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Yes, yes, we all long for hair as bouncy, glossy and gravity-defying as Kate Middleton’s but life doesn’t always work out that way.
If you suffer with much-loathed flat hair and are on the quest for root-to-tip volume and oomph, we’ve enlisted the big guns to help you achieve it.
Jen Atkin, GLAMOUR’s resident hair columnist and the woman the Kardashians, Hadids and Chrissy Teigen rely on to tend to their tresses, has shared her definitive guide to tackling flat hair, from the causes to the hacks.
What causes flat hair?
Using too heavy of products for your hair type and texture can cause flat hair. It also depends on your hair type; people with fine hair often struggle with this issue as well. Using a dry shampoo will clean, detoxify and boost volume in your hair. Also, a clarifying shampoo once a week will help get rid of any build-up on your scalp and help lift the hair at the root. I love using dry shampoo on the roots for an extra lift (GLAMOUR can attest that Jen’s very own dry shampoo, Ouai Haircare Dry Shampoo Foam, is mega).
What can you change in your diet to combat this?
Your diet has so much to do with hair growth! The whole reason I even started a haircare line is because I really strongly believe that you will not see changes in your hair by just doing external remedies. You need to do internal as well. For years I was sending clients to the health food store to get biotin and fish oil pills. So taking hair supplements and vitamins will be helpful for improving the health of your hair.
Does your haircut change anything?
Your haircut is a key factor for obtaining volume. For example, if your hair is weighed down by long layers, it is less likely to have much volume. Therefore, keeping the angles and layers a bit shorter will add lift and also frame the face nicely. A good layered haircut can add volume and texture to the hair. If you have fine hair, you can keep the layers on the shorter side for more of a lift.
Which three hacks combat flat hair?
- Prepping damp hair with products that lift at the root like mousse, dry shampoo and volume sprays will help with volume.
- Over-directing the hair when blow-drying to give volume and avoiding the hair from sticking to the scalp.
- Switching around the hair part will help provide an added boost you’re probably not used to (in a good way!).
What brush techniques can you use to boost volume?
For fine hair, blow-dry upside down for added lift. For medium to thick hair, use the Dyson Airwrap with the round volumizing brush attachment, take 2 inch sections to dry in the opposite direction, keeping some tension on the Airwrap.
What can you do to tackle flat hair while you sleep?
Sleeping on a SLIP silk pillowcase will help avoid any frizziness that can occur overnight. Also sleeping in a loose high ponytail will help keep the volume overnight.
