People have asked me a time or two how I can get my hair so big. It's true. I have a thing for volumized hair. I can still remember spending my days in high school religiously teasing my hair and failing to look at what the back of my head might look like afterwards (aka: a hot nappy mess). Looking at older pictures of myself I am almost embarrassed by my big-headed hair obsession, but over the years I have tamed my addiction to fine tooth combs and hairspray. (It's a good thing to be able to laugh at yourself). Finally I feel like I now have a good grasp between maintaining nice volume and a natural look. My secret? Well it's not really a secret but it is a little more complex than just one thing. I'm going to walk you through the steps I do in the hopes these tricks combined might give your hair that oomph you so too desire. Well at least if you like big hair like I do.
It starts in the shower. When I know I'm going for a teased look I make sure after shampooing my hair that I only put a teeny tiny bit of conditioner on the ends of my hair. I discovered when you put conditioner all over your hair (or too much) you run the risk of weighing your hair down and making your strands fight against gravity a mere fail. So only condition your ends!
Let your hair meet the magic. In order to help you attain long-lasting volumized hair, you need a good product. I am all about finding good products on a budget and one of the best ones I've found for big hair is Fat hair thickening spray. This product works wonders. You can usually find this at your local drugstore and can use it on dry or wet hair. Although I prefer wet. Spray it generously on your roots and lightly in the midsection of your hair. If you read my post on my favorite hair products here I also add a dime sized amount of Moroccan oil on the ends of my hair to give it a nice lustered look.
Now the magic meets the heat. Hand dry your hair to start and use a round brush to finish the job. I cannot emphasize this enough, but use a round brush that fits your hair. My hair is fairly long so I use one of the big dudes.
So what's in a comb? You also need a good comb. Hands down. In my experience the best combs to use are the fine tooth combs you find for under a dollar at Sally's or wherever. I am talking the barely a millimeter between the teeth kind. If you use a comb that has too much space between the teeth you won't get a good result. No brushes either. With maybe the exception of round brushes. But only if you're desperate. Just trust me on this one. I have heard too many people claim their hair doesn't tease and when I ask them what they use they show me something like this...
For teasing, that is not going to cut it.
You need something like this...
See the difference???
A trick to styling. Always tease your hair before curling, straightening, or styling. Usually I backcomb starting with the crown of my head while working my way to the sides. I grab small horizontal layers and tease while moving my way down towards my neck. Make sure each layer you collect is held straight in up in the air tightly and not pulled out to the side. It will look crazy at first but after you're done you can comb it down and rid any nappy nests that may appear. Now you can use your styling products. Just remember to not pull from the root or you will undue everything you've worked towards.
Finishing touch. Use a little spritz of aerosol hairspray for some nice shine and hold. Let your hair naturally continue to fall as you finish getting ready before heading out the door.
Good luck and have a nice long weekend.
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