Hairstyling Hacks to Achieve Fluffy Hair (for Guys & Girls)

Ways to Make Your Hair Fluffy

Blow-dry your hair upside-down. After you wash your hair, bend over and use a blow-dryer to dry your hair. Drying it upside-down will lift your roots and give your hair more volume and movement. As you dry, run your fingers or a detangling brush through your hair to eliminate any knots and frizz. Before adding any type of heat, use a blow-dry spray to lock in moisture and ensure your hair has a smooth finish when you’re done.

Add volume with hot rollers. If you have long enough hair, hot rollers can give your hair a voluminous look that’s smooth and feathery and frizz-free. Start with the locks on the top of your head: wrap a small section of hair around a roller, and lock it in place with a hair pin. Leave the rollers in for about 15 to 20 minutes. If your hair is thicker or silkier, you may need to leave the curlers in a little longer. Once your hair is curled, run your fingers through it a few times and then apply hairspray to preserve your curls.

Use Velcro rollers on damp hair. While your hair is slightly damp from the shower (but not wet), gently roll it into heatless Velcro rollers and pin the rollers in place. Wear them for a few hours or even overnight to let your hair dry and settle into place. Once you remove them, you’ll have a messy, voluminous look. Just be sure to apply hairspray to keep the curls in place!

Put your hair in buns overnight. Don’t have rollers? You can achieve a similar effect by twisting your hair up into hair ties overnight. For lots of volume, twist your hair up into a bunch of tiny buns; for looser waves, just do one or two buns.

Apply dry shampoo to wick hair oil and boost volume. Even if your hair’s perfectly clean, applying a little dry shampoo can give it some extra lift and absorb any excess scalp oil that might make your hair look limp. Just spritz some on and brush out the excess and see how fluffy it makes your locks.

Tease your hair to make it bigger. Trust us, you won’t look like someone from the ’80s (unless that’s your goal). To tease your hair, take a comb and gently backcomb your hair at the roots, up through your mid-lengths. This will build up your hair, giving it more volume and making it oh so soft. You can leave your top layer of hair un-teased to ensure your hair has plenty of volume, but still looks smooth on top. Your hair may look pretty wild when you're done teasing it. If it does, you can tame it by gently re-combing the top layer of your hair to make your hairdo look more cohesive and intentional. Be sure to keep the style in place with hairspray when you’re done!

Use a hair diffuser to create natural-looking waves. Diffusers not only dry your hair faster by evenly distributing heat across your hair, they’re also the perfect way to get an effortlessly fluffy ’do. They’ll also minimize frizz and enhance any natural curls you may have, emphasizing your hair’s natural texture. To achieve fluffy hair with a diffuser, position the hair dryer beneath your hair, pointing upward, rather than drying your hair from above.

Invest in styling products that add volume. There are numerous products dedicated to making your hair look fluffier, like volumizing shampoo and conditioner, volumizing hair serums, curl activator, volumizing spray, or hairspray. Consider investing in some of these to ensure you’ve always got what you need to give your hair plenty of body and style.

What’s the difference between fluffy and frizzy hair?

The main difference is the hair’s overall finish. Frizzy hair and fluffy hair both have volume, but fluffy hair looks soft, smooth, tame, and healthy, while frizzy hair tends to look dry and unkempt. Frizzy hair’s volume is also likely to be in the “wrong” places, like at the ends of the hair (think pre-makeover Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries). Frizzy hair may occur as a result of: Humidity Dry hair Over-washing Using the wrong products Excessive heat Damage Genetics Tl;dr: fluffy hair looks more styled and intentional, while frizzy hair looks less deliberate and messier.

How to Combat Frizzy Hair

Condition when you wash your hair. If you wash with shampoo every day, or if you sometimes skip the conditioner, this is your sign to stop doing that. Try washing your hair every other day or every few days and see if your hair gets smoother, shinier, and less frizzy. It may take a few days or weeks for your hair to adjust to a new washing routine; it may overcompensate for missing a wash by becoming excessively greasy, but give it time, and it’ll adjust. You may also consider alternating between shampoo and conditioner-only washes. Try a deep conditioning mask once a week to give your hair extra moisture.

Pat your hair dry with a microfiber towel. If you’re in the habit of scrubbing your hair with a terry cloth towel as soon as you hop out of the shower, this could be contributing to your problem. Instead, gently pat your hair dry with a soft microfiber towel and see if your frizz lessens.

Detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb. Using a brush on your hair can build up frizz, making your hair look dry and poofy. Instead, use a wide-tooth comb or even your fingers as often as you can. This goes double if you have curls—brushing your curls can make your hair go from fluffy and voluminous to downright frizzy.

Use heat protectant spray when you heat your hair. If you have to heat your hair, be sure to spray a heat protectant on beforehand to keep your hair shiny, smooth, and frizz-free.

Use hair products to smoothen your hair. Applying smoothing hair serums and deep conditioning masks regularly can help your hair become healthier, fuller, and softer. Talk to your hair stylist about what hair products they recommend for your hair type.