Trust Me, I'm a Beauty Director: These Are the 13 Best Volumising Hair Products for Thin Hair

People often get a little bit confused when I harp on about my thin hair. "Your hair isn’t even that thin,” they say. My hair is long, sure, but when my lengths are overdue for a cut, they look scraggly, and my lack of actual strands becomes all too apparent.

However, that’s not to say that my hair is consistently thin all over. At the nape of my neck, I’d say I have an average amount of hair, but as you move your attention toward the crown of my head, you could probably count the individual hairs sprouting out of my scalp by sight. Over the years, I’ve become somewhat self-conscious of the bald(ish) patch where my thin hair parts at the crown of my head and have dedicated a lot of time and money to finding ways to disguise it. I have tried countless different hairstyles for thin hair, asked for volumising hair cuts and tried every product out there. But there is one thing that has made this quest exceptionally difficult: I hate the feeling of volumising product in my hair.

I have found that most volumising hair products add so much unwanted grit, weight and density to my already-drab strands that they actually leave them looking as though they haven’t been washed for approximately three weeks. On top of that, I like my hair to feel clean, fresh and light, like a soft, fluffy extension of my being, and volumising hair products do their very best to dampen that vibe.

However, after years of turning my nose up at virtually every styling product that came my way (especially you, dry shampoo), and after one very special hairstylist showed me the difference the perfect formula could make, I started hunting out the best volumising hair products for thin, fine hair. And I’ve actually found a whole bunch that make my hair look much thicker and more textured than it really is. It’s just about knowing what to look for. Not sure where to start? I've got you.

What Sorts of Volumising Products Are Best?

There's no doubt that volumising sprays are some of the most hardworking products around for thin hair. "My favourite products to use with thin and fine hair are volumising products which are applied via a spray, as they will disperse the product more evenly. I generally tend to use volumising products which focus on the root area, as this is where you will need to create the volume. Additionally, I want to keep the rest of the hair light and avoid the product clumping the hair together. You want all the hairs to be light and separated," says Neale Rodger, Style Director at STIL Salon.

How To Choose the Best Volumising Product

While sprays are very effective, it is absolutely imperative you do some research—as most of them are not specially formulated for this lightweight lift that thin hair requires. "Volumising products often contain polymers such as polyquaternium, PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone), and PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) to coat the hair and make them act like springs. Some formulations also contain alcohol to help evaporate the product and keep it lightweight," Rodger adds. "Fine, light hair should be paired with a fine, lightweight product like a spray or powder. Thicker, heavier hair would work well with a richer formulation like a mousse or cream. I apply this rule to all products, not just volumising products."

Shop the Best Volumising Products for Thin Hair:

1. Best volumising treatment: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo Treatment
2. Best volumising tool: Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser
3. Best volumising spray: Living Proof Full Dry Volume Texture Spray
4. Best volumising shampoo: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo
5. Best volumising conditioner: JVN Embody Volumising Conditioner
6. Best root volumiser: Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Superlift Root Boost
7. Best volumising mousse: Hershesons Zhoosh Foam
8. Best volumising scalp treatment: Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumising Paste
9. Best hair oil for voluminous hair: Percy Reed Turn Up the Volume Volumising No Oil Oil
10. Best volumising heat protectant: Olaplex Volumising Blow Dry Mist
11. Best volumising dry shampoo: Bumble and bumble Prêt-à-Powder
12. Best volumising air dry cream: Oribe Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm
13. Best volumising curler: Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set

1. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo Treatment

2. Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser

3. Living Proof Dry Volume Texture Spray

4. Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo

5. JVN Embody Daily Volumizing Conditioner

6. Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Super Lift Root Boost

7. Hershesons Zhoosh Foam

8. Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumising Paste

9. Percy Reed Turn Up the Volume Volumising No Oil Oil

10. Olaplex Volumising Blow Dry Mist

11. Bumble and Bumble Prét-à-Powder

12. Oribe Hair Alchemy Heatless Styling Balm

13. Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set

How Can You Style Your Hair for More Volume?

Now that I've introduced you to the best volumising products for fine hair, I’ve enlisted the help of celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Percy Reed Paul Percival to reveal his top thin-hair tips.

Tip 1. Opt for Lightweight Conditioners

This is possibly the most important thing that I have learned in my pursuit of more voluminous hair. It makes a lot of sense too, right? The thicker the conditioner, the heavier and limper your hair will be. Percival reveals, "You have to make sure that you don’t use a conditioner that’s too heavy for your hair, as it will make achieving great volume more difficult. Avoid products that are too oily, too thick, wax-based or heavy creams that add weight.”

Instead of reaching for thick cream formulas, I’ve discovered that my hair can get its moisture kicks in other ways that allow it to maintain its bounce. My favourite? Oil. Whereas my skin seems to detest everything about oil, my hair can’t get enough of it. "Using natural ingredients such as camellia-seed oil restores moisture and protects. Then macadamia-seed oil penetrates the scalp and hair for strength and elasticity. Finally, vitamin-rich carrot-seed oil works great to rejuvenate and regenerate,” says Percival.

Tip 2. Create Lift

I’d say that lift is just about my biggest bugbear in that my hair doesn’t have any. I can backcomb to my heart’s content, but within minutes, it’s dropped out and my floppy mop is back. To counteract the issue, Percival insists that you need heat, and you need to know what you’re doing. "It’s all about the blow-dry! Make sure you are lifting from your roots in an upright motion as you dry each section, this will give you a great foundation. Finish your blow-dry with a cold blast of air and hair spray.”

So why is it that I feel as though when I give myself a blow-dry, it never seems to last longer than an hour? "It is essential to let each section cool before running your hands or a brush through it so that the style can ‘set.’ Otherwise, you will undo all your good work,” explains Percival.

Tip 3. Find the Right Styling Product

The words styling product are enough to send a chill to the very cores of those with thin locks. For those with thick hair, it seems styling products are more or less foolproof. However, when you’re not working with a lot, fine-tuning your styling routine is a lot easier said than done for fine hair. "Using the right formulation is vital,” says Percival. "Start by using less of the product to begin with. Then add more if your hair needs it. Some volumising products can be heavy, so make sure you pick a lightweight formulation and work it into the root.”

This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.