Full, voluminous, and bouncy curls are actual natural hair goals. The not-so-good news is, not every natural has big naturally curly hair or that extra volume. Thin hair can be a result of hair texture, flatness, or shrinkage. However, what you need is a bit of technique to get that big curly hair you desire. Here are 7 easy ways to add that extra volume to your curly hair.
1. Dry your Hair with a Diffuser
Using a diffuser dryer works wonders for curly hair. Adding that heat to your roots will give you extra volume and a much bigger curl definition. The job of the diffuser is to stretch out your roots without causing any frizz. When diffusing dry do it with your hair upside down and then flip from side to side. This helps to lift your roots as it dries and adds volume.
Brianna shows in this tutorial how to diffuse dry curly hair to achieve volume.
2. Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Your hair may not be getting that big voluminous look because your hair is weighed down by product buildup or from mineral deposits from staying in an area with hard water. This is where a clarifying shampoo comes into the picture. You will need to wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo to get a healthy-looking hair, super defined curls, and some volume. And to maintain this extra volume and weightless bouncy curls, you should clarify once a month and always follow up with a deep conditioning treatment.
If you are undecided about which clarifying shampoo to use, here are some of the best clarifying shampoos you can use.
3. Use an Afro Hair Pick
Most of us grew up having Afro hair picks in our homes. This is an easy heatless way of adding volume to your hair. After styling your hair use the Afro hair pick to lift up your roots and add volume to your hair. A wide-tooth comb would also work for this technique.
Watch this video by My Natural Sistas to see how she adds volume to her hair with the Afro hair pick.
4. Separate your Curls
Separating each curl gently into smaller curls can achieve your desired volume. After using protective styles like twist outs, braid outs, or perm rod sets to define your curls, apply a little oil to your fingers and then gently separate the curls to add more volume to your hair.
Here are other heatless ways to define your curls which doubles as cool protective styles too.
5. Install Curly Clip-ins
If you are looking to achieve fullness, extra length, volume, and defined curls just add curly clip-ins to your hair. Clip-ins are super easy to install and takedown too. They are stress-free and you can always go for ones that match your hair texture.
Looking for the right texture for your hair type check out our kinky curly clip-ins for 3B-3C hair.
6. Part your hair differently
Drying your hair parted where you want it to be when it's dry will make your hair flat at the roots. What you should do instead is dry your hair in the opposite direction of how you want it parted so you get more volume when your roots dry. When dry you can then go ahead and part your hair where you actually want it. Sounds easy right?
7. Take a break from products
When you try out these techniques and still can't get volume for your hair, evaluate the products you use. The products you use on your hair may be weighing down your curls and making it impossible to achieve big curly hair. The creams, gels or mousse you use may be too heavy on your curls. Instead, take a break from your products or go easy on them when styling or moisturizing your hair.