How to Get Fluffy Hair: Volume, Texture, & Softness Without Frizz!
Written by Tina Moretti
Updated on
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Fluffy hair is a hairstyle that combines intentional volume, bounce, texture, softness, and airiness with imperfections like flyaways and tousledness.
Unlike the perfect sleek blowout, fluffy hair balances a meticulously crafted style and the natural spontaneity of a bedhead. It has an effortless, lived-in vibe, channeling the allure of iconic figures of the 70s and 80s like Diana Ross and Farrah Fawcett.
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The overall effect of a fluffy hairdo is hair with lots of touchable volume and body for a carefree, flattering look that captures that spontaneous just rolled-out-of-bed hair.
Fluffy hair must not be mistaken for the appearance of a furry cat’s soft coat or a cuddly teddy bear’s plush fur. Fluffiness in the context of hairstyling is more about height and volume, not smoothness and touchability.
While its larger-than-life volume and movement makes a bold fashion statement, there is one caveat:
Fluffy hair has an element of imperfect messiness, which can be misunderstood as a frizzy bedhead.
Despite its flyaways and messy parts, fluffy hair differs from frizzy hair. Frizzy hair results from dryness or the hair’s reactions to humidity. In contrast, fluffy hair is achieved through intentional hair care and styling techniques. Jennifer Matos, a renowned stylist at Rita Hazan Hair Salon, describes it as giving the hair “Voluminous bounce without the beach waves.”
If you want a hairstyle that combines volume, softness, and timeless charm, you’re looking for a fluffy hairstyle.
Let me show you how to get fluffy hair effortlessly while preventing frizz with a step-by-step guide below:
Table of Contents
- 1. Start With the Right Hair Products
- 2. Wash Your Hair With Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
- 3. Blow Dry Your Hair Upside Down
- 4. Use a Hair Diffuser to Enhance Volume
- 5. Use Volume-Boosting Hair Products for Styling
- 6. Use Hair Rollers for Shaping Seriously Fluffy Hair!
- 7. Uplift Your Hair With the Tease-Back Method
- 8. Use a Texturizing Spray to Add Depth, Hold, and Dimension
- 9. Use Dry Shampoo to Lift the Roots and Refresh
- 10. Fluff and Tousle Your Hair
- 11. Finish With A Light Hold Hairspray
- 12. Seek Inspiration From Celebrities
- How to Get Short Fluffy Hair
- How to Get Fluffy Hair If You Have Straight Hair
- How to Get Fluffy Hair If You Have Curly or Coily Hair
- Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Get Fluffy Hair
- How to Make Hair Fluffy Naturally Without Products?
- Is Fluffy Hair the Same As Frizzy Hair?
- Achieving Fluffy Hair Perfection is Worth Every Strand of Effort!
1. Start With the Right Hair Products
To achieve the fluffy hair look, you need specific products and techniques to sculpt your hair into the voluminous, ethereal soft, and feathery style that defines fluffiness.
These hair products include:
- Volumizing shampoo and conditioner,
- Hair dryer and diffuser,
- Volume-boosting hair styling products,
- Hair rollers,
- Teasing comb,
- Texturizing spray,
- Dry shampoo,
- and a light hold hairspray.
Washing hair with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner sets the groundwork for the fluffy ensemble. A good volume-boosting shampoo infuses the hair with body-enhancing ingredients without stripping it of its natural oils (sebum). Once the hair is washed and cleansed, a hair dryer and a diffuser lift the hair from the roots.
Volume-boosting hair styling products are then used to amplify each strand’s body and height to further shape, define, and add more dimension to the hair. Hair rollers can also add more bounce for a more fluffy aesthetic.
But volume alone doesn’t define fluffiness. To achieve a fluffy hairstyle, depth, dimension, layers, and airy volume are essential. That’s when a teasing comb becomes an indispensable tool, as it helps build volume from the roots while maintaining breeziness throughout the lengths and ends.
The voluminous and airy texture is further enhanced with the grit and lived-in feel of texturizing sprays and dry shampoos.
To ensure your fluffy hairstyle stays intact yet flexible and touchable, a light hold spray seals the style, capturing the essence of fluffiness in all its glory.
Now that we’ve explored how each product contributes to creating fluffy hair, it’s time to focus on the first step – properly washing your hair to prepare the foundation.
2. Wash Your Hair With Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
Volumizing shampoos and conditioners contain proteins and polymers that coat the hair shaft to make it appear thicker, building volume from the roots. The added volume and thickness plump the hair strands to lift them and bestow more fullness.
Volumizing shampoos and conditioners lift the hair from the roots, expanding each hair shaft. The root lift ensures the hair has an amplified body even before styling begins. This base volume is the ideal canvas for styling the hair fluffy.
While the shampoo cleanses, lifts, and volumizes the hair, the conditioner nourishes the strands, ensuring they remain hydrated and resilient, primed for the subsequent steps in the styling process.
The shampoo and conditioner balance cleansing and moisturizing, laying a solid foundation for the fluffy hairstyle.
After washing and conditioning, the next step is to dry the hair with a specific technique that maximizes the fluffiness.
L'oreal Hyaluron Plump Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner
3. Blow Dry Your Hair Upside Down
Blow drying the hair upside down utilizes the pull of gravity to add lift and volume at the roots. When the head is flipped upside down, the hair falls away from the scalp. Drying it in this position makes the hair retain volume and lift when flipped back upright.
Upside-down hair drying allows you to concentrate the airflow at the roots to boost volume and create lift and airiness throughout the lengths. This gravity-assisted hair-drying technique stretches the hair strands out vertically as they’re dried. The process also adds space between the strands so the hair appears fuller when right-side up again.
Drying the hair while flipped upside down also speeds up the process because this position increases airflow through the strands, compared to when they lay flat on the head. The enhanced airflow gives the hair added body and volume to make the hair more fluffy.
For optimal results and to enhance this volume and soft texture, using a hair diffuser for fluffy hair can be beneficial.
4. Use a Hair Diffuser to Enhance Volume
Using a diffuser attachment to your hair dryer helps give the hair a touchable, fluffy texture without deflating the shape. A hair diffuser disperses and softens the airflow from the blow dryer. The gentle airflow helps preserve natural volume, wave, and curl patterns in the hair rather than blowing them out.
A diffuser attachment gently lifts hair up and away from the scalp, supporting its volume, lift, bounciness, and weightlessness as it dries. The “cup” shape of the diffuser attachment helps prop up the hair strands to dry with extra volume and body, adding depth and dimension that create fluffiness.
Diffusing also helps to add texture, as the process often involves scrunching the hair as it dries to encourage bends and waves.
For those with frizz-prone hair, a diffuser can prevent frizz and flyaways from harsh direct airflow of heat. The softened, dispersed air leaves the hair smooth rather than dry from direct heat.
A hair dryer diffuser helps to retain, enhance, and define the natural volume, wave, and breeziness needed for maximum fluffiness.
5. Use Volume-Boosting Hair Products for Styling
Volumizing hair products add texture and coatings to the hair that provide lift, hold, and the appearance of added density. When used together and coupled with volumizing styling techniques, they can help achieve big, fluffy hair.
Hair volumizers contain ingredients such as rice protein, wheat protein, silk powder, collagen, keratin, emollients, and starches that coat the strands to make them look and feel thicker. These products include hair volumizing sprays, mousses, thickening creams, volumizing shampoos, and conditioners that provide base volume for constructing plush and puffed-up hairstyles like fluffy hair.
Fluffy hair results from increased shape, density, diameter, texture, body, and softness of the hair. Volumizing products physically coat the hair strand’s cuticle layer, helping hair hold its form and deliver lift.
Proteins, starches, and polymers increase each strand’s thickness, allowing them to take more space and expand in volume. The added thickness, coated cuticles, and softening effects combine to create fluffy hairstyles’ soft, expansive look. Emollients help condition, smooth, and reduce frizz, allowing the hair to achieve fullness without becoming crispy or brittle.
Products you can use:
Best Hairspray for Fluffy Hair
Color WOW Volumizer Hairspray
Hair rollers can be used to add more bounce, body, and lasting fullness compared to the targeted thickness and lift from volumizing products alone.
6. Use Hair Rollers for Shaping Seriously Fluffy Hair!
Rollers physically bend hair into curls or waves as it dries. The bending creates continuous lift and volume by leveraging the physics of shaping, heat, and tension to bend the hair into expansive hairstyles. Unlike product volume that can fall flat easily, hair rollers stretch, pull, and shape the hair for a longer-lasting volume.
Hair rollers, or curlers, do not require additional styling products. They reshape and set the hair using only heat and tension. They are hair styling tools made of plastic, soft foam, flexi rods, and added velcro surfaces that cling to the hair for better hold. Hair rollers are cylindrical and often come with extra pins and clips to hold them in place.
To make hair fluffy using hair rollers, the hair is rolled around a cylinder to bend and shape into curls or waves as it dries.
Note: Using hair rollers on damp hair is better because damp hair is easier to shape.
The curves and bends in the hair shaft create volume and lift that lasts when hair is taken down from the rollers. The outward curl shape causes hair to lift away from the roots, creating extra volume and fluffiness near the crown. Even if the rollers are used to create loose waves rather than tight curls, this shape adds a dimension to the hair that can make it look fuller and more buoyant.
When hair is set around a roller, especially when damp and dried in place, it tends to hold its shape better. The setting lasts longer than just blow-drying the hair for an expansive look. The structure given by the roller helps maintain the fluffy appearance for a longer time.
Hair rollers can also help with directional styling. By changing the direction the hair is rolled, you can manipulate how it falls and layers on itself. For instance, rolling hair upwards and away from the face can open up the face and add lift. Rolling hair under can create a soft bounce. This directional styling can create different levels of volume and fluffiness depending on your desired hairstyle.
To maximize fluffiness from hair rollers
- Use larger rollers for looser waves and more volume.
- Make sure the hair is thoroughly detangled before rolling.
- If using on wet hair, allow the hair to dry completely before removing the rollers. You can dry your hair naturally or use a hair dryer.
Once the rollers are removed, gently break up the curls with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to tease certain areas of your hair. It creates a more dramatic, fluffy effect.
7. Uplift Your Hair With the Tease-Back Method
The tease or backcomb method temporarily knots and tangles hair strands upwards from the roots, creating lots of contact points that add texture and volume. A teasing comb or backcombing comb is used to push sections of hair upwards to build lift and volume that holds against gravity.
A fine-toothed teasing comb must be used for backcombing. The close-spaced teeth help create a tight, matted texture at the roots. Some teasing combs may also have a pointed tail-end, useful for sectioning hair and creating precise partings.
To create fluffy hair from a teasing comb, hold the section of hair taut and gently comb or brush the hair downwards towards the scalp. This backcombing action creates a cushion of matted hair at the roots, resulting in a lifted and voluminous appearance at the crown and throughout the desired sections.
It is a technique used to add intentional frizz to the hair.
However, care should be taken to avoid excessive or aggressive teasing, as this can lead to hair damage or breakage.
Here are the steps to create fluffy hair with a teasing comb:
- Section clean, dry hair. Work in horizontal sections for extra lift.
- Use a fine-toothed comb to tightly back down small vertical sections from root to end.
- Lightly mist each teased section with hairspray to set.
- Smooth over the top layer with a brush to reduce frizz.
- Let teased sections cool and set before gently brushing out for extra volume.
- Finish with texturizing spray or dry shampoo for added grip and fluff.
After teasing and backcombing, you can add more depth and texture to the hairstyle with a texturizing spray.
8. Use a Texturizing Spray to Add Depth, Hold, and Dimension
A texturizing hairspray like sea salt spray adds gritty texture and imparts a tousled, live-in look for touchably soft and dynamic hairstyles that can last throughout the day.
A texturizing hairspray contains ingredients like sea salt, magnesium sulfate, starches, or silicas that give hair a more tousled, lived-in appearance. When sprayed, it clings to individual hair strands, enhancing their natural pattern and introducing an element of controlled randomness. The result is a style that looks effortlessly chic, lending hair the much-desired loftiness and depth synonymous with fluffy hair.
Moreover, the hairspray’s gritty feel helps maintain the volume, ensuring the airiness doesn’t flatten out as the day progresses. It bridges volumized roots and textured lengths, balancing the two to perfection.
Sea salt spray effectively adds volume and texture to hair to create a fluffy hairstyle. The salt crystals in the spray cling to strands, providing grittiness that adds body and bounce for airy fullness. More than just salt, sea salt spray contains magnesium and potassium that absorb excess oils from the hair. These electrolytes further amplify fluffiness by thickening each strand so the hair can hold its inflated shape.
In addition to its volumizing effect, sea salt spray lends hair a tousled, beachy texture. This texturizing effect helps prevent hair from falling flat or becoming limp. When used properly by applying from mid-lengths to ends, sea salt spray balances extra volume at the roots with perfectly imperfect texture along the lengths. The result is soft, touchable fluff with lots of body and movement. Sea salt spray allows hair to achieve maximum volume and fluffiness that lasts all day. The grittiness maintains the flawless balance of airy roots and textured lengths.
Kick Sea Salt Spray
But fluffy hair isn’t just about airy, voluminous texture; it’s also about maintaining that buoyant lift throughout. And if you’re looking to amplify that voluminous bounce even further, consider using a dry shampoo.
9. Use Dry Shampoo to Lift the Roots and Refresh
Dry shampoo refreshes the scalp by absorbing excess oils and dirt that can weigh the hair down. Its fast, waterless cleansing ensures that the hair remains lightweight, thereby enhancing the potential for fluffiness.
Dry shampoo is a hair product that can be used in either spray or powder form to refresh limp, oily hair and add volume. When applied to the roots, dry shampoo absorbs excess oils and dirt that can weigh hair down. Using dry shampoo is an easy way to revive second or third-day hair that has lost its bounce and looks flat, making it look freshly washed without water.
The cleansing action of the dry shampoo helps lift hair at the roots, adding boosted volume and fluffiness. As it absorbs oils and impurities, dry shampoo deposits starches and powders, adding texture to hair strands. The added texture gives hair more body and makes achieving big, bouncy hairstyles easier. Dry shampoo lays the foundation for fuller, fluffier hair by removing buildup and adding a gritty texture.
Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo
After revitalizing your locks with dry shampoo, fluff and tousle your hair to refine the final touch of fullness and shape.
10. Fluff and Tousle Your Hair
Fluffing the hair gently separates and lifts the strands, allowing air to circulate and give that light, airy feel of fluffy hair. Tousling disarranges or teases the hair strands to create an effortless, lived-in texture with movement and dynamism.
To “Fluff and tousle” means hands-on manipulation of the hair that bridges the gap between styled hair and its desired voluminous finish. It is an important step in achieving that coveted fluffy hair look. Fluffing and tousling act as the penultimate sculpting to ensure that every strand falls into place, embodying the essence of fluffiness.
Finally, use a light hold setting spray to ensure your meticulously fluffed and tousled locks are not disturbed.
11. Finish With A Light Hold Hairspray
A light hold spray ensures your fluffy hair remains undisturbed throughout the day. The hairspray doesn’t harden the hair or make it appear overly styled. Instead, it retains the hair’s natural movement and bounce without appearing stiff, which is essential to the fluffy aesthetic.
A light hold hairspray maintains the softness and touch ability of the hair, ensuring it feels as good as it looks. The spray acts as a subtle veil, warding off humidity and wind that might compromise the fluffiness.
Essentially, a lighthold spray is like the protective seal on a masterpiece. It safeguards the fluffy hairstyle’s intricacies, ensuring your efforts to achieve that bounce and texture are worthwhile.
Bed Head Lightheaded Hairspray
12. Seek Inspiration From Celebrities
Celebrity trends often serve as the gold standard in fashion and beauty, influencing many choices regarding hairstyles. Seeking celebrity inspiration, especially for the fluffy hairstyle, has unique benefits and appeal. With their access to top hairstylists and the latest beauty innovations, celebrities often showcase hairstyles that are not only trendy but also meticulously crafted to flatter and captivate.
By turning to these style icons, one can observe a range of interpretations of the fluffy hair look — from Diana Ross’s iconic voluminous curls to the effortless waves of a 90’s supermodel. Such a varied palette of celebrity-inspired fluffy hairstyles provides a rich source of ideas, ensuring that one can find a version that resonates with their style and hair type.
Moreover, celebrities are continually under the spotlight, their hairstyles tested by different lighting, events, and weather conditions. If a particular fluffy hairstyle consistently looks impeccable on the red carpet, on-screen, and in candid paparazzi shots, it’s a testament to its versatility and staying power.
How to Get Short Fluffy Hair
To get short fluffy hair, layers are key for removing weight and creating movement. Ask your stylist for lightweight layers cut throughout interior hair for optimal lift and airiness. For example, shortcuts like the classic bob, pixie, or lob serve as an ideal canvas for fluffy hair styling. Face-framing and shattered bangs also lend shape and bounce.
Going shorter on the sides and back while leaving more length on top helps create fluff-friendly asymmetry. Blending and tapered lengths prevent thick, blunt edges so hair moves naturally. You can also incorporate choppy ends for definition and texture.
How to Get Fluffy Hair If You Have Straight Hair
To get fluffy hair from straight hair, ask your stylist for blended face-framing layers and internal thinning throughout the interior hair to remove bulk. Choppy ends also lend definition. These techniques maximize texture, lift roots, and fake fullness even when working with flat, straight strands.
Skip the products that claim “smoothing” or “sleeking.” Instead, opt for body-boosting mousses, salt sprays, dry shampoos, and texturizing sprays. Apply mousse to damp hair before blow drying upside down for extra lift. Finish styles with a sea salt hairspray or dry shampoo to grip the strands.
How to Get Fluffy Hair If You Have Curly or Coily Hair
For those with curly or coily hair aiming for that fluffy look, start by deeply hydrating since curls and coils are dryer than other hair types.
Gently detangle with fingers or a wide-tooth comb, preserving the curl’s integrity. When drying, a diffuser on low heat is your best friend, allowing for volume without the unwanted frizz. Stretch your curls during this process for that added fluffiness. Choosing lightweight products to keep the bounce alive is essential, and a quick fluff at the roots using a hair pick can enhance volume. Finish with a touch of light oil or serum to seal in the look and keep frizz at bay. This approach ensures curly and coily hair achieves its fluffiest potential without compromising its natural texture.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Get Fluffy Hair
Here is a list of common mistakes to avoid when trying to get fluffy hair:
- Overwashing Hair:
Overwashing strips hair of natural oils, leading to dryness, which can thwart your fluffy hair goals.
Tip: Limit washing to 2-3 times a week and use a sulfate-free shampoo. - Using Heaving Products:
Heavy products can weigh down hair, reducing its natural volume and bounce.
Tip: Opt for lightweight products, especially those designed for volume. - Skipping Heat Protectants:
Direct heat can cause damage and frizz, making the hair look dry rather than fluffy.
Tip: Always use a heat protectant before using any heated styling tools. - Blow Drying on High Heat:
Too much heat can cause hair to become frizzy and damage it, affecting its texture.
Tip: Use a medium setting and keep the dryer moving to distribute heat evenly. - Brushing Wet Hair:
Wet hair is more susceptible to breakage, leading to split ends and uneven texture.
Tip: Detangle with a wide-tooth comb when hair is damp, not soaking wet. - Not Layering Products Properly:
Incorrect product layering can cause buildup, making hair feel heavy rather than light and airy.
Tip: Start with lightweight, liquid products and move to thicker ones. - Avoiding Regular Haircuts:
Skipping regular trims can lead to split ends, making hair look frizzy instead of fluffy.
Tip: Schedule regular trims every 6-8 weeks to maintain healthy ends. - Using Alcohol-Based Products:
Alcohol can dry out hair, causing it to lose its soft, fluffy texture.
Tip: Check product ingredients and opt for alcohol-free varieties when possible. - Rough Towel Drying:
Vigorously rubbing your hair with a towel can cause breakage and frizz.
Tip: Use a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt, and pat dry gently to keep the hair soft. - Overusing Dry Shampoo:
While dry shampoo can add volume, too much can cause buildup, making hair look dull.
Tip: Use dry shampoo sparingly and ensure it’s evenly distributed.
How to Make Hair Fluffy Naturally Without Products?
You can make your hair fluffy naturally without products by cutting it into face-framing layers, scrunching and tousling, using overnight texturizing tools, backcombing, and embracing your hair’s natural texture.
Create movement and remove weight by cutting face-framing and internal layers throughout your hair. These layers allow the natural volume to emerge. Letting your hair air dry is also key, as blow drying can smooth out the curve and wave that provides body.
When hair is still damp, scrunch and tousle it with your fingers to boost texture and volume before it dries. Tousling enhances natural fluffiness. Switch up your partings as well – try zig-zag parts or move your part from side to side to inject volume at the roots as needed.
For extra fluff, use texture tools overnight, like twisting locks onto a robe tie or sock bun. Texturizing overnight tools bring out waves and curls to pump up volume in the morning when released. Finger coiling pieces add definition and bounce.
On non-wash days, spritz hair with water and scrunch it to refresh texture and reactivate natural fluff. Accessories like hats and headbands can hide teased and backcombed sections, keeping volume in place.
By working with your hair’s natural tendencies, you can maximize texture and achieve touchable volume and fluffiness without using any products.
Is Fluffy Hair the Same As Frizzy Hair?
Fluffy hair and frizzy hair are not the same.
Fluffy hair has intentional volume, bounce, and movement. It is soft and touchable, with intentional shape, texture, and style. In contrast, frizzy hair has unwanted volume, lacks definition, and feels dry. Frizzy hair has an unkempt look, needing more control and intent in the styling.
Fluffy hair enhances natural texture; frizzy hair obscures it. The volume in fluffy hair is an intentional styling choice, while frizz results from damage, humidity, or lack of proper conditioning. Fluffy hair has a purposeful shape and flattering lift; frizzy hair is shapeless and unmanageable. Therefore frizzy hair is not fluffy, but both can coexist if the fluffy hairstyle needs to be correctly done or maintained.
How to Prevent Frizz in Fluffy Hair?
To avoid frizz in fluffy hair, balance volume with sufficient hydration and gentle handling to maintain clump and curl formation. Moisture and proper styling techniques are essential for achieving touchably soft, defined fluff without frizz.
Frizzy hair often stems from dryness. So start with a moisturizing shampoo and ensure all products you use to add volume and texture have humectants and rich fatty acids to hydrate and soften the hair.
Be gentle with your styling techniques, especially when blow drying and backcombing, to create fluffy hairstyles. Blow dry using low heat settings, and do not tease your hair vigorously.
Swap out cotton pillowcases for silk or satin ones. They cause less friction, which means you’ll wake up with smoother hair and less potential for frizz.
On particularly humid days, consider using products that specifically protect against humidity. Layer an anti-humidity spray on top of your fluffy hair-finishing spray to add extra protection from the humid air.
More: How to prevent frizzy hair.Achieving Fluffy Hair Perfection is Worth Every Strand of Effort!
Fluffy hair, with its unique ethereal softness and cushioned texture, effortlessly captures the essence of volume and lightness. The expansive appearance of fluffy hairstyles is also well-complimented by their airiness. Despite its seemingly effortless allure, achieving such buoyancy and cloud-like billowiness in one’s hair remains rare, setting apart those who successfully embrace this elusive hairstyle.
To make your hair fluffy, you must understand the delicate balance between product application, styling techniques, and hair care.
Achieving the perfect fluffy hairstyle requires patience and experimentation, as every individual’s hair responds differently.
Embrace lightweight volumizers and gentle teasing methods while remembering the importance of deep conditioning to maintain hair health. Achieving that perfect fluff is about aesthetic appeal and nurturing and understanding your hair’s unique characteristics. In the end, when you attain that dreamy, cloud-like volume, you’ll realize that the journey to fluffy perfection was worth every strand of effort.
About the Author
Tina MorettiTina Moretti, a passionate hair care enthusiast with over a decade of expertise, dedicates herself to empowering women with proven hair care advice. Recognized for her hands-on experience and trusted guidance, Tina turns every strand into a statement of beauty and confidence.