For me, a good hair day equals one where my hair has as much volume as possible (go ahead and let the Texas big hair jokes fly, I can take it.) I’ve tried just about every trick under the sun, from shampoos to sprays to special brushes, and only a few have resulted in hair that stays uplifted all day. Keep scrolling for my quickest routes to big bouncy hair, plus two new ones that my stylist Erica Rae popped in to show me!
photographed by jessica attie
featured image by @johnnyramirez1
1. Dry shampoo.
I’d go so far as to say that the day I discovered dry shampoo was life-changing. No other product has injected so much life into my limp locks, and before I head out the door each morning, I give my can of dry shampoo a thorough (20 second) shake, spray my roots, let it sit for 30 seconds to soak up any oil, then brush it out for major va-va-volume. My current favorites are Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and Alterna Cleanse Extend, but feel free to check the drugstore aisles too — I’ve picked up some cheap versions that are totally effective.
2. Velcro Rollers
“Never underestimate the power of these old school rollers! They are perfect for that extra lift on fine hair and they are much easier than learning how to round brush your hair,” Erica told me before demonstrating this technique. “I would recommend prepping your hair with some type of product that will give the hair some texture. Section your hair into sections that are the same size as the rollers, (I’m using jumbo rollers on you). Curl the section first, then immediatly transfer the section onto the velcro rollers. The hair will then cool down and take shape to the rollers and give the hair great volume.”
3. Teasing
“If you’re from Texas then you most likely learned about teasing at the wee age of 2!” says Erica with a laugh. “It’s as simple as it looks, only tease dry hair, and start from the ends of your preferred section and lightly push your hair in a downward manner towards your scalp. You’re basically creating a ‘pin cushion’ for the rest of your hair to rest on. Some people prefer teasing combs and some prefer teasing brushes. And some prefer to tease their entire head but others only tease their crown section. It really just depends on how fine your hair is, how big you want your hair to be, and where you want more fullness. Another side note, please be gentle with your hair when teasing and especially when combing out the teased sections. Try not to over tease! Not cute!”
4. Blow dry your hair upside down.
This one is an absolute MUST for me if I want to have any semblance of a good hair day. In fact, the more time I spend finessing my blowout with a round brush or other tools, the smoother (and therefore flatter) my hair gets. My best bet is actually the simplest: flip hair upside down and use one hand to throw it around and mess it up, while the other hand directs hair from the dryer. Also, it works better for me to not use any special nozzles, since they tend to direct the heat to create more smoothness… and we’re looking for voluminous, messy bedhead here, people. Big hair, don’t care!
5. Change your part.
If you were cursed blessed with multiple cowlicks like I was, you know that they can have a major effect on how the front of your hair lays. I’ve found that on days where my hair wants to lay flat on my forehead, the quickest way to remedy the situation is to change up the part, blast it with my hair dryer, then add a touch of hair spray.
