How to Get Fluffy Hair – 11 Ways to Create a 90s Blowout Look
By Charlene Latreuille
Updated
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Fluffy hair is all the hype now; it’s all about volume and bounce, and it’s bringing the 90s back. The fluffy hair trend is exceptional because it works for almost all hair textures and lengths.
To help you get yours, here are a few tricks get your hair fluffy and voluminous in no time!
11 Ways to Get Fluffy Hair
1. Use Duckbill Clips
Duckbill clips are hair accessory pieces that are often used to section or style hair. They’re a great option if you’re looking for heatless ways to achieve hair volume.
With duckbill clips, the steps are simple.
First, you’ll need to start with wet or damp hair. Then, choose the areas of your head where you’d like to add more volume; a popular go-to is around the crown of the head.
Next, section these areas and clip the duckbills on their side at the root of your hair. Now, wait until your hair dries fully, then take the hair clips out. Finally, massage your hair roots gently using your fingers to style your hair and loosen up the curls. Lifting the root away from the scalp will give your hair a fluffy look without causing frizz on the top layer.
2. Experiment With Heatless Curls
If you have naturally straight hair, adding the slightest bit of curl or wave to it can do wonders to its volume. Luckily, there are ways to achieve gorgeous curls without the need for heat and its collateral damage.
Heatless curls have become trendy, and people are getting creative with them. While tools like Flexi rods and hair rollers have been around for ages, people are now trying more unconventional methods like sock bun curls, bathrobe curls, plastic straw curls, and many others.
Additionally, buns are a great way to achieve heatless, bouncy curls; the more buns, the finer the curls. With all of these methods, the key is to always start with damp hair and take it out only after it’s dried. This allows your hair to dry in its curled form, giving you the fluffy look you’re after.
Related: How to create heatless curls with spoolies.
3. Use a Diffuser
A hair diffuser is a blow dryer attachment that diffuses the air into a larger area. Diffusers have become increasingly popular, especially within the curly hair community. The reason behind their popularity is their ability to dry the hair gently without using too much heat.
So to fluff up curly hair, try using a diffuser. It’s great for this hair type because it dries the curls with minimal heat while maintaining a defined, frizz-free curl pattern. After washing your hair in the shower, lightly dry it with a cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel and apply your hair products and heat protectants.
It’s now the diffuser’s turn to work its magic. Flip your hair and cup sections of it with the diffuser. Make sure to dry each section completely before moving on to the next, and avoid moving the diffuser around your hair to prevent frizz. Finish off with cold air to add a shine to your flawless, fluffy curls. Optionally, seal your curls off with hair spray.
Related: Conair InfinitiPro Hot Air Brush.
4. Blow Dry Upside Down
The position at which your root dries plays a major role in how fluffy your hair will look. For example, drying your hair upside down will serve to lift and defrizz the roots of your hair, delivering a voluminous and fluffy final look.
To achieve that voluminous blowout look, flip your hair upside down and use a boar bristle brush with your blow dryer to style your hair. Direct the hot air toward your roots and tuck the curls inwards; you want to make sure your roots dry up in an upside-down position.
Then, brush your hair inside out to maintain the lifted roots when you’re done. Always make sure to use heat protectants before blow-drying your hair to avoid frizz and heat damage.
5. Moisturize Your Hair
Because frizz is a result of dry hair, the best way to avoid frizzy hair is to keep it moisturized. There are many different levels for moisturizing your hair, with different products, tips, and tricks for each.
For starters, use moisturizing shampoo and conditioner on your wash days. Two extra tips at this stage would be to avoid showering with hot water and to refrain from shampooing your hair every day. Hot water dries your hair. Similarly, shampoos can rid your scalp of its natural hair oils.
Apply nourishing oils, leave-in conditioners, or hair masks on your damp hair to keep it strong and quenched. Note that the cuticles of wet hair open up, which allows them to absorb the products and retain the moisture.
6. Use Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo is a hair product often sprayed towards the hair roots or scalp. The purpose of this shampoo powder is to absorb oil and dirt build-up without the need to wash the hair with water.
Because oil can weigh the hair strands down, applying dry shampoo will instantly help you achieve the fluffy hairstyle you’re looking for. However, regularly using it can leave you with scalp problems, so make sure you don’t overdo it.
7. Layer Your Hair
Your haircut determines how your hair falls on your head, which makes it truly powerful. If you want fluffy hair, you need to make sure it’s properly and professionally layered.
There are several hair layering techniques and methods, two of which are thinning and windowing. Hair thinning can be done by cutting the hair layer by layer at a precise angle using barbed scissors or feather razors. Using feather razors will give you even fluffier hair.
Windowing describes a layering method that consists of cutting fine hair strands at different lengths. This will have the shorter hairs lift the longer ones up, creating the fluffy hair look.
8. Tease Your Hair
You may have seen your salon hairdresser tease and flip your hair around when finishing off your hairstyle. While this may look random, there’s actual fluffy hair science behind it. Moving your hair around gives your roots the chance to lift and refresh, resulting in fluffier hair. Combing it back will also tease the roots, just be sure not to overdo it.
If you have curly hair, you can try teasing it with a hair pick. Use the hair pick to lift off small sections of your hair by sliding it under the curls and pushing it upwards. This creates volumes underneath the curls, giving you the lifted fluffy hair that you want.
There are a few tips to keep in mind when using a hair pick. Firstly, you don’t want to tease your hair’s top or ends, for this will only serve to create frizzy, poofy hair and not a fluffy one. Secondly, use the pick as a spot treatment, meaning you only need to fluff limper areas and not your whole head.
9. Use the Right Styling Products
One of the key determinants of how fluffy your hair looks is the styling products you use. The world of curly products is elaborate, and it’s easy to get lost in and overwhelmed by all the options.
Ideally, you need to choose hair styling products that increase your curl definition without weighing the strands down. For example, hair mousse is an airy, lightweight foam that’ll leave your curls fluffy and bouncy. Lightweight gels and creams serve the same purpose.
Finding the right styling products for your hair takes trial and error, so be prepared and enjoy the ride.
10. Don’t Sleep With Wet Hair
Sleeping with wet locks is an instant volume killer, especially with curly hair. Because watery hair is very delicate, you need to optimize its drying conditions; what you do to your damp strands will determine what your dry hair will look like.
Sleeping with hair that hasn’t fully dried will result in a patchy mess. The random sleep twists and turns will leave you flattened, thin hair areas and fluffy, thicker hair patches. Even the lightest pressure for the shortest period can result in flat hair spots.
If your hair is still damp when you wake up, try scrunching it up or twisting sections of it around your fingers to encourage the curls back. If your hair type allows it, you can try twisting it into buns for a few minutes then releasing the soft ringlets.
11. Embrace Root-Boosting Products
Strong roots are the foundation of voluminous hair. Using root-boosting products will leave your roots stronger and more nourished, which is what you want for fluffy, healthy hair. Some products can even facilitate hair growth.
Popular root-boosting products often contain ingredients like Biotin, folic acid, and fo-ti, along with other vitamins and minerals. Be sure to apply these to moist hair for the best results. Additionally, you may want to consider volume-building shampoo.
Bottom Line
Regardless of your hair length and natural texture, you can accomplish a fluffy hair look. We’ve provided 11 ways to guide you through it, but that’s never the end of the road. Getting the perfect head of hair takes time and experimentation, so step out of your comfort zone and get trying.
