If you’re in your bob era, you know how important volume is. Sure, a sleek, straight bob is stunning, but there’s something ultra-chic about a fluffy and voluminous style. The same goes for pixies and any shoulder-grazing haircut. Short hair begs for bouncy layers, big curls and full waves. Even better? Volume is much easier to achieve when you have less hair. You just need the right tools and tips from expert stylists.
We tapped two expert stylists to break it all down. Ahead, their go-to methods for building volume in short hair—and the products worth adding to your routine.
Featured Experts
- Ebony Bomani is a hairstylist, trichologist and PATTERN brand educator
- Priscilla Valles is a celebrity hairstylist and the founder of Perlino Hair
Start With the Right Cut
“For short styles like bobs or pixies, volume starts with the cut and technique,” says Ebony Bomani, hairstylist, trichologist and PATTERN brand educator. Layers are a popular approach, but as she explains, they do so much more than create a visual effect. “To straight and wavy hair, they add texture, which helps lift the hair from the root,” she says.
Coily textures naturally look fuller, but that doesn’t always translate to intentional volume. (Anyone with curly hair can attest to watching their hair double in size on a humid day.) Instead of adding layers, Bomani says the focus for curly and tighter textures should be on shape. “With curly, tighter textures, shaping the silhouette and defining the curl pattern so the hair expands upward and outward is more important when creating volume,” she says.
Prioritize Products
The right products go a long way in building volume. Not only do they replenish the hair with nutrients and supportive ingredients, but they also influence how your style takes shape as it dries. For volumizing specifically, the pros recommend applying products directly to damp hair. “This allows them to penetrate deep into the follicle and gives you more control when styling,” says Bomani.
Application technique depends on the formula. Lightweight products, such as serums, can be smoothed lightly through the strands. Mousses and foams should be concentrated closer to the crown to create lift at the root.
Be Picky About Your Tools
How you style your hair at home is just as important as the cut itself. “For styling short hair with added volume, a great blow-dry is everything,” says Priscilla Valles, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Perlino Hair. There is a reason most stylists swear by the standard technique involving a blow dryer and a round brush. The cylindrical shape of the brush, combined with light tension, lifts the hair and injects volume directly at the root.
If you’re not as confident with a brush in one hand and a dryer in the other, a blow-dryer brush can simplify the technique. “My go-to is the T3 Airebrush One-Step Volumizing Dryer Brush for lifting and adding shape. It works especially well on shorter styles like a bob, from root to tip,” says Valles.
If you’re wearing your hair curly, a diffuser is the better choice. “Diffusers are ideal for maintaining the curl pattern but allow for stretching at the root to add fullness without losing definition,” says Bomani. For curly textures, she recommends Pattern’s Blow Dryer, which includes a diffuser and attachments designed to add lift while preserving definition.
Products to Try
Round One-Step Volumizing Hair Dryer Brush
Mending Infusion Styling Hair Serum
Curl Mousse for Curls & Coils
Try Using Extensions
Looking for a way to add volume without heat? Hair extensions may be the answer. “People tend to think extensions are only for length, but volume is where they truly shine,” says Valles. Clip-ins, in particular, can boost fullness and help you avoid overusing hot tools or techniques like teasing, which can be damaging over time.
If you’re new to using them, she recommends working in small sections on freshly cleaned hair. “The clips hold best when the hair has just been blow-dried and has a smooth surface to grip onto,” she says.” It also allows for a seamless blend, which makes the volume more natural-looking.”
