How can I give my hair more volume?

"How can I give my hair more volume?"

This is one of the questions I most often receive in the messages you send me.

I had addressed this topic in the past in an article here on the blog, giving you 4 effective tips so as not to give in to hair that is empty and devoid of volume .

Because to give a semblance of mass to a thin and fine hair, it is enough to take a few but essential precautions.

Expedients that can range from the cut, to the curative treatment, to the styling passing through the right color. Tricks that can make a difference.

What causes volume loss?

Without a shadow of a doubt, our genetic heritage has the main word on the appearance of our shaft, but it also greatly affects our lifestyle, our diet and the stress to which we subject our hair and skin.

Please note: it is impossible to have beautiful hair without healthy skin.

Many of you write to me that you were born with a sturdy, thick keg that has changed its appearance over the years, becoming thinner and thinner . Well yes, even hair ages.

In fact, over the years the hair loses consistency and is increasingly weak. So from one year to the next we find ourselves with less full-bodied and voluminous hair. The hair cuticle, in particular, becomes impoverished leaving the stem fragile and more vulnerable.

Not only that, the hair follicle also gets thinner and the growth phase becomes shorter as well. But I had talked about this in depth in this article: EVEN HAIR AGES .

How to give more volume to hair

Cutting and styling fine hair without volume

Fine and thin hair can be enhanced by straight and clean cuts or enhanced by a cut with a minimum of layering to give more movement. On the other hand, excessive scaling must be absolutely avoided.

As far as styling is concerned, a wavy set, which nowadays you can achieve even without using the excessive heat of the straightener thanks to the curlformers, can be a solution for giving movement, texture and shape to the hair.

The right cut with the right fold can accentuate the volume of a hollow mane and create optical illusions worthy of a magician.

On my instagram profile @beautilicious_delights_rozalya you will find lots of styling tips for fine hair without volume .

If you have areas in your hair where the capillary mass is scarcer and this makes you uncomfortable, you can take advantage of the waves you create to hide these areas and face the day with a smile.

But today I won't dwell on cutting tips to get more volume in your fine hair. I had already talked about it in the article I mentioned in the first paragraph.

When we talk about the body, the density of the hair we are not referring only to how much hair we have on our heads but also to their consistency and the volume they manage to have together.

So today I want to give you some tips on products or ingredients that can make the difference for thin hair without volume.

Products that strengthen and give greater volume to the hair

Lawsonia - red henna

It is the product that can represent the turning point for your hair. It's one of those products that once you try it becomes NEVER WITHOUT because its strengthening effect on the stem remains and doesn't go away with the first wash as happens with the vast majority of products.

The lawsone which is the coloring pigment of the lawsonia wraps the cuticle and chemically bonds with the keratin, leaving the stem more full-bodied, robust and shiny .

Lawsonia is the only one among the various dyeing or healing herbs that can boast of being able to " thicken" the stem application after application.

If you don't want to change your natural hair color (applies to medium brown - dark, black shades), you can use it in low percentages, between 20-25%, together with cassia and amla.

I remind you not to use it if you have light hair and don't want to warm up your shade.

Wraps of cassia and/or amla

To strengthen your shaft and also obtain greater volume without changing its color, you can make packs of 30' of cassia obovata alternating with amla packs which, in addition to purifying the scalp thanks to the high percentage of vitamin C, leave the hair full-bodied and voluminous . Or you can simply also combine the 2 powders in a 50:50 ratio.

Use SIDR as a shampoo

Wash your hair with SIDR and I'm willing to bet you'll have a hard time recognizing your fine and thin mane.

"Is a shampoo enough?" you will think.. try to believe!

The sidr releases mucilages that hydrate the hair, leaving it voluminous and full-bodied to the touch.

The new 250g package is already available on the online shop.

Methi - wrap to promote hair growth

Since ancient times it has been used as an anti-hair loss compress, to strengthen it and make it healthier and fuller thanks to the high content of phytoestrogens.

With a particular, spicy scent, which you either love or hate, it is an excellent moisturizer and conditioner for the hair thanks to the high percentage of mucilage which gives greater volume and body to the stem , leaving the hair silky and shiny.

It can be the extra ally to take care of your skin care and at the same time make your hair more full-bodied and voluminous.

Give volume to the roots with Kapoor Glow and Rice Starch

In the article Fine and thin hair? Here are 4 Essential Habits to Give Volume and Strengthen them! I recommended one volumizing hair pack with rice starch, cassia, yoghurt and cocoa. Well, add the kapoor glow alone or as an ingredient in the pack suggested above and you'll see that it will prove to be a panacea for your limp and "limp" hair.

If you combine these actions with others in synergy, you can achieve truly effective results.

I am referring to extra measures, such as:

massage the head during the drying phase to activate the microcirculation using the wooden brush with rounded tips
use the Volumizing Spray as a styling product on damp hair, to give greater support to the roots.

Try following these steps and you will see that your hair will regain vitality and will no longer seem dull.

Summarizing in a nutshell: the secret to giving greater volume to a fine and thin stem basically consists in strengthening the stem giving greater thickness to the stem while also trying to support it with specially formulated products.

Proteins that make all the difference to your thin, volume-free locks

You often hear about proteins in hair care products but I bet you don't know what they are, or what their role is. I asked Dr. trichologist Francesca Esposito Amendola:

What are proteins?

Proteins are also defined as proteins from the Greek which means "first, of primary importance"; proteins, in fact, are essential for life, being the fundamental constituents of our cells.

Chemical composition:

Proteins are quaternary organic substances that always contain:

C= Carbon

H= Hydrogen

O= Oxygen

N=Nitrogen

When these elements join together, they form amino acids which are the basic building blocks of proteins.

In other words: proteins are a set of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds.

In nature there are many amino acids, those that affect living matter are just over twenty.

Based on the number, type and a certain sequence, a different protein in structure and function is obtained.

Keratin - hair protein

The hair is mainly composed of proteins, in particular keratin.

If you want to learn more, read also: How and from what is hair made?

Keratin is in turn composed of 18 amino acids.

In the treatment of dry and brittle hair or fine and fragile hair that lacks shine, volume and manageability, some functional cosmetic substances can be used, including protein hydrolysates .

Hydrolysed proteins: what are they and what are the benefits?

Today we discover the main proteins used in hair care products.

Hydrolysed proteins vs NOT hydrolysed proteins

Thanks to their small size, the hydrolysed proteins reduced to "smaller pieces" are able to penetrate the outer part of the hair shaft (the cuticle) to reach the inside of the shaft, near the cortex . Thanks to their reduced size, they improve the stem in terms of resistance and body.

NON-hydrolysed proteins , on the other hand, have a larger volume and are deposited on the surface layer of the hair, the cuticle, giving a protective film-forming effect and maintaining hair hydration.

Hydrolysed proteins are obtained through a hydrolysis reaction which allows to break the polypeptide structure and to obtain smaller fragments of lower molecular weight.

The reduction in size allows for greater penetration and a better conditioning effect on the hair fiber.

The protein hydrolysates that you will most easily encounter in the INCI of cosmetic hair care products are those of:

collagen,
elastin,
keratin,
silk,
grain

Collagen

It is a fibrous protein present in all the supporting connective structures of mammals and is the main protein of the skin.

It is produced by dermal fibroblasts and performs a hydrating, elasticising and supportive function . Collagen is a rigid and resistant molecule formed by three amino acid chains linked together.

Hydrolysis makes it possible to obtain smaller protein fragments which remain on the stratum corneum where they perform a hydrating, smoothing and film-forming action.

In hair care products, collagen is used in shampoos, conditioners and masks for dry, brittle and treated hair in styling products. Collagen forms a film on the hair protecting it from external aggressions, improving its hold.

In the past, collagen from animal sources (bovine and pigs) was used; nowadays it is obtained from yeasts (INCI YEAST EXTRACT) or from marine algae; we therefore speak of bio-collagen and phyto-collagen.

How to recognize the presence of collagen in cosmetic labels

INCI names: Collagen, Hydrolyzed Collagen

The elastin

Elastin is a fibrous protein that gives elasticity to tissues.

It is mainly made up of amino acids: glycine, valine and proline.

It is produced by dermal fibroblasts and represents 5% in the skin, an amount which allows the skin to be kept elastic and toned. With aging, there is a decrease in its production with the appearance of wrinkles.

In cosmetics the protein is used in normal or hydrolysed form with functions similar to those of collagen.

It has a moisturizing and conditioning effect on the hair and also reduces electricity by neutralizing the electrostatic charges on the surface of the hair.

How to recognize the presence of elastin in cosmetic labels

INCI names: Elastin, Hydrolyzed Elastin

Keratin

Keratin is a hard, tough protein that is insoluble in water.

It is made up of about 18 amino acids including cystine cysteine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, threonine, arginine, valine, leucine and isoleucine.

In cosmetics the hydrolyzed form is mainly used, the low molecular weight protein pieces are more compatible with the structure of the hair and are incorporated into it.

Keratin is included in hair care products such as conditioners, cream wraps to nourish the hair and protect it during drying. It is particularly suitable for hair that is brittle and damaged by chemical treatments.

Keratin, how to recognize it on cosmetic labels

INCI name: Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin

Silk proteins

Silk is a natural fiber of animal origin that is produced by the silkworm. It is a filament formed in turn by two proteins. The fibroin (80%) which wraps on the sericin (20%)

Between the two, it is sericin that has interesting cosmetic properties.

It is water soluble and has numerous hydrophilic groups: it is made up of about 18 amino acids including serine (32%) and aspartic acid.

80% of the amino acids that make it up are equipped with lateral hydrophilic groups capable of binding water 50 times more than glycerine. Sericin is therefore able to bind water molecules and improve hydration.

Sericin has important bioadhesive properties on keratin structures and is capable of forming protective films that give elasticity. It is able to bind to the keratin of the hair, increasing its texture, volume and giving it softness and shine.

Sericin, how to recognize it in the INCI name cosmetic labels

INCI name: Hydrolized Silk protein, Sericin, Fibroin

Wheat protein

Wheat is a plant belonging to the grass family.

From the grains hydrolysed proteins are obtained which perform an excellent moisturizing action and are able to fix themselves on the skin structures by binding water and conferring film-forming properties.

Wheat proteins are also used in the formulation of shampoos for their ability to reduce the irritating power of anionic surfactants: Sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate (Sls and Sles).

How to recognize wheat proteins in cosmetic labels

INCI names: Hydrolized Wheat protein

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These were the proteins that are more likely to be found also in large-scale retail products, but there are also other hydrolysed proteins with properties similar to those listed above such as the hydrolysed proteins of oats, quinoa, rice, soy that you find in the Volumizing Spray or in the Hair Elixir, but also in the Anti-frizz Spray.

The essential thing to remember is that volumizing hair care products must adapt to the type of hair and its needs.

Because as you well know, fine and thin hair tends to dry out more easily (especially the ends) and to get damaged easily due to environmental factors that make it look dirty and limp near the root in the blink of an eye.

If you make a mistake in using a hair care product, you will immediately find them weighed down and flattened. It is therefore important to use appropriate products as consciously as possible, specifically designed to give volume to fine and thin hair.

I hope this insight has been helpful to you. For any doubts, I'll wait for you in the comments.

In the online shop you will find everything you need (including herbal dyes) to take care of your skin and hair in a conscious way. Click HERE to visit it!

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