Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more
I have a lot of thin, straight hair – the kind that is long and healthy (can’t complain about this), but is often too soft to slick back into a bun. And more frustratingly, the kind that falls flat as soon as I’ve slept on it (which is why I will always wash it in the mornings).
In the paradox of wanting what you can’t have, I have dedicated a lot of time and money to finding products that add volume and fullness – but in a light and airy way, without weighing my hair down. And I’m happy to report that there are nine volumising hair products that have made it into my rotation (though I don’t use them all at once obviously).
My thin, straight hair right after it’s been washed
What are the best volumising products for fine hair?
Different volumising products will deliver different results, depending on their formulation, ingredients and intended use. For those with fine, straight hair, Anabel Kingsley, Consultant Trichologist at Philip Kingsley, recommends lightweight products that contain plumping ingredients to give volume and the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.
If your style falls flat at the end of the day, Kingsley says to add volume with a dry shampoo and/or texturizing spray. For volume, ‘a boosting spray is great to style hair with as it lifts the root to make hair seem thicker and fuller.’
When you’re styling hair with heat, Kingsley emphasises the importance of using a heat protectant to keep your hair healthy, full and therefore more voluminous. ‘Fine hair is naturally more fragile,’ she adds, so keeping your hair in good condition with weekly strengthening masks will also help to boost body and maintain fullness.
What ingredients should you look for in a good volumising product?
Just like skincare, the ‘active’ ingredients in haircare make a huge difference in how well a volumising product actually works. Polymers are the real ‘volume builders’ for fine, flat hair, coating each strand with a light film for instant thickening and adding hold. Cellulose is a popular plant-derived polymer that’s frequently used in volumising products.
Another ingredient that’s effective for volumising fine hair is keratin protein, says Kingsley. It strengthens and repairs each strand from within, making it smoother, more resilient and better able to hold lift and fullness during styling.
I can’t vouch for its ‘daily’ claims as I only wash my hair twice a week, but I can confirm its ‘densifying’ claims. This shampoo leaves my hair looking visibly thicker and glossier.
Specifically formulated for fine, flat, lifeless hair – it contains filloxane, a patented molecule that expands and thickens the hair fibres – this conditioner leaves my hair soft, shiny and with a natural bounce.
Every other hair wash, I like to use a mask rather than a conditioner. While I rate the mask from Kérastase’s Densifique range, my new favourite is the Olaplex Weightless Nourishing Mask. I leave it on for about ten minutes, after shampooing, and it leaves my hair feeling thicker.
A quick fix for my flat hair (especially when I’m on day 2 or 3), this spray instantly adds volume and texture. And it smells delicious.
One of the few products on this list I’d use on my dry hair, this volume powder is a favourite in the kit of hairstylists – and for good reason: it really lifts the roots.
This powder-to-foam was recommended to me by Hershesons hairstylist Gemma Rebelo and I’m a convert. I apply it to damp hair, focussing on the roots, and I find it adds instant volume without stickiness.
Prefer a volumising spray? I like to apply this heat-activated spray on damp hair, once again focussing on the roots (though it can be applied throughout the lengths for overall volume), before I start blow-drying my hair.
This volumising foam really lives up to its name, delivering va-va-voom volume with just a couple of pumps worth of product. I like to use it on towel-dried hair, but it can also be used on dry hair. Plus, it comes with three types of heat protection.
Styling products can work wonders at boosting volume, but so can the right blow-dry technique. I’ve tried to get a salon-worthy blow-out at home with a round brush and a hair dryer, but I just couldn’t hack it. Swapping to this round blow dryer brush from Amika was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Are there any volumising products you should avoid if you have thin hair?
As tempting as it is to head to Boots and load up on a bunch of different volumising products, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. ‘If you have fine hair you will want to avoid overloading it,’ warns Kingsley.
Instead, she recommends choosing lightweight products such as texturizing sprays and root-boosting sprays. ‘Preferably ones that don’t contain rich oils, lots of silicones or heavy moisturising ingredients to prevent the hair from being weighed down.’
Which hairstyles and haircuts add the most volume?
While volumising products can give fine, flat hair an instant lift, the right hairstyle or haircut naturally boosts body and movement, making hair appear fuller and thicker.
Bouncy blow-dry
A bouncy blow-dry is one of the best ways to get that salon-level volume at home. For maximum volume, Kingsley recommends using a root-boosting spray, like the Philip Kingsley Maximizer Root Boosting Spray (above), that volumises and lifts fine, flat, flyaway hair. ‘This award-winning formula is heat activated and provides instant root lift and frizz control whilst thickening the hair, perfect for a bouncy blow-dry.’
Hollywood waves
To achieve these big, voluminous, S-shaped waves, a heat protectant is an absolute must to deliver natural hold, shine and volume whilst providing protection from heat. Kingsley recommends the Philip Kingsley Perfecting Primer (£25) for its anti-frizz formula, which nourishes the hair and scalp with the help of lipids and elastin to reveal smooth and shiny hair with extra volume. ‘Think leave-in conditioner with added protection.’
Short hair
Kingsley’s clients often find that a short cut enables them to achieve more volume as they get older, due to hair thinning and texture changes. But ageing isn’t the only factor. ‘Women go through hormonal shifts, like post-partum hair loss, when the drop in oestrogen after having a baby sends hairs into their shedding phase,’ she explains. ‘Many clients find that shorter hair not only appears thicker, but is also easier to manage during this phase of motherhood.’
