Adding Shine And Volume

It is much harder to pump up the volume if hair is fine and straggly.

The truth is a good hair day changes the way we feel and think about ourselves and gives us an extra dose of self-confidence. I know when my hair is looking its best I feel like a different person, especially now I have given up colour in favour of the greys. As I age I feel more and more certain that beautiful, healthy and well styled hair is one of the best beauty secrets of all.

Since renouncing colour in favour of natural greys (and although the texture is smoother and shinier than with the highlights) my hair does feel thinner and less voluminous. I have to work the hair care products, the blow dry harder and add rollers to create the volume I need. A few chosen highlights do add a certain amount of “thickness”. I am happy with the trade off because fortunately my hair is still reasonably thick and I am able to wear it the length I want.

Not all of us are blessed with thick and glossy locks and after several readers asked me for suggestions how to enhance their fine hair I wanted to share my conclusions. Fine and flighty hair has never been my problem, thick and course were the more appropriate adjectives, so I am relying on friends and hairdressers for my recommendations.

There are certain givens for finer hair and the most important of all is the cut.

A short or medium length is the most successful for adding bounce and helping hair appear fuller. Not every one can wear a pixie cut so a just-above-the-shoulder length is kinder to the face but doesn’t drag the hair down. Layers are a blessing when it comes to creating volume and bounce and making the hair appear fuller.

Be aware of the conditioner.

Conditioner should be avoided at the roots as it weighs the hair down and makes it flat

Styling products are your new best friends.

Products to apply after washing and before drying to add body really do make all the difference.

Air-drying is the secret weapon for fine hair.

Drying the hair 90% naturally before using the blow dryer makes the greatest difference of all. When drying use a flat paddle brush and blow “up and away” from the roots and in the reverse to the parting.

Invest in Velcro rollers and forget about the straightening iron.

Velcro rollers work wonders; there was a reason our mothers wore curlers.

Health, diet and exercise and don’t over wash the hair.

Washing the hair everyday is not the answer for those with a fine head of hair. It feels like the right thing to do but persevere and try shampooing once every second or third day. The results will come.

I believe the products we use in our hair can make all the difference. I know the outcome if I use the wrong shampoo, over wash or don’t regularly apply a treatment. Not pretty.

Whether we have flyaway locks or thick and course ringlets, good hair takes time, energy and a certain level of investment. The French products from Leonor Greyl are my absolute favourites. I have been using them ever since my feet hit French soil and I still like them far beyond any others I have tried. They are gentle and more importantly they work.

Please tell your hair tips and tricks for adding that extra volume we all aspire too. I might add, my hair is the only place I want any extra volume ;) xv