Is your hair looking a little limp and flat? Don’t reach for the teas, powders and chemical-laden products yet – you may be able to achieve fuller, thicker hair with simple natural solutions you already have at home.
From vitamins to oils to dietary changes, a multipronged approach can help give your strands new life.
Read on to learn 5 effective natural tricks for boosting hair thickness.
5 Natural Ways to Add Body and Volume to Your Hair
Prioritizing Balanced Nutrition
By prioritizing balanced nutrition packed with hair-healthy compounds, you can thicken strands from the inside out.
Make sure to incorporate protein sources like eggs, fish, beans, meat, Greek yogurt and nuts, which provide amino acids to build new keratin for each follicle. Get enough iron from spinach, lentils and red meat to carry oxygen that powers growth. Vitamin C from citrus, berries and tomatoes helps absorb iron while vitamin E in oils, seeds and sweet potatoes protects against damage.
Beyond vitamins and minerals for growth, healthy fats add shine and moisture balance. Nosh on avocados, nut butters, salmon and chia seeds to nourish follicles and strengthen emerging strands without weighing them down. Finally, stay hydrated with a daily influx of water to support overall health.
Massage Scalp-Enhancing Oils Into Roots
There are a range of nutrient-rich oils that stimulate circulation and boost production of thickness-promoting proteins when applied to the scalp. Try warming a few drops of castor, olive, coconut or almond oil in your palms and massaging into hair follicles for a few minutes before washing as usual. Doing this consistently can nourish roots for better growth.
Take Hair-Healthy Vitamins
What you put into your body affects the health of your hair, just like your skin or nails. Ensure you get enough vitamin E, iron, zinc, biotin and protein from diet or supplements. Vitamin E protects strands from oxidative damage, while iron, zinc and biotin encourage growth. And amino acids from protein are literally the building blocks your follicles need to construct new strands.
Use Volumizing Products Strategically
The right volumizing mousses, creams, sprays or root powders can create lift, especially when focused only on the crown and upper hair layers. Apply these strictly to roots for boosting body at the top without weighing down ends. Blow dry upside down too for extra lift. Always brush thoroughly afterward, so residues don’t leave hair limp.
Adjust Care for Thinner Strands
Go lighter with conditioners, which can flatten thinner hair. Focus hydrating masks from mid-lengths down and avoid getting heavy products near the crown. Also be very gentle and minimize breakage when brushing or heat styling fragile hair. Damaged strands can further thin appearance.
Get a Texturizing Cut
Ask your stylist for a layered cut, face-framing fringe and light thinning technique like razor-cutting to remove bulk and intensify dimension. This type of texturizing cut sculpts for the illusion of increased density. Style with sea salt sprays for extra grit and volume too.
The key is consistency when it comes to both scalp care and internal nourishment for noticeably thicker, fuller growth. But a strategic multi-step routine focused on protecting and boosting hair health can yield naturally voluminous, beautiful locks over time.