Trust Me—This 5-Step Volumizing Routine Is a Foolproof Recipe for Fine Hair
Wash, rinse, repeat.
I’ve always envied the people who can wash-and-go, but as a member of the Fine Hair Club, a low-maintenance routine just isn’t in the cards. Once upon a time, I decided to experiment, and was left with the flattest, limpest hair you could ever imagine. Now, I know better. The key to achieving body, lift at the roots, and tricking everyone into thinking your hair is five times thicker and fuller than it really is lies in a well-curated volumizing hair routine. That being said, I like to work smarter, not harder, so I keep my routine pretty simple: five steps max.
Shampoo and conditioner are a very important foundation, but the real trick is leveraging the right styling products (lightweight, not heavy) and hot tools to achieve natural-looking bounce, prevent early oil buildup, and lock in the final look so nothing falls flat by 3 p.m. It’s an art form, really. Lucky for you, it’s one I’ve spent the better part of 29 years mastering and have every intention of sharing my fool-proof volumizing routine, ahead.
Begin With the Basics
First things first: it’s important to start off with a strong foundation. Because my hair is on the finer side, I look for volumizing or thickening shampoos that don’t sacrifice shine. I normally go for a bundle (a matching set brings me a weird sense of satisfaction), but if I’m going to mix and match, it’s with these two.
I love perfume as much as the next beauty editor, but nothing smells better than the Heart of Glass shampoo. It’s reminiscent of a wildly overpriced salon smell, and I simply can’t get enough of it. It removes brassiness and gives my hair the craziest shine, too. I’d even say it rivals an in-salon gloss.
When it comes to conditioner, a lightweight formula is imperative. That said, some are too light and don’t work through my tangles and knots. This Oribe option strikes the perfect balance.
Leverage Root Lifters
Allowing fine hair to be blow-dried without any styling products should be a criminal offense. I give my roots a heavy dose of one of these products (both if I’m feeling wild) once my hair has air-dried about 70 percent. This not only cuts my blow-dry time in half but is also much healthier for my hair.
Celebrity hairstylist Mara Rozsak can do no wrong in my book. I love all her products, but I have a very real emotional attachment to Root Lifter. I swear my hair feels like it doubles in thickness when I use this at my roots.
Mousses scared me for the longest time. All that product in my fine hair? Seemed terrifying. This ColorWow product was my personal mythbuster. It gives my hair the best volume, and frankly, once my hair is dry, I forget I even added a big dollop.
Hot Tool Time
I have mastered the art of a bouncy blowout—it only requires these two tools. The key is to avoid a straightening iron, because I certainly don’t want my hair to be flatter than it already is, and to skip a traditional curling iron. Why? The clamp ends up taking the body out of the roots, which is exactly what I don’t want.
To start, I do a rough dry for about two minutes. Then, to maximize bounce, I go over each section with the round brush attachment. It might seem extra, but it’s key to ensuring that my roots don’t fall flat.
I recently broke up with my curling iron (it was bringing my roots down) and replaced it with this viral hot tool. I bought into the TikTok hype and have zero regrets. It gives my hair a bounce blowout-style curl that actually holds for hours. I only do one pass per chunk—just wrap hair around with the handle facing upward and twist away.
Dry Shampoo—On Clean Hair
Now! My favorite part! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to save dry shampoo for once your hair gets greasy. I actually love to do a quick hit of product once my hair is freshly styled. It keeps oil at bay and gives me just the right amount of lift and grit at my roots.
I have an embarrassingly large stockpile of this bottle next to my vanity, but it’s just that good. A little goes a long way, and my hair never feels crunchy or powdery; plus, it gives volume and lift.
This French pharmacy staple is really, truly one of the most underrated products out there. If you hate the feeling of product in your hair, but still want to reap the dry shampoo benefits, this guy is for you.
A Little Texturizer for Good Measure
I’ll skip this step if I’m just going to the office, but if I want that effortless bedhead vibe before a night out or weekend dinner, a dry texturizer is my secret weapon. You don’t want to go too overboard, so just a few sprays from a good eight inches away.
A new addition to my routine (she just launched last week), this has quickly become one of my favorite texturizers. Most importantly, it’s not sticky like others on the market. I also find that a lot of texturizers are too overpowering for my thin hair, but this baby provides an ultra-fine mist, so it’s pretty impossible to overdo it.
Maria Nila is one of those if-you-know-you-know hair brands. It’s a household name in Sweden and Copenhagen, but is building up a strong presence in the States. I genuinely love all the brand's products, but this is up there in my top three. It almost feels like a dry shampoo while functioning like a texturizer.
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