You can go ahead and give the extensions a rest—short hair is the vibe and we’ve seen practically every iteration of it in recent months. There’s the ‘90s chic Christy cut, the Parisian bob with its French girl glamour, and you can’t forget the soft and feminine pageboy bob or ultra sophisticated Italian bob. As many head to salons for the big chop, many questions have emerged about styling short hair post-salon visit. Here, with stylist insights, we’re helping you learn how to style a voluminous bob.
Step 1: Avoid Applying Heavy Products at the Root
One of the biggest mistakes people make when styling a bob is applying heavy styling creams or oils right at the root. You should also steer clear of conditioner at the root, adds Erin Shellabarger, hairstylist and international educator for Alter Ego Italy North America. When washing your hair, she says to stick to lightweight shampoos and conditioners so your hair isn’t weighed down from the get-go.
Step 2: Use a Volumizing Product
This is kind of a no-brainer, but a volumizing product is your bestie when it comes to a bob with serious lift. “Start with a volumizing mousse or spray right at the roots,” advises Larissa Engel, hairstylist and owner of Hair by Larissa in Sola Salons. “Some of my favorites include Color Wow’s Xtra Large Bombshell for weightless volume and Color Wow’s Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray.” Work it in evenly.
Step 3: Blow Dry to 80% With Your Hair Flipped
After you’ve applied your volumizer and any heat protectant, it’s time to blow dry. “Start by flipping your head upside down, then direct the air from your blow dryer to lift the roots,” Shellabarger advises. “Do this until your hair is about 80% dry.” Step
4: Section and Blow Out with a Round Brush
Next, you need a round brush and some clips. “Clip your hair into sections, starting from your nape up,” Shellabarger says. “You will blow dry with the round brush from the nape to the crown (the top of your head). Make sure to lift the top section up, overdirecting the hair to create maximum volume.”
Step 5: Set in Rollers and Cool
Once the hair is dry, Shellaburger likes to put large Velcro rollers in and let them cool while she moves onto her makeup and gets dressed. “The longer the rollers cool, the longer the volume will last,” she says. If you want to fast forward this process, Engel recommends using the cool setting on your blow dryer. And if you don’t have rollers, you can wrap and pin sections of hair.
Remove Curlers and Brush Out
After 10 to 20 minutes, remove the curlers or curled sections gently, then brush up and back with a wide-tooth comb or hairbrush. Finish with a little bit of lightweight shine spray, or a medium hold hairspray to help lock it all into place.
For more of a tousled look, Enger says to use a texturizing spray and lightly scrunch hair. On day two, Shellaburger says that “switching your part will give you a different style and bring back the volume.”
