I’ve been asked loads of times how i achieve alot of volume in my hair..

First thing is first though, if you have very fine hair, and not alot of it, it can be alot harder achieving volume in your hair..not impossible..just harder.

Luckily, i have quite fine hair…but LOADS of it, so i can use many different techniques.

Volumising Products Before Blowdrying

Obviously, before you do anything with your hair, after you have washed it, you need to apply some “volumising product” to the root of your hair..
This may be a number of different things, but these are products i tend to use regularly…

Mousse – I dont have a particular type i prefer over another. Mousse is something i tend not to reach for as often as i find it can get a little sticky, but it does do a very good job of lifting hair at the root, and works well in conjunction with rollers.
Tigi Bedhead “Superstar” range – I don’t own everything in this range, but i do own the blowdry lotion which achieves fab volume after blowdrying. Although this whole line of products are designed to reach maximum voluminosity (is that a word) haha. See my review of this product HERE
S factor “Body Booster plumping spray” – This is one of my favourites, although the smell is very overpowering and often leaves me feeling sick, this product is simply just spritzed in at the roots on damp hair, and blowdryed. See my review on this product HERE
Clynol “Look At Me – Naughty Styling Fluid” – This is alot like the product before, although i do think this would work alot better on finer hair as the formulation isn’t as sticky/strong. Review HERE

Blowdrying Methods

I know that most of you will already know this, but for those that don’t i thought i would quickly mention it…

Blowdry your hair upside down.
It really is that simple, it’s the quickest most effective way of achieving alot of volume in your hair. It’s probabaly bad for the hair shaft as it’s in the wrong direction, and could result in hair breakage over time, so would only suggest this if you have prepped the hair well before hand with some sort of heat protectant, and not on occasions, rather than everyday.

You can also use Large round natural bristle brushes, i own one by Tigi S Factor that is huge…but it works great. You simply curl the hair around the brush, pulling the root up and away from the head, and blowdry. I find it quite difficult getting this technique right, i guess im just cack handed. :)

Velcro Rollers

If i have time to prepare myself for a night out, and want ultimate volume, i will use velcro rollers. And i like to use different sizes for different sections of the hair.
It’s best to use velcro rollers when the hair is almost dry, so a bit of upside down blowdrying after the volumising serum would be ideal. Then when the hair is still a bit damp, put the rollers in. I have seen some people put rollers in where they turn the hair down and backwards…i don’t know how they achieve volume this way…i pull the hair upwards and back, lifting the hair at the root. :) You can then apply a tiny bit of flexible hairspray. I say Flexible because if you use something stronger, it might leave the hair a little crispy. I like to use strong hold hairspray at the root, but not over the hair on the rollers.

[Haha – Sexy!]
Sometimes you may need to use bobbi pins to secure the rollers in place.
You can then blowdry on a low speed, low heat setting until its fully dry, although personally, i find that if you leave it to dry naturally, it has better effect.
I tend to leave my rollers in for around an hour + (so yeh, only do this is if you are planning way ahead, and being super laid back and organised about getting ready haha)

Back-combing

Let me start by saying this is the worst technique for your hair, yet we are all guilty of a little backcombing arent we?
I try not to backcomb too much of the hair, in fact i stick to the crown mainly, unless you want to get more of a Diana Vickers esq style, in which case, you’d just go backcomb crazy.
If you start by sectioning the hair from the middle of your head, then backcomb, and hairspray each section until you reach the crown or top of your head, leaving the hair on the very top, to cover the messy backcombing.
I find a tooth pick comb the easiest way of backcombing but have also heard that a natural bristle brush does a pretty good job too.
I then secure with bobbi pins for a half up do or just hairspray if left down.


Here is my mum, modelling a backcombed half up-do. As you can imagine..its kindof impossible for me to take picture of the back of my head…believe me..i tried.

Then..in the words of JPmetz…
Hairspray THE HELL

Yep, hairspray really does do a good job with volumising. Sometimes when im feeling reallly lazy, i just lift the hair, hairspray at the root and voila.

Some Hairspray favourites…
♥ Tresemme freeze hold
♥ Clynol (review here)
♥ Pantene Ice Shine strong hold
♥ S Factor Chic shine (review here)

I hope this has helped a few of you, i know it might be pretty basic to some, but sometimes i combine all of these methods when doing my hair..bad i know, and you might not…and if you want ultimate BIG hair…then you should too :)


  1. Great tips – only thing being is that i have naturally culy/wavy hair, so i therefore have to straighten my hair, so in doing that i think i will flatten my hair so there would then be no point in putting in volumising products before?

    Any ideas?

  2. Zoella.

    @Glitter and Love – Velcros are good because they straighten the hair aswell as put volume in it. I have naturally wavy/curly hair too..but when i blowdry it, i use a brush and pull it so it blowdrys reasonably straight.
    Or, just straighten your hair then backcomb it and hairspray it!

  3. Its funny that you've done this post when you have:) I just had my hair cut today much shorter, shoulder length from long & was fretting because I couldn't get it poofey on top & I wanted more volume in it. I'll definately try some of your tips:)

    I lovee the S Factor Body Booster is a great product. Their Vivacious Hairspray is pretty good for volume too:)

    xx

  4. Brilliant tips – Thank-you! *Bookmarks page*… My hair is defo. on the fine side and sadly I don't have as much so it's hard for me to get the 'Big smexy hair' effect haha! Those velcro rollers are HUGEEE.. Where did you get yours from? xXx

  5. lola

    great post…backcombing is my best friend…xoxo

  6. Nicole

    thans for the tips. your hair always looks great!

  7. i can never get velcro rolleres to work in my hair,so then i have to use heated ones,which are never big enough to get the volume i want,its always a battle

  8. i tried using velcro rollers before and i really suck big time at it! but u make it look so easy and u look so cute in them!

  9. I have super fine hair and not a lot of it and my favorite line of products to use is Big Sexy Hair. Anything from that line is amazing a volumizing hair. I also like the Bed Head Superstar line. I usually use Big Sexy only on weekends or when I'm going out and Superstar on a daily basis.

    Great Post!

  10. Love me some good hairspray ♥ Now the velcro rollers on the other hand…i've never been able to understand…BOO :(
    Thanks for ALL of the tips pretty lady.

  11. Emma

    I loveee velcro rollers, such a god send. Once you get the hang of them that is! x

  12. Karen

    Love your hair and thanks for sharing! I have to get use to large velcro rollers. I haven't been able to achieve good volume with them yet – I must be rolling them in the wrong direction! LOL. But back combing always works for me =)

  13. Your blog is awesome that i just had to give you an award! Check out my blog love :)

  14. Anonymous

    where did you get the rollers from?

  15. Zoella.

    Boots..or superdrug

  16. No problem but I love your blog more =P

  17. Jenny

    Just wondering… what is back combing?
    Does it mean teasing or something?
    xx

  18. hi could you please do a make up tutorials your really good at it ur cool!

  19. This has been really helpful, you are so inspiring!! Please do more hair tips, they help me a lot when I don't know what to do with my hair xx thankyou zoey

    http://chloe32.blogspot.co.uk

  20. this is such a big help as I have really thick hair!!!! thankyou zoe!!!

  21. Love this! Cute blog :)

    sophistoecho.blogspot.co.uk

  22. I love you and your blog. Your my inspiration!

  23. If you have thin hair, how did you get it to grow so long and make it look so thick???? I have thin hair and it takes forever for my hair to even get past my breasts #thinhairproblems

  24. Zoella, (and bloody 5 years later I comment on this post lol) a little late but thanks for posting this. I have fine hair and a lot of it too, But I have tried all of the above before and my hair just can't hold any kind of product. It instantly becomes greasy. So annoying. I have tried not using conditioner so that my hair is extremely dry prior to using any styling product. But then my hair just looks like a birds nest. So any advice their? Also I have tried using a heated roller (which was absolutely shit)…also just wanted to know where you got your velcro rollers from? x

  25. ella soady

    Hi Zoe so I really want to grow my hair long like how yours used to be and at the moment my hair is about shoulder length.
    So if you have any tips please could you do a blog post or video on it thanks that would help a lot
    From Ella xxx

  26. Alice Wensington

    Cool. Good to know. :)

  27. Keira Teale

    Ive tried this method and it hasent worked for me:(xxx