Quick answer: to get fluffy hair, wash with a volumising shampoo, keep conditioner to the ends, spray a volume spray through damp hair, then blow-dry with your head upside down or brushing the roots in the opposite direction to how they fall. Finish with a little texture powder at the roots and skip heavy oils and creams. Fluffy is soft, airy volume; if it turns frizzy, add a drop of a lightweight anti-frizz fluid to the ends.
What is fluffy hair?
Fluffy hair is soft, light, airy volume: hair that looks full and touchable rather than flat, slick or crunchy. It's a popular look for men, often a fluffy fringe or curtains, and for women who want a bouncy, voluminous blow-dry. Fluffy is different from frizzy: fluff is smooth, intentional volume, while frizz is rough and uncontrolled.
How to get fluffy hair, step by step
- Wash with a volumising shampoo. Heavy, rich shampoos weigh hair down. Volume Up Shampoo gives a lighter base.
- Condition the ends only. Conditioner at the roots flattens them.
- Spray a volume spray through damp hair. Volume Up Hydrating Hair Spray lifts and conditions without stickiness. For extra lift at the roots, add Volume Up Root Lotion.
- Protect from heat. Mist a heat protectant before blow-drying.
- Blow-dry for lift. Dry with your head upside down, or push the roots in the opposite direction to how they naturally fall, then flip them back. A round brush adds bounce; fingers give a softer, messier fluff.
- Finish with texture. Shake a little Texture Volumizing Powder onto dry roots and massage in for grip and lift that lasts.
How to get fluffy hair (men)
- Towel-dry, then mist Texturizing Sea Salt Spray through damp hair as a pre-styler.
- Blow-dry forward and upward with your fingers rather than a brush, for a soft, separated look.
- Finish with texture powder at the roots, or a tiny amount of a matte paste rubbed between your fingers and pinched through the ends.
- Avoid gel and wax, which make hair look slick and heavy.
For more, see our barber's guide to men's hair products.
Fluffy, not frizzy
- Always use heat protection and a medium heat: overheated hair goes rough and frizzy.
- Point the hairdryer nozzle down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticle as you dry.
- If the ends frizz, smooth on a single drop of Oil Non Oil, which controls frizz without weight.
- Don't brush once it's styled; shake and scrunch with your fingers instead.
Why won't my hair go fluffy?
- Too much product: heavy conditioners, oils and creams flatten hair. Use less, and keep them to the ends.
- Build-up: residue weighs hair down. A clarifying wash every week or two helps.
- Air-drying: most fluffy styles need a blow-dry to set the lift.
- Very fine hair: see how to make fine hair look thicker.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my hair fluffy without heat?
Use sea salt spray on damp hair, scrunch and air-dry, then add texture powder at the roots. It won't be as voluminous as a blow-dry, but it adds body.
How do I keep my hair fluffy all day?
Texture powder at the roots holds lift for longer. A light hairspray helps if your hair drops.
Is fluffy hair healthy?
Fluffy hair is a style, not a sign of damage. If it feels rough, dry or breaks easily, that's dryness or damage: see how to choose a hair mask.
What is the opposite of fluffy hair?
Sleek or slick hair. See how to slick back your hair.
Shop all volume and texture products.
About the author
Charlotte Read has spent six years in the hair industry with Insight Professional and holds a First Class BSc in Business Management and Marketing. She writes with reference to real salons across social media and the wider Insight community, and draws on the Insight office team, who between them bring over 100 years of combined experience on salon floors.
Where technical expertise is needed, Charlotte consults Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, who brings over 38 years of global experience in colour, technique and hair science.