How To Add Volume To Hair, According To Pros

As evidenced by Bella Hadid, Kourtney Kardashian, and J.Lo, big, bouncy hair à la ‘90s-style blowouts is here to stay. No matter your hair goals (from Farrah Fawcett to a more subtle Rachel from Friends) or your hair type, here are a few tips from celebrity hairstylists on how to add add volume to your hair.

Hairstylist Danielle Priano, whose client roster has included the likes of Mariah Carey, Adriana Lima, and Ariana Grande, says that volume starts at the salon. “A good haircut with layers can really change any hair's behavior and volume,” Priano tells Bustle. She also recommends running mousse through damp hair, blow drying with a diffuser, and lightly teasing for “natural looking volume.” But to really amp up your hair’s volume, Priano recommends products like texturizing sprays, dry shampoos, and volumizing powders to “really help add that extra touch you’re looking for.”

Mane Addicts artist Reagan Link seconds mousse application, calling it her “number one tip.” Link, who works with celebs like Chrissy Teigen and the Jenners, also recommends setting your blowout in rollers once you’re done to add extra volume and body. “Setting the hair in rollers is what’s going to give you that long lasting volume,” Link explains to Bustle.

Link says that overdoing it with the products is one of the biggest mistakes she sees people making when it comes to volume. “If you’re using a good texture spray and hairspray for finishing, that’s all you really need,” said Link. “You don’t need tons and tons of root powder — that’s going to make your hair feel and look messy and overloaded.”

Ready to inject a bit more body into your mane? Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to give your hair next-level volume, according to the pros who know best.

1. Cleanse With A Volumizing Shampoo

First things first — in the shower, cleanse with a volumizing shampoo like Living Proof’s Full Shampoo. Specifically designed for people with fine hair (though it can be used by anyone, of course) the product gently cleanses without stripping, giving hair volume and bounce that should last for days. Like all Living Proof products, this shampoo is free of sulfates and silicones, and it’s sold in three sizes, including a jumbo 32-ounce bottle to last you months on end.

Relevant Review: “Love this shampoo … I really feel the difference in the fullness of my hair when my hair is fully dry. This shampoo brand has transformed my hair from thin and dull to full and easier to style.”

2. Add Body To Damp Hair With A Mousse

This product’s 6,000+ five-star Amazon ratings speak for themselves. Kenra’s Volume Mousse was designed to smooth away unwanted frizz, provide lightweight hold for up to 60 hours, and of course, add plenty of volume. It also offers thermal protection if you’re blow drying or using a curling iron, and is alcohol-free, silicone-free, and unscented.

Relevant Review: “When I air dry my hair, it usually looks so flat and lifeless, but if I put just the tiniest bit of this through my damp hair, when it's dried … it has body, volume, movement and I can create a gorgeous updo. It doesn't leave my hair sticky or stiff and even gives it a bit of shine.”

3. Absorb Excess Oil With A Dry Shampoo

Beloved by beauty experts and consumers alike, amika’s Perk Up dry shampoo has been awarded nearly 10,000 five-star Amazon ratings to date. Designed for all hair types, the dry shampoo simultaneously absorbs excess oil while providing a volumizing boost, leaving you with hair that looks (and feels) refreshed even several days after washing. The formula uses rice starch instead of talc, so it leaves almost no white residue behind in dark hair (to eliminate it completely, just brush it through thoroughly). And, as a bonus, it boasts the signature spicy/sweet fragrance with which amika is associated.

Relevant Review: “This dry shampoo lasts way longer than any of the other ones because you need a minimum amount of product ... It makes your hair look clean, feel clean, and adds volume. My hair never feels gritty and never looks white from the product like all other dry shampoos. I will definitely buy again. Highly recommend!!”

4. Add Lift To Your Roots With A Texturizing Root Powder

“Everyone needs a good root powder,” says Link. This mattifying powder from OSiS+ by Schwarzkopf Professional has almost 12,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, with reviewers mentioning that a little product goes a long way. The powder gives roots immediate lift and adds grip to hair, making it easier to style — the end result is an effortlessly tousled, woke-up-like-this bedhead look.

Relevant Review: “I have thin, fine, short hair and hairspray just doesn't work to hold it in place without overdoing it. This is so easy to just sprinkle all around my head for instant volume. It stays all day! I use it everyday and the bottle will last me months.”

5. Fake A Salon-Worthy Blowout With These No-Heat Rollers

All of Drybar’s products are designed with the same goal in mind: to achieve a bouncy, voluminous blowout without having to step foot in the salon. The High Tops Self-Grip Rollers stay put without clips, and unroll easily without pulling or damaging your hair. This six-pack comes with three medium and three large rollers — but note that reviewers with shorter hair said the large rollers were too big on them, and those with a lot of hair needed two sets of six. For best results, leave these in for fifteen minutes when your hair is still warm from the blowdryer. You’ll get that bouncy, ‘90s blowout but with little to no effort involved.

Relevant Review: “I have always had super thin, pin-straight flat hair and have struggled to get volume. These are amazing at providing lasting volume at the root all over the top of my head ... It held the volume from these at the top of my head, even overnight and going out in FL humidity. I can't believe I didn't find them sooner.”

6. Top Things Off With A Volumizing Finishing Spray

SexyHair’s line is all about creating voluminous looks that make a statement. A staple among celebrity hairstylists, SexyHair’s Big Spray & Play hairspray adds both lift and hold to finished styles, whether you’ve gone for bouncy curls or a classic blowout. Formulated for all hair types, the spray was designed to both add volume and provide up to 72 hours of humidity resistance.

Relevant Review: “Having tried many brands over the years to give lasting root lift and volume to my thin and fine hair without a helmet head effect without much success, finally found this brand. I'm really pleased with it. It gives body and lift without leaving a 'crunch', standing up well to summer humidity.”