Want fuller, shinier, more voluptuous locks? We interviewed top stylists Jon Reyman of Aveda Advanced Academy and Luisa Vieira of the Fringe Salon on the Lower East Side in New York City.

Before You Shampoo


Beware the shampoo contradiction. “Hair is the fullest it will ever be right after shampooing,” says Reyman. “Naturally occurring oils (sebum) coat and protect hair, giving it shine — however, the oils also shrink the hair shaft, making it appear flatter. As a compromise, try shampooing every other day. If you absolutely must shampoo daily, just clean your scalp and use conditioner on the rest of your hair — then do a full wash every third day.”

How to treat fine to medium textured hair. Use a volume-promoting shampoo like Aveda Pure Abundance. “If hair is super fine, consider skipping conditioner altogether, as it can weigh hair down,” Reyman advises. Otherwise, try just conditioning the ends.

When shampooing curly and wavy hair: To accentuate the gloss and fullness of curls and waves, shampoo with a product that adds moisture while reducing frizz, like sulfate-free Devachan No-Poo.

Protectors, Healers and Shine Enhancers


Always use thermal protection. Before you wield that flat iron or blow-dryer, apply a heat defense product like Aveda Brilliant Damage Control that coats hair with a lubricant-like heat barrier. “Just as driving a car without oil will strip your engine bare, not using a product when you blow-dry will strip your hair,” says Reyman.

Heal your hair. A leave-in treatment such as Luisa’s Hair Elixir, which contains rose geranium and other essential oils, will nourish overprocessed, dry or coarse hair.

Go for a gloss treatment. An in-salon treatment using a semipermanent glossing product adds shine and fullness to hair. “A clear gloss heightens shine tremendously and a colored gloss intensifies both shine and tone,” says Vieira.

More Hair Help

Cuts and Color


Get the right haircut. “For shine, trim your hair up to where it is strongest. For maximum fullness, create some very light, soft layers so hair lifts up and away from the crown,” Reyman explains.

Try permanent color. This alters the hair’s cuticle, expanding the shaft and giving the appearance of added thickness. The lighter you go (color-wise), the more swollen the hair shaft gets. However, if you overprocess by overlapping color or leaving color on too long, hair will become brittle and breakage can occur. Needless to say, it’s best to see a professional colorist.

Don’t forget highlights. Well-placed highlights and lowlights give the illusion of fullness by reflecting light, giving hair a glossy luster. “If you have light hair, add highlights a shade or two lighter than your natural color. For darker hair, add lowlights a shade or two deeper,” advises Vieira.

Rollers and Pin-Curl Clips


Hold on to those hot rollers. They’re quick and easy, and you can use them on dry hair with a just a spritz of a thickening product like Devoted Thickening Spray. Apply it under small sections of hair, concentrating at the roots.

Go va-va-voom with Velcro rollers. They’re terrific for added volume, but more difficult to place because the sections of hair must be completely smooth before you wrap them around the roller. Otherwise, they will get caught in the Velcro casing and stick. To complete this task properly, carefully comb through each section and then wrap the strands around the roller. Allow hair to air dry or use a hairdryer.

Try pin-curl clips. To lift the roots so hair appears fuller, use metal pin-curl clips placed loosely just at the root of the hair. Then diffuse or let hair dry naturally — and don’t forget to remove the clips afterward!