You have it. The hair so many people envy, the kind that’s full of body, texture, and a life of its own. Voluminous hair is a blessing, but let’s be honest—some days it feels more like a wild beast than a beautiful asset. The struggle to move from a voluminous look to a sleek, chic, and manageable style is real. You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt your hair has more volume than you know what to do with.
But what if you could harness that incredible volume and transform it into an elegant, everyday look that turns heads for all the right reasons? The secret isn’t fighting your hair’s natural body; it’s about learning to collaborate with it. This guide is your roadmap to doing just that. We’re diving deep into the techniques, products, and styles that will help you tame the mane and showcase your voluminous hair in its most sophisticated light.
Understanding Your Voluminous Hair: It’s All About the Foundation
Before you can master the art of styling, you need to understand what you’re working with. Voluminous hair isn’t a one-size-fits-all category. It can be thick in density (meaning you have a lot of hair follicles per square inch), coarse in texture (the actual width of each strand is large), or both. This unique combination is what gives you that incredible body, but it also means your hair is more prone to dryness, frizz, and acting like it has its own gravitational pull.
The key principle for managing voluminous hair is weight and moisture. Your hair is naturally strong and resilient, but it craves hydration to keep the cuticle smooth and frizz at bay. The goal of most styling techniques for thick hair is to add just enough weight and control to tame the chaos without completely flattening the beautiful body you’re lucky to have. It’s a balancing act between control and preservation.
Your Hair Care Arsenal: The Right Products for Taming Volume
You cannot win the battle against unruliness with the wrong weapons. Using products designed for fine, flat hair will only lead to frustration, buildup, and potentially more frizz. Your voluminous hair requires a specialized arsenal.
Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner: Start in the shower. Look for formulas labeled hydrating, moisturizing, or for thick/coarse hair. These are richer and will deliver the moisture your hair craves. Avoid volumizing shampoos—you have volume to spare! Concentrate conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends to avoid weighing down the roots.
Leave-In Conditioner: This is non-negotiable. A good leave-in conditioner provides an extra layer of moisture, detangles, and creates a smooth foundation for all other products. It’s your first line of defense against frizz.
Hair Oil or Serum: A few drops of a hair oil or smoothing serum applied to damp or dry hair can work miracles. It adds shine, tames flyaways, and helps to “glue” the hair cuticle down, reducing bulk and frizz. Use sparingly—start with a dime-sized amount for mid-length to ends.
Styling Creams and Mousses: These are your best friends for definition and soft control. A styling cream can smooth hair while adding a touch of hold and texture, perfect for wavy or curly voluminous hair. A mousse can provide structure and memory to a style without the crunch.
The Game-Changing Blowout: Smoothing Without Sacrificing Body
A proper blow-dry is the single most effective technique for transforming voluminous hair. It’s not about blasting your hair straight; it’s about using tension and heat to smooth the cuticle and direct the hair into a sleek, polished shape.
First, prep your towel-dried hair with your leave-in conditioner and a heat protectant. Then, apply a blow-dry cream or serum designed for smoothing. Section your hair—this is crucial for managing thickness. Start with the bottom sections and work your way up.
Using a round brush is the pro secret. As you dry each section, pull the brush through the hair, following it closely with the nozzle of your dryer. Point the dryer’s airflow down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticle. For extra smoothness, blast each section with a shot of cool air once it’s dry to set the shape. This method doesn’t eliminate volume; it redistributes it, giving you a smooth, bouncy, and controlled finish that lasts for days.
Chic & Easy Everyday Hairstyles for Voluminous Hair
Now for the fun part—styling! These everyday looks are designed to work with your volume, not against it.
The Polished Low Ponytail: Forget the basic pony. To achieve a chic low ponytail, first, create a deep side part or slick your hair back smoothly. Use a boar bristle brush to gather your hair at the nape of your neck, but leave a small section of hair loose underneath. Secure the ponytail with a coil-free hair tie. Then, take the loose section of hair, wrap it around the base of the ponytail to conceal the tie, and secure it with a bobby pin. This instantly elevates the look from casual to elegant.
The Textured Half-Up, Half-Down: This style celebrates your volume. Instead of pulling the top section straight back, tease the crown area slightly for added lift. Then, loosely twist or gather a small section from the front on each side, and join them at the back of your crown, securing with a clip or tie. Gently pull the style slightly forward to soften it and allow the rest of your hair to cascade down with all its beautiful body.
The Modern, Sleek Bun: A messy bun can easily turn into a giant, unkempt nest on voluminous hair. A sleek bun is a far more chic alternative. Create a low ponytail and twist it tightly. Wrap the twisted hair around the base to form a bun, securing it with bobby pins as you go. Tuck the end under and use a strong-hold hairspray and a fine-tooth comb to smooth down any baby hairs or flyaways. It’s powerful, polished, and incredibly sophisticated.
Advanced Taming: Embracing Your Natural Texture
If your voluminous hair is also wavy or curly, your strategy shifts slightly. The goal here is definition and clumping, not just smoothing.
The Curly Girl Method, Simplified: Techniques like “scrunching” and “plopping” can be game-changers. After applying a curl-defining cream or mousse to sopping wet hair, gently scrunch your hair upwards towards your scalp to encourage curl formation and remove excess water. Then, “plop” your hair by piling it into a soft, microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt for 20-30 minutes. This allows the products to set without causing frizz from rough towel-drying.
Diffusing for Definition: Never blow-dry your curls directly. Attach a diffuser to your hairdryer. With your head flipped over, cup sections of your hair into the diffuser and hold it in place against your scalp with low heat and speed settings. This dries your curls without disturbing their pattern, giving you defined, frizz-free volume that looks intentional and beautiful.
Maintaining Your Chic Look: Overnight and Between Washes
Your work isn’t done after day one. Protecting your style while you sleep is essential for making your chic look last.
Swap your cotton pillowcase for a satin or silk one. The smooth surface creates less friction, which means less frizz, tangling, and moisture loss overnight. For even better protection, loosely tie your hair up in a loose, high ponytail on the top of your head (a “pineapple”) or wrap it in a satin scarf.
On day two and three, you might not need a full restyle. A bit of dry shampoo at the roots can absorb any oil and refresh volume. To combat any misplaced waves or kinks, use a steamer or a clothes steamer from a distance to gently add moisture back into the hair and smooth it out without having to wet it completely. A quick pass with a flat iron on the top layer can also re-sleek the surface.
Conclusion: Your Volume, Your Signature Style
Transforming your voluminous hair from untamed to ultra-chic is not about declaring war on your natural texture. It’s a journey of understanding, collaboration, and using the right tools and techniques. Your hair’s body is a powerful foundation for creating stunning, head-turning styles that people with finer hair can only dream of.
Embrace the process. Experiment with the products and methods we’ve discussed. Whether it’s mastering the perfect blowout, tying an elegant low pony, or defining your gorgeous curls, you have everything you need to turn your voluminous look into your most powerful style asset. Your chic, everyday look is waiting to be discovered—all it takes is a little know-how to let it shine.
