How to Get Lift & Body While Styling Hair

Boost volume by brushing hair upwards as you blow dry.
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If you're blessed with a bundle of tresses, getting lift and body in your hair is easy. But if you're not as lucky in the locks department, lift your chin up; you can easily add height to your hair by using styling aids and products made especially to boost volume.

  • Comb
  • Volumizing shampoo
  • Volumizing conditioner
  • Towel
  • Volumizing hair spray
  • Round brush
  • Blow dryer
  • Hair clips
  • Curling iron
  • Flexible hold hairspray

1 Proper Pre-Styling Procedure

2 Comb

Gently comb through the ends of your hair to release tangles. Use short strokes to smooth out the hair. Make your way up to the roots so you can dislodge product build-up and redistribute your hair's natural oils.

3 Enter a warm shower

Enter a warm shower and wet your hair.

4 Place a dollop

Place a dollop of volumizing shampoo onto your palm. Apply it to your roots and gently massage the shampoo throughout your scalp.

5 Rinse the shampoo out with warm water

Rinse the shampoo out with warm water. As you rinse, allow the shampoo to fall to the ends so your tips don't dry out.

6 Apply a volumizing conditioner volumizing to your ends

Apply a volumizing conditioner to your ends only. Rinse well with warm water and towel dry.

7 Spritz a volumizing hair spray onto your entire head of hair

Spritz a volumizing hair spray onto your entire head of hair. Move your hair out of the way along your crown and hairline. Spray the product directly onto your roots if you have thin hair, and from mid-shaft down if you have thicker hair.

8 Successful Styling

9 Place a round brush into your roots

Place a round brush into your roots at the crown of your head. Brush the hair straight up as you blow-dry. This trains the roots to dry upward so you'll get lift and body. Move the brush around your entire crown until this section is completely dry.

10 Blow dry the rest

Blow-dry the rest of your hair while lifting the hair at your roots with your fingers. Refrain from brushing your hair downward or applying more than medium-high heat.

11 Separate

Separate your hair into four sections by parting the hair horizontally from ear to ear and vertically from forehead to the nape of your neck. Use hair clips to keep the four sections separate.

12 Release the bottom-right section

Release the bottom-right section of your hair. Insert a 3-inch piece of hair into the curling iron barrel and pull it down to the hair tips. Twirl the hair up the curling iron and hold for five seconds.

13 Release the hair by gradually pumping the barrel

Release the hair by gradually pumping the barrel so that the hair falls away from the iron; unwinding the barrel defeats the purpose of the curl.

14 Repeat the curling process on this section

Repeat the curling process on this section. Release the bottom-left section of hair and continue curling in the same fashion. Finish by releasing the upper two sections and curling in the same way.

15 Tousle your hair

Tousle your hair using your fingers only. Style your locks without completely separating your curls.

16 Spray your hair with a flexible hold hairspray

Spray your hair with a flexible hold hairspray. This allows the hair to move with some bounce, but also keeps the curls in tact.

  • Refrain from applying pomade to your hair roots. This heavy styling aid weighs hair down.
  • You can also set your hair with Velcro or hot rollers after you blow dry.
  • Use a clarifying shampoo once every couple weeks to get rid off product build-up which can weigh hair down.
  • Refrain from washing your hair every day. Use a dry shampoo between washings to keep oil in check if necessary.

Based in Los Angeles, Lisa Finn has been writing professionally for 20 years. Her print and online articles appear in magazines and websites such as "Spa Magazine," "L.A. Parent," "Business," the Famous Footwear blog and many others. She also ghostwrites for mompreneurs and business owners who appear regularly on shows such as Ricki Lake, HGTV, Carson Daly and The Today Show.

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