What Is Hair Volume? Everything You Need to Know for Full, Fabulous Hair

Volume—it’s the ultimate dream for anyone who wants full, bouncy, bombshell hair. It’s one of the most sought-after qualities in haircare!

In this article, we’re breaking down the essentials of hair volume, what it means, why some people struggle with it, and how it fluctuates throughout the day. Let’s dive in!

Hair Volume 101: Behind the Science

What Does Hair Volume Mean?

woman with brown voluminous hair

At its core, hair volume refers to the fullness and body of your hair. It’s not just about how thick or thin your hair strands are—volume also depends on how your hair is styled, how much it naturally lifts at the roots, and even how it behaves under different environmental conditions.

High-volume hair looks dense, has movement, and stays lifted from the scalp, giving a fuller look. In contrast, hair with little volume can appear flat or limp.

Volume is often influenced by your hair type and texture. People with fine or straight hair tend to struggle more with volume, as their hair doesn’t naturally have the lift or bounce that, say, wavy or curly hair might.

But no matter your hair type, there are ways to help boost or maintain volume.

Hair Volume vs Density

While "hair volume" and "density" are sometimes used interchangeably, they’re actually distinct factors that affect how full and thick your hair appears. 

Hair volume refers to the overall body, lift, and size of your hair. It’s literally how much space your hair takes up – the height, width and full dimensional appearance of your style profile. It’s also all about fullness and movement—think big, airy blowouts with plenty of lift at the roots. 

hair density: high density, medium density and low density

Hair density, on the other hand, is the actual number of hair strands on your scalp, usually measured per square inch. High-density hair often looks fuller naturally, while low-density hair might look sparser. 

In short, density is the amount of hair, while volume is the effect or look of fullness, regardless of how dense your hair is.

What Gives Hair Volume?

There’s a science behind volume! Here’s what factors contribute to that coveted fullness:

  • Root Lift: A lot of volume starts at the roots. When roots are lifted, the hair appears to have more body. 
  • Hair Density and Thickness: People with thicker hair strands or more densely packed hair follicles tend to have more natural volume.
  • Moisture and Hydration: Surprisingly, moisture plays a big role. Overly dry hair can look dull and flat, while hydrated hair retains a healthy bounce.

color wow money mist(A light leave-in conditioner, like Color Wow Money Mist, is a great choice for adding hydration without weighing hair down!)

Our award-winning in-house chemist, Dr. Joe Cincotta, advises: "Wash your hair often, use conditioner sparingly, apply a root lift and volumizing product, and avoid touching your hair throughout the day."

  • Cut and Style: The right haircut (such as layers) and styling techniques (like blow-drying with a round brush) can make hair appear fuller.

Why Does My Hair Have No Volume?

There are several reasons why your hair might be lacking volume:

  • Hair Type: Straight, fine hair naturally lies closer to the scalp, which can make it look flat.
  • Product buildup: Heavy products or frequent use of styling products can weigh your hair down, causing it to lose volume.
  • Scalp Oils: Over time, natural oils from your scalp can build up on your roots, making hair look flatter.
  • Damage or Over-Processing: Heat styling, coloring, and chemical treatments can weaken hair and make it lose its natural body.
  • Lack of Texture: Volume often requires some texture or grit, so if your hair is ultra-smooth, it can lie flatter. Style On Steroids Texturizing Spray instantly amplifies volume and effortlessly delivers a sexy, tousled texture to your hair.
  • Mineral buildup: Your well or tap water typically contains high concentrations of Calcium and Magnesium.
color wow dream filter

These minerals strongly attract to the hair surface and weigh down the hair causing it to become flat and limp. 

Dr. Joe recommends “using Dream Filter every few weeks to remove the mineral buildup.”

Why Does My Hair Lose Volume Throughout the Day?

It’s frustrating, but volume can indeed fade as the day goes on. Here’s why:

  • Humidity: Moisture in the air can weigh hair down, especially if it’s fine or naturally flat.
  • Product Ingredients: Dr. Joe explains, "Some volumizing products contain very hard resins that can become brittle once dry. These films may break or shatter, losing their hold if you touch your hair."
  • Touching or Brushing: Running your fingers through your hair or brushing it too often can redistribute oils and reduce volume. Try to style and then avoid too much contact with your hair throughout the day to maintain volume.
  • Gravity: Yes, gravity is also to blame! Throughout the day, gravity naturally pulls hair down, flattening any lift you might have had initially.

Volume-Boosting Solutions: 6 Quick Tips from Our Experts

1. Invest in a Hair Volumizer

What is a hair volumizer? A hair volumizer is a product specifically designed to lift the roots, add body, and make your hair look fuller

Volumizers work by lifting the hair at the roots or by adding texture to individual strands, giving them more body and making the hair look more abundant. A good volumizer can be a game-changer for people with fine, limp hair.

Our go-to? Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer.

This product is uniquely formulated to lift hair without leaving it feeling stiff or weighed down, (
or without dehydrating ingredients like salts, found in typical volumizing formulas) giving you a full-bodied look with touchable softness.

color wow xtra large before and after
“There’s something magical about Xtra Large. You can use it on wet or dry hair, it’s like a 5-minute hair reboot!” says Alex, our copywriter.

2. Use a Root-Lifting Spray

color wow raise the root

Apply a product like Color Wow Raise the Root to wet or dry roots before blow-drying.

This lightweight spray adds lift and hold, giving your hair extra height without weighing it dow

3. Flip and Dry

Blow-dry your hair upside down for an instant root lift. Use your fingers to tousle and separate strands as you dry for added texture and body. For more tips on blow-drying hair for volume, take a look at our guide.

4. Switch Your Part

Flipping your part to the opposite side adds instant volume to the crown, creating a fuller look with minimal effort.

5. Use Velcro Rollers

Pop in Velcro rollers at the crown while your hair cools after blow-drying. This locks in lift and creates long-lasting volume.

6. Ditch the Volumizing Shampoo!

And if you’re thinking of going for a volumizing shampoo, we recommend AVOIDING them!

Traditional volumizing shampoos often rely on harmful ingredients that coat your hair and scalp, leaving behind residues that can weigh hair down over time and even clog your follicles.

“Starting in the eighties...and still going on today... “advanced shampoos” meant the formulas were multi-taskers with ingredients that could deliver secondary benefits - like thickening, smoothing, moisturizing, volumizing, de-frizzing, and glossing.
 

Typically, these ingredients include silicones, thickening gums, and conditioning agents,” explains Gail Federici, Color Wow CEO and Founder.


color wow shampooWe suggest switching to our Color Wow Color Security Shampoo, a 100% residue-free formula that cleans your hair thoroughly without leaving behind the gunky build-up.

By starting with a truly clean foundation, your hair can achieve natural volume and bounce—no heavy coatings require

Take a look at our guide on how to add more volume to hair for simple, effective tips and product recommendations to help you get that full, lifted look!

Final Thoughts

Understanding hair volume—what it is, what impacts it, and why it can vary—helps you unlock the key to achieving the full, bouncy look you want. Whether your goal is a subtle lift or va-va-voom volume, knowing what factors impact your hair’s body can be a game-changer.

For those days when you need a little extra help, reach for trusted volumizing products like Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer for lightweight body, or Raise the Root Spray for that instant root lift.

And if hydration is part of your volume equation, don’t skip Color Wow Money Mist to keep your hair hydrated and light.

Not sure where to start on your Color Wow hair journey? Take our 60-second hair quiz to discover the perfect personalized routine for your hair type.


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Read more hair volume tips and tricks on the Color Wow Blog:

Dr. Cincotta holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the City University of New York, and is currently VP of Research + Development at Color Wow.

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