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It’s frustrating to spend time and effort getting your hair just right, only for it to fall flat within hours. The problem is that “for fine and medium hair textures, length equals flat,” says Suzie Bond from Perfect 5th Salon in Mooresville, North Carolina. However, there are techniques you can employ to keep your head--and hair--held high as long as possible.
Shampoo
“When it comes to fluffy hair, gravity is just not our friend,” says Sherri Jessee of Sherri Jessee Salon in Bristol, Virginia. For maximum lift, she recommends beginning with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner, which will add fullness, shine and thickness to fine hair, and are safe for coloring and smoothing treatments. Rusk Deepshine Oil Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner with pure Argan oil is her favorite product for this method.
Prepping the Hair
After showering, towel-dry your hair and prep the strands for durability. If you have fine hair, apply a thickener such as Texture Expert Densite, says Bond, spraying it throughout the strands. The product increases the width of each hair fiber without weighing it down. Follow it up with Pureology’s Root Lift, says hairstylist Andi Scarbrough of Byu-Ti Salon in Los Angeles, California. She calls this product “the secret to success for any long-haired girl.”
Styling
Begin the styling process by blow-drying your hair immediately after applying styling products. This will activate those products right away, decreasing extra weight in the hair, says Angelo David of Angelo David Salon in New York, New York. Flip your head upside down and blow-dry the scalp area while continually brushing your hair away from the scalp. Next, use a curling iron to create volume and bounce. Bond recommends spraying your hair thoroughly with Texture Expert Infinium 2, using a paddle brush to work it through your hair. “You can't use too much,” she says. “This spray is magical at retaining the shape you will heat later without being stiff or sticky.” Use a medium- or large-barreled curling iron, sectioning your hair into pieces that are no wider than the width of the iron barrel, which makes for more accurate heating. A 1-inch barrel will leave hair bouncy while retaining length, Bond says, while a 1 1/4-inch iron will “provide those Hollywood waves that long hair craves!”
Curly Hair
Don’t assume that curly hair can’t get flat--the weight of the curls can flatten the top of your hair, so curly gals need to prep properly too. Coat your hair with a texturing serum, which will tame flyaways. Use a diffuser to blow-dry your hair, but don’t use your fingers to stay it. “You will create lift off the scalp while maintaining the curl pattern mid-lengths and ends,” Bond says.
