My entire life whenever I would get my hair done, stylists told me I had thin hair, but a lot of it. They called it “model hair,” but when I envision model hair, I think full-body, perfectly styled, smooth, and voluminous. When I roll out of bed in the morning (despite my silk pillowcase from TJ Maxx) my hair is rough and messy, and the only volume in it comes from the knots I have to brush through.
My natural hair texture is somewhere between wavy and curly, so like many others with this type of hair, I’ve damaged my hair for years with heat styling. Freshman year of college, I finally started taking care of my hair to enhance the everyday way my hair tends to fall. In the process, I was able to find the products that enhance my waves, boost my heat styling routine, and add the perfect bit of volume.
Read on to see my favorite volumizing products and care tips for thin, wavy hair.
- Don’t overwash, seriously
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Freshman year, I really changed up my hair routine. I used to wash my hair every single day. Now, at the most, I wash my hair every other day. I finally realized that washing my hair so often, even when I rinsed out every last bit of product, was weighing down my hair.
Washing hair every day strips it of natural oils that help provide natural volume, so instead, grab a dry shampoo and go a few more days without washing.
- Get a good dry shampoo
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I was starting to give up on the idea of dry shampoo until I found this gem, the SGX NYC Dry Touch Volumizing Dry Shampoo ($7). I was so tired of the white residue left behind by dry shampoo, but this one left none. This dry shampoo gives me life, honestly, because I don’t think I even knew what volume was until I used this. Just a few small sprays give my hair so much body.
Bonus points: It makes my hair incredibly soft as if I actually did just wash my hair. Too, the fig and jasmine scent is everything.
- Hack your way to volume with wave sprays
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Don’t get me wrong, I love wave sprays for wet hair, but they can get pretty crunchy. This Kristin Ess Soft Shine Beach Wave Spray ($14), though, goes on dry hair, so you don’t have to worry about that wet, crunchy feeling. It’s designed to give your hair soft shine and soft waves, but if you use it more like a dry shampoo, you’ll find your hair instantly lifted. Instead of spraying this on the outside of my hair, I like to spray this on the underside, starting at the roots and working my way down. This lifts my hair by creating waves that elevate from beneath. I also like to use this after curling my hair, so if it falls flat, it at least has a wavy base.
- Use a cream to hydrate and lift
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This Kristin Ess Hydrating Curl Defining Creme ($14) changed my post-shower hair routine. I’m a serious Kristin Ess stan if you couldn’t tell. Her whole line feels high-end on a budget!
As my hair is drying, I use two different methods to work this in, depending on how I want my hair to look. If I just want to enhance my natural waves and curls, I apply a good bit of product through my hair, then twist it into sections. If I want voluminous waves, though, I scrunch the formula into my hair, roots to ends.
I think creating waves with a hydrating cream, instead of a sea salt-based spray, completely changes the game. When the hair is more hydrated, the waves just look better, IMO. The key is to scrunch, scrunch, scrunch until you can’t scrunch anymore.
- Get a trusty curling iron or wand
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Short and simple to use, this Kristin Ess Beach Wave Curling Iron ($50) is what I rely on daily to get soft waves. I curl my hair away from my face, which adds tons of volume throughout the process. If you have the time, it also helps to curl smaller subsections of hair so that once you brush it out, your hair has tons of body.
Having thin, fine hair isn’t the end of the world. These volumizing products and tricks keep my hair fresh, styled, and full-bodied for days!