What is flat hair?
Flat hair is hair that sits close to your scalp and lacks lift at the roots, making it look less full and voluminous.
This does not necessarily mean your hair is damaged. In many cases, flat hair is simply the result of oil, moisture, or product buildup weighing your hair down. If you have straight, fine, or thinning hair, you are more prone to flat hair because your strands have less natural texture to create lift.
What causes flat hair?
The causes of flat hair can include:
- Humidity
- Oily scalp
- Over-conditioning
- Infrequent washing
- Heavy styling products
- Frequently touching your hair
How to add volume to flat hair: 7 expert tips
Small changes to the way you wash, dry, and style will help your natural hair look noticeably fuller. Below, discover our seven expert tips on how to add volume to flat hair.
1. Wash your scalp and roots with a volumising shampoo
The first step in adding volume is to thoroughly cleanse your scalp so your roots feel light and lifted.
Elvive Collagen Lifter Volumising Shampoo is one of our best products for flat hair. Its breakthrough formula contains collagen-peptides – small fragments of protein that wrap around each hair fibre and help prevent strands from lying flat against your scalp. The result is an instant volume boost that lasts for up to 72 hours*.
Apply to wet hair and massage directly into your scalp and roots, where oil tends to collect. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly, as any shampoo left behind can leave residue on the hair fibre and reduce volume.
*Instrumental test 72 hrs after application of the Collagen Lifter shampoo + conditioner vs unwashed hair
2. Use a lightweight, volumising conditioner on your ends only
Once your scalp is clean, it’s time to condition your hair – without weighing down your roots
Our Elvive Collagen Lifter Fibre Thickening Conditioner contains collagen-peptides and thickening fibres – helping support dry hair while imparting +67% instant volume**.
Massage the conditioner through your lengths and ends, avoiding your scalp. This allows you to hydrate the driest parts of your hair and avoid being left with residue at the roots. Leave on for one minute, then rinse thoroughly.
**Instrumental test after application of the Collagen Lifter shampoo + conditioner vs unwashed hair.
3. Apply a texture spray
When flat hair begins to settle against your scalp, a quick spray at the roots can bring back instant volume.
Elvive Collagen Lifter Big Hair Day Refreshing Volume Spray uses our collagen-peptide complex and coats your roots with a lightweight layer. This helps lift your hair away from the scalp, creating up to 20% fuller-looking hair in seconds***.
Use it on damp hair after washing or on dry hair to refresh your style throughout the day. Shake the bottle, hold it around 15 cm from your roots, and spray directly onto the areas where you want more lift. Massage it in with your fingertips, then flip your hair over and repeat until you achieve your desired volume.
This is not your average hair spray. Hair spray locks your style in place, while texture spray adds body and lift. Curious which one belongs in your routine? Discover the difference between hair spray and texture spray.
***Instrumental test after application of a non-conditioning shampoo + the Big Hair Day Volume Spray
4. Avoid heavy styling products
Knowing how to get volume in hair is often less about using more styling products and more about applying the right amount in the right place.
If you are trying to smooth frizz and flyaways, heavy creams and gels can flatten your hair. Instead, use a lightweight hair oil only through your lengths and ends to nourish dry areas while keeping your roots lifted.
Our Elvive Extraordinary Oil Hair Serum is formulated to deliver deep nutrition with no weigh-down – leaving you with silky, glossy hair that still feels light and full of movement.
Simply rub two drops between your palms and apply evenly through the lengths and ends of wet or dry hair.
5. Use blow-drying techniques that boost volume
A good blow-dry, when done correctly, can add significant fullness to flat hair. Try some of these techniques:
| Technique | How to add volume to hair |
| Use a nozzle attachment | Attach the nozzle to your hair dryer and point it upward at your roots. This concentrates the airflow and helps lift your hair away from the scalp as it dries. |
| Blow-dry upside down | Flip your head forward and blow-dry your roots until they’re nearly dry. This encourages the hair to set in a lifted position, rather than lying flat against your scalp. |
| Use a round brush | When your hair is about 80% dry, wrap each section around a round brush and lift it upward as you blow-dry. This adds bounce and shape through the lengths. |
| Finish with a cool shot | Once each section is dry, switch your dryer to the cool setting for a few seconds. This helps set the shape and keeps your hair fuller for longer. |
6. Protect hair from heat damage
Always apply a heat protectant before using heat on your hair. Heat styling can give flat hair an instant lift, but high temperatures can dry out the fibre and lead to hair breakage.
If your lengths are feeling dry or damaged, consider adding a hydrating hair mask to your routine. Our Elvive Hyaluron Plump Hair Mask with Hyaluronic Acid delivers up to 72 hours of hydration****, helping your hair feel plumped with moisture for bouncier, healthier-looking results.
****Instrumental tests
7. Refresh with dry shampoo between washes
If washing your hair too often can weigh it down, but oily roots can make it fall flat, how do you get volume in hair between washes?
Dry shampoo works by absorbing excess oil at the roots. Once that oil is removed, the strands separate instead of sticking together, which allows your hair to lift away from the scalp and look fuller.
To apply dry shampoo, hold the can 15 to 20 cm from your roots and spray into the areas that look oily or flat. Leave it on for a minute to absorb excess oil, then massage it in with your fingertips or brush it through.
Now that you know how to add volume to flat hair, next learn about the importance of scalp care for strong and thick hair.
