How to Seriously Beef Up Fine Hair Into a Voluminous Braid

Updated on 5/24/2016 at 3:50 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

After three glorious years of hair perfection, I have parted with my luscious Invisi-tab tape-in hair extensions and opted to embrace my natural finer head of hair. While I've come to terms with many new #finehairproblems, there's no denying the utter disappointment I feel when my hallmark lazy-girl side braid falls pathetically thin and wimpy. Sigh. A far cry from the Blake Lively-like braids I had grown accustomed to with my extensions.

Since woven hairstyles are some of the easiest, stylish, and most functional looks known to womankind, I was hardly ready to surrender to this wispy little wannabe braid. So I went on a quest to plump up my plait and enlisted the help of Annie Rush, senior stylist at Eva Scrivo Salon in New York City, to help me do exactly that. Thankfully, her tips for seriously beefing up a fine-haired braid are nothing short of impressive. (My boyfriend even questions if I'm wearing extensions again; my braids look that much fuller.)

Keep reading to see exactly how you can beef up your braid, as demonstrated by yours truly and my fine hair, au naturel. Here's how you can achieve fluffy extensions-like braids, no matter your hair type or texture, with the cold, hard evidence to prove that it actually works.

Oh, and shout-out to Blushington salon in NYC for taking care of my makeup for this shoot.

Before

While this plait is smooth and pretty, it's a far cry from the thick, beefy braids I was used to with my hair extensions. Brace yourself for the transformation to come.

Step 1: Salt Spray

Apply salt spray to damp hair, focusing at the root. This will help to fluff and volumize your strands.

Step 2: Rough Dry

"The key to making your hair big, is to rough up the cuticle," Rush explains. Make sure to take off the nozzle attachment on your blow dryer for increased airflow, resulting in bigger hair.

Step 3: Curl the Crown

Use a curling iron to curl small sections of hair along your hairline, wrapping hair in different directions for a bigger silhouette. "Whether you're using a traditional clamped iron or a clipless wand, opt for wrapping the hair around the barrel, without using the clamp. This helps to eliminate the tightness of the curl," Rush says.

Step 4: Curl the Ends

Curl the ends of your hair and only the ends of your hair. Leave the rest of your hair as is to help maintain length once you braid it.

Step 5: Brush It Out

Gently brush out the curls using a boar bristle brush. "The boar bristles will expand the curl and give it a fluffy effect, versus breaking the curls like a traditional brush," Rush explains.

Step 6: Texture Spray

Apply texture spray all over, roots to ends. This will help to bulk up the follicle and lend serious volume to the braid.

Step 7: Braid Away

Braid your hair any way you want it: classic three-strand, fishtail (which was my braid of choice), four-strand, dutch braid, waterfall braid, you get the idea. Weave with medium tension from the base of your neck to the ends.

Step 8: Pull Apart

Gently pull braid horizontally from the outside to maximize the width.

Finished Look

For some, this is all the fluff you're looking for. Off you go admiring your masterpiece. But for those hoping to maximize every last centimeter, keep reading.

Step 9: Pull Apart (Again)

Yes, it's like playing a game of Jenga, but tug gently and you can thicken and widen the braid even more.

Finished Look

Boom. A fuller, better, beefier braid, no extensions necessary.

Bonus tip: Color can also help your hair appear thicker for a fuller-looking braid. "By adding multidimensional highlights to your hair, you can create the illusion of thicker hair through contrast," adds Meri Kate O'Connor, senior colorist at Eva Scrivo. You can also add a clear glaze to your hair. "This helps the cuticle feel thicker by adding a layer on top of your hair strand," O'Connor adds.

Pin It!