This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bucknell chapter.

Every collegiette knows that nothing can put a damper on a good mood like a bad hair day. Unless you’re Sofia Vergara, chances are, you’ve woken up on at least one morning and felt ensnared by an unruly ‘do. This holds especially true for straight hair, which can appear oily less than a day after being washed, thus wreaking havoc on volume and body. Fear no longer, collegiettes: HC Bucknell has compiled our best tips for beating the pancake-hair blues.

Products

Every flat-haired woman’s beauty arsenal ought to include a volumizing shampoo and conditioner duo, specially formulated to cleanse hair without promoting buildup. Oftentimes hair is weighed down by excess shampoo and other styling products. It is crucial to purge these substances from the hair before attempting a new voluminous style.

Another product used to add volume to hair is sea salt spray, formulated to enhance the natural bends in the hair from root to tip. By spritzing damp hair with this spray and scrunching it with her fingers, one can create an effortless, beachy effect on even the finest strands.

While often used to mask oily roots, dry shampoo should also be applauded as a general volume-boosting tool. When you want the lift of hairspray without the characteristic crunchiness or smell, try hitting your roots with a few bursts of dry shampoo: not only will it absorb the oils that are weighing down your hair, but it will also add a natural looking lift to your ‘do.

For the collegiette with a bit more time on her hands, another handy tool for adding volume to flat hair is hot rollers. There’s a reason your mom loved these so much in the eighties: they allow you to control how much volume you want and where you want it. To use, heat up the container of rollers as directed. Begin to twist the rollers up your strands from end to root, away from your face, securing each one with a pin. Leave the rollers in until they cool for a bouncy and touchable ‘do.

Tricks

Who says achieving more voluminous hair has to require effort? For the busy collegiette, sleeping in “Princess Leia” buns or in a scrunchied top-knot are effective ways of waking up with fuller locks. Just be sure to finger-comb your hair rather than brush it in the morning, as tugging too hard will have a flattening effect.

Another foolproof way of lifting roots is to blow dry your hair upside down. Bend at the waist, and angle the blow dryer away from your scalp. When your hair is mostly dry, if you choose to stand back upright, just take care to lift strands as you blow them dry. And, if you’re feeling like treating yourself, it can’t hurt to invest in a high quality blow dryer like this one, which is specially designed for amping up finer locks.

If your hair is rather long, consider cutting off a few inches – your roots (and your split ends) will thank you. Shorter hair is typically less heavy and won’t drag down your locks as much. Longer layers are always flattering and easy to style – not to mention that bobs and lobs are in!

While washing your hair, try to shampoo only the scalp and to condition only the ends. Doing so keeps excess product from sticking around to weigh down your hair. Afterwards, to preserve volume, try to blot your hair dry rather than scrub it dry with a towel. Being gentle will prevent you from yanking out strands prematurely.

Sources:

haircare

Read This if Your Hair is as Flat as a Pancake

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