Give Your Summer Hair Va-Va-Va-Volume

Caring for and styling hair during summer requires a lot more consideration than in other seasons. While the season itself is easy and breezy, the weather in most parts of the country can be sticky and stifling - a combination that is often devastating to your hairdo. In particular, those styles with lots of volume can sometimes be even more difficult to maintain during summer months. This is because summer's humidity causes fuller hairstyles to go limp quite easily. As such, you will need to apply meticulous care to those big, bouncy styles that the magazines claim are all the rage.

Air Dry: The Way-Too-Simple Volume Solution

Women with kinky hair in particular know that adding concentrated amounts of heat to the hair is perhaps the easiest way to achieve flat, straight styles. For these women, allowing hair to air dry is one of the easiest ways to induce a frizzy existence. But for those who have fine hair without much volume, this natural method may prove to be a saving's grace. Allowing the hair to dry naturally is one of the quickest ways to add volume. The key is in using leave-in conditioners (or other products) that will help to keep your hair from getting too dry and frizzy. For an extra boost, twist, clip, or braid hair while wet to add a natural wave pattern.

Setting Lotion: A Head-of-Curls' Best Friend

One of the easiest ways to make sure that your oodles of curls remain in check during summer months is with a setting lotion. Because of the lotion's tacky consistency, this type of product is best used on damp hair. To achieve greater volume, use a larger set of rollers on each section of wet hair; apply a dollop of setting lotion to each section and sit under a hood dryer for at least 30 to 45 minutes (or until the hair is completely dry.) The lotion serves as "glue" that helps to keep the hair in place, as it is activated by the dryer's heat. Note: Curls have a better chance of staying in place if they are finger-combed as opposed to being brushed or combed out.

"Snookify Your Hair" with Backcombing

You could very easily craft a thick pompadour à la Snooki from MTV's "Jersey Shore" with hair clips or other contraptions. Or you could do what hundreds of professional hairstylists do. The backcombing process is perhaps one of the most popular (and oldest) ways to achieve volume, especially for those with extremely fine hair. The process is really quite simple; at the crown of the head, gather up an inch-wide section and "back comb" toward the scalp while lifting the strands upward. Repeat this process for a few other sections of the crown. Spritz each section very lightly with hairspray. Then pull the teased sections back down over the head. Comb lightly along the top to smooth any fly-aways. This tried-and-true method withstands summer heat perhaps better than any other.

Sources:

www.hairboutique.com
www.marieclaire.com
www.watchdoit.com