The "Flip and Clip" Air-Dry Technique Gives My Hair Tons of Volume
If I could describe my air-dried hair in two words, I would pick "flat" and "frizzy." I know how important it is to let your hair take a break from heat if you want to keep it healthy and strong, but I find it difficult to step away from the hot tools when my hair type needs a little help.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a video of a TikTok user showcasing a "flip and clip" air-drying technique that promised tons of volume at the roots. In the video, she flips the front of her hair to opposite sides and clips everything in place. When I heard her say that the hair hack was perfect for anyone whose hair air-dried "flat as a pancake," I knew I needed to test it out.
To test the hack, all you need are two small clips. I used jaw clips, but butterfly clips or even bobby pins would work. After washing my hair and getting out of the shower, I wrapped it in the Aquis Flip Hair Towel ($50) to soak up some of the excess moisture. I let it sit for 15 minutes, until my hair was about halfway dry but still damp, and then I applied the Briogeo Farewell Frizz Leave-In Conditioner ($25) to smooth the frizz at my roots. I also applied the Mela and Kera Wave Foundation ($32), a wave spray that helps enhance my hair's texture. From there, I combed through everything using a wide-tooth comb and then divided my hair into my normal middle part.
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Then, I took a triangle-shaped section from the front right side of my hair and flipped it over to the left side of my head. From there, I clipped it in place using one of my small clips. Next, I repeated the same steps on the right side, flipping it over to the left and securing it in place with a clip. Although I wasn't anywhere close to seeing the final result, when I looked in the mirror, I liked the way my hair looked in the clips.
After that, I decided to use a few tips from the "twist and clip" air-dry method and divide the bottom half of my hair into two sections and twist them away from my face. I didn't clip them in place, but as I let my hair dry for about 45 minutes, I did continually twist away from my face every 15 minutes or so.
When the bottom half of my hair felt completely dry, I took the clips out and flipped it back into its normal part. The new flip-and-clip air-dry hack left the roots of my hair with so much volume, I was genuinely shocked. Together, the bottom half of my hair looked great with light cascading waves, and my curtain bangs and roots had more oomph than I had thought was possible from air-drying. I finished off everything by applying the Seen Magic Serum ($36), which always gives my hair extra shine and helps reduce any excess frizz.
A mix of the "flip and clip" and "twist and clip" air-dry methods have become my go-to hairstyles as of late because they both work wonders on my fine hair. My texture falls between straight and wavy, but IMO, the flip-and-clip method would work on any hair texture to add extra volume at the roots. It's easy to accomplish with tools you probably already have at home, and it's a game changer for flat hair.