Tips For Reducing The Volume Of Your Natural Hair
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It's safe to say that voluminous hair — which brings to mind the graceful images of Kate Middleton or Victoria's Secret models — is every girl's dream. The perks that come with dense hair include ample layering opportunities and being able to rock any updo and braid you want. However, a full head of thick hair is not always synonymous with a great look. While some people with naturally thick hair enjoy low-maintenance bouncy waves, others are on the receiving end of frizzy or chaotic hair.
If people with weighty, silky smooth tresses have plenty of hair look options, those whose hair falls on the other end of the spectrum usually have difficulty styling. Hair stylist Paul Perez tells Bustle: "Women say to me all the time that they don't know how to style or manage their thick hair." To pull off thick and frizz-prone hair, one needs to find the proper cut, the right amount of face-framing layers for one's face shape, and ways to tame frizz. If thick hair manageability feels like an uphill battle, you have come to the right place. From achieving certain hairstyles to using a specialized wash and care routine, here are some tips for taking redundant weight out of your hair and refreshing your look.
Use moisturizing shampoo and leave-in conditioner
Good hair starts in the shower. A fitting wash and care routine are essential to combating messy hair fibers pointing in different directions. Wash-wise, a moisturizing shampoo might be what the doctor ordered for those with thick and unruly hair. A moisturizing shampoo is fortified with ingredients that supply your hair with extra moisture, prevent the hair's natural oils from being washed away, and keep the locks buttery soft and healthy, says Evo's color creative director Tom Smith to Makeup.com by L'Oréal.
After a hair wash comes conditioning to seal in the moisture. To add extra hydration and reflective shine to your tresses, apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair. According to Goldie Locks, leave-in conditioners give your hair an instant moisture boost, minimize frizz, and make your brush-through easier while shielding your hair from daily wear and tear, damaging UV rays, and chemical processing. A high dose of moisture helps hydrate and restore the hair's elasticity and smoothness. When your hair is silky smooth, it looks bouncy without being bulky. You can also combine rinse-out and leave-in conditioner in your haircare routine for maximum hydration and softness — especially if your hair has low porosity and takes a long time to absorb water.
Use a hair serum
Coating your hair strands with a hair serum before styling products is an excellent way to smooth ends and keep your hair strands in place. You can also touch up your tresses throughout the day with a hair serum to keep your mane in tip-top shape. According to John Frieda, hair serums are formulated with silicones and ingredients that nourish the hair, protect your mane from humidity damage, keep unruly tresses in place, and smooth hair strands.
Hair serum should be applied after a leave-in conditioner and before a hair oil application. Since hair strands are in their best condition to absorb nutrients when wet, work serum into them when they are still slightly damp. Depending on the length of your hair, apply only a pump or two to your palms, and rub them together to warm the serum before working the formula into the tresses. The rule of thumb is to start from the ends and work your way up to the nape before proceeding to your mid-length and top of the head. "Always avoid the root because it will make your hair look oily, and it could also eventually cause hair fall," hairstylist Yianni Tsapatori tells Vogue. After application, do not rinse the serum, but proceed to your styling routine as usual.
Get a layered haircut
A layered haircut — a form of thinning hair out in layers to create the illusion of a more dynamic mane — can give excessively bulky hair a much-needed touch of lightness and character. Layering eliminates weight from the internal lengths of the hair, making it easier for the hair to hold the volume, MHDPro points out. For those with normal or thick hair texture, a long layered haircut — where the outermost layers are trimmed shorter than the hair's overall length and gradually extend toward the tips — is a good shout. Based on round layering, this cut softens the hair texture and makes your hair look longer.
According to Love Hairstyles, those with thick hair are a good candidate for long, disconnected, choppy layers, chunky razored layers, and a mid-length two-tier haircut. For those with square face shapes, a long bob with subtle layers will help balance out your face's sharp angles and reduce the heaviness. A long layered lob or sweeping layered pixie will flatter and add life to a heart-shaped face, while face-framing layers with center-part fringe work well to slim and contour round faces.
Use blow-dry cream
When it comes to hair styling, a blowout done right can give you a salon-worthy look — whether it's straight, wavy, or curly tresses you're after. Before blow-drying your hair, it's wise to apply blow-dry cream to your locks to keep your hair strands in place and optimize the styling result. According to Sephora, using a blow-dry cream on your hair can smooth the cuticles, improve hydration, protect your hair from heat damage, and control frizz and unruly hair throughout the day. Your hair looks less weighty when it's silky and polished. After washing your hair, let it air dry until it's slightly damp. Then, section by section evenly distributes a little blow-dry cream.
For those with naturally thick hair, it's better to use a dryer with a big round brush with boar bristles than a metal brush, says stylist Teddi Cranford (via Bustle). A boar-bristle brush helps evenly distribute your hair's oils, gently detangle hair, minimize hair breakage, and allow easier and faster styling. Once you're done with styling, spritz your hair with an anti-frizz hairspray containing keratin for added smoothness and humidity resistance. An anti-frizz hairspray can also offer your hairstyle a lasting hold and give it a luminous shine without weighing down the hair strands.
Try straightening or Keratin treatment
Your hair looks thinner when it's straightened out, so consider getting a hair straightening treatment if you're trying to make it look sleeker, All Things Hair advises. Permanent straightening can make your hair look straight and smooth for a long time. Or, you can buy a flat iron and straighten your hair whenever you feel like it.
Alternatively, you can try a Keratin treatment that softens and smooths your hair, giving it a naturally straight look. According to Keratin Complex®, a keratin treatment works effectively in taming frizz, curtailing texture, ramping up the hair shaft, and boosting styling manageability. It also protects your hair from humidity damage, adds luster to your locks, and reduces split ends. A Keratin treatment can be pricey, but it can last up to six months. Other hair care methods that help you manage frizz and keep your hair smooth include hair rebonding, thermal reconditioning, and blow-drying with cold air.
Grow your hair long
A short unlayered haircut will make your hair even thicker if your hair is thick by nature. Also, blunt haircuts can shorten your head frame, making your face and body look broader. Growing your hair out past your shoulders or even longer will help reduce the heavy look of your mane and offer you ample styling options in addition to balancing out your facial proportions, per HairstyleCamp. When your hair is long, you can create a variety of hairstyles that make it look neater or offer convenience. For instance, you can tie your hair in a sleek ponytail or wear it up in an updo, which brings out your facial features while keeping your look tidy and elegant. Although short hair means fewer washing and styling efforts, long hair affords its wearer more options and is easier to manage as the long strands can be easily held together and manipulated without extensive styling efforts.