6 Tips To Make Your Hair Fuller

We Dare You To Try These Six Tips And Not Start To Feel More Confident About Your Looks

What would you give up in order to have fuller hair?

According to a survey conducted by the hair care brand Nioxin, 77% of men claimed they would give up something for a year for the promise of thicker, fuller hair. To be exact, 33% said they’d give up beer, 26% magazines and videos, 26% guys night out, and 20% would give up watching their favorite sport. Are you with them? If your answer’s yes, or you’re even slightly intrigued, read on, because we believe that achieving fuller-looking hair shouldn’t be all that painstaking.

If you suffer from androgenetic alopecia, otherwise known as the most common cause of thinning hair in men, you might have researched preventative options like hair growth stimulators or surgical treatments, but the truth is, you don’t have to take it that far. “The easiest, most cost-effective way to get fuller-looking hair is to adjust your grooming routine to include products that help your hair appear fuller and thicker,” explains Dr. Ilyse Lefkowicz, a New York City-based dermatologist.

With the help of Dr. Lefkowicz and L.A.-based stylist Sunnie Brook, we’ve mapped out the five grooming techniques that’ll help you get fuller, thicker-looking hair instantly.

1. Start in the Shower
Choose a shampoo and conditioner that will help to create volume in your hair, like Jack Black True Volume Thickening Shampoo and Jack Black True Volume Revitalizing Conditioner. Instead of just squeezing the bottle recklessly, pay attention to the proportion you’re using. You only need a dime- to quarter-sized amount of product, depending on how long or thick you hair is. In order for your shampoo and conditioner to work to their fullest potential, don’t oversaturate your hair.

2. Blow Dry
Instead of towel-drying your hair when you get out of the shower, try picking up a blow dryer. This way, you’re putting air into your hair cuticles, which helps to create volume and seal it in.

3. Ditch Your Hat
Yes, you read that right: get rid of your baseball hat. You don’t have to part with it forever, but if you’re one of those guys who practically lives in a hat, it’s not helping your thinning situation. Tight hats can be suffocating by cutting off circulation and damaging hair follicles. “A healthy scalp is so important when it comes to having healthy hair,” says Dr. Lefkowicz. “Without a healthy scalp, hair can’t grow properly and doesn’t receive the nourishment it so needs.”

4. Play With Your Texture
Believe it or not, no matter what your hair texture, your fingers are your No. 1 styling tool. If you have curly or wavy hair, and your hair sticks and falls into itself, you need to make sure you break the curls up with your fingers. (Avoid a comb to prevent frizz.) This will help to cover any territory that doesn’t exist. For straight hair, use a fine-tooth comb and backcomb at the roots to help keep your pieces in place and cover any sparse areas.

5. Use the Right Products, Strategically
“Most men turn right to pomade to style their hair, but pomades tend to be greasy and weigh the hair down so it looks flat,” Brook says. “When your hair is thinning, you want to focus a product on the thinner areas in order to build them up. You can’t necessarily do that with a sticky pomade.” Instead, she suggests looking for a thickening spray like Head & Shoulders for Men Full & Thick Advanced Thickening Tonic, which works from the scalp, offers moldability and gives you two times the thickness in just two weeks. “It’s all about being intentional with your application,” Brook says. Of course, you can use thickening solutions all over, but if you’re only thinning on the sides, only spritz it on the sides to even out your hair.

6. Embrace Hair Powder
While this may not be your daily go-to, it’s a great option for a big event. Try finishing your look by spraying a colored hair powder or product like Toppik Hair Building Fibers to help increase volume at the root and cover your scalp. It’s an inconspicuous way to blend any sparse or bald spots into your hair.

You can use any combination of the above tricks to help achieve a fuller-looking head of hair. It’s all about experimenting and figuring out what works for you. The best part? You don’t have to give anything up!