair over (dry hair only)- and spray into my roots, massage in a bit and comb out- flip my head back and *voila* HUGE hair! Then I style with a curling iron, as normal. I've used Bumble and bumble's hair powder before for this and it worked great! But their hair powders are way expensive- so I found a knock-off drugstore version that seems to work pretty well, so I've been using Salon Grafix's spray dry shampoo. The Salon grafix comes in different colors too, like bumble's. I bought mine at rite-aid. HTHS!
-
Sylvie, does powder get everywhere when you use them? I've really wanted to try Bumble and Bumble's powder, but I need the dark one and I'm afraid of making a giant mess when I use them. I'm kind of a neat-freak...
-
Pas, when bumble had their powder in the orignal form- a squeeze bottle, yeah it made a mess sometimes- but now they make it in a very convenient aerosol spray form and I don't have any problems with mess now.
-
Ooh, I'll have to look for that. Is it true that it's $40 a bottle, though??!?!
-
Oooh, I used to use the bumble&bumble hair powder (in white, I have cool-toned light blonde hair)
pas71-yeah, it retails for about that (for the full size, not the itty bitty travel one)...perhaps you could find it cheaper on ebay or amazon? I know that the salon I bought it from sold it for $38. Ack.
I started using it last December I think, and used it a LOT for a couple of months, and then stopped using it completely in...March, I believe?
My opinion? It does give good volume. BUT-it makes your hair feel *disgusting* (no matter how much you work it in, imo) and it causes a HUGE amount of buildup. I think it may be pretty drying to the hair, too. Seemed that way with me.
I think it's overpriced for what it is. I've tried a couple of other dry shampoos too (for the days when I sleep through my alarm and have to go to class unshowered...)
If you didn't have dark hair, I'd recommend trying the Oscar Blandi one since it's a little cheaper (it has a really strong lemony scent, some people love it, some people hate it). But I would *not* recommend using any dry shampoos on a very frequent basis because of the buildup/drying/gross feeling problems.
B&B made a travel size before of the aerosol-if they still do, maybe you could try that first? -
Bixy's right- they make a small 1 oz version (& they still make it, I saw it recently at a salon)- and it's $19.00. (& yeah, the full size one- 4 some oz is like 38 or 39. Ouchie) There's also a drugstore knockoff that's not too bad, the Salon Grafix one I mentioned above- it's only like 6.99 I believe- it doesn't give quite as much volume as the bumble one, but still- it's pretty good for only 7 bucks.
It is tougher to get out if you use it a lot (like days in the row), but for occasional use for special occasion GIANT hair, it's not bad. (& I always felt worth it for the gigantic-ness poof of hair).:wink: -
Yeah, I'll have to check it out. So far I actually can't find it sold anywhere online, though! There is a salon near me that uses B&B, so maybe I'll try them.
Ahh... I couldn't find it because I was calling it "dry shampoo" not "hair powder."
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!