Perms, harsh chemical treatments and hours waiting in the salon chair are no longer required to get healthy, soft, voluminous waves. Volumizing mousse reshapes stick straight strands without producing a crunchy, rigid texture or weighing down delicate locks. Mousse also works to encourage strands that already have a bit of natural wave to blossom.
Start off the process with freshly washed strands. Remove any excess moisture with a towel so that you have damp locks. Pick a mousse that suits your hair texture. If you have fine, straight or thin hair, opt for a volumizing mousse. If you have thicker hair or strands with a tiny bit of wave already, use a lightweight mousse.
Apply a palmful of mousse to your strands, combing the product through your hair with your fingers from root to tip. Make sure your strands are evenly coated with product for a consistent, wavy texture.
Tips
Wash your hair with a volumizing, curl-enhancing shampoo and conditioner prior to styling to help the mousse work more effectively.
The blast of air from your blow dryer can ruin any potential for volume in a quick hair styling routine. A diffuser attachment helps create gentle volume while drying your locks and after applying mousse. Turn on your blow dryer to low heat and medium air flow. Flip your hair over your head and direct the air flow from tips to roots to encourage volume as the mousse dries and holds your strands in place.
Don't run your fingers through your hair too often as you dry, or you may decrease your hair's volume. Keep slowly drying your hair until your strands are nearly dry and the mousse is close to setting, but not quite.
Mousse produces soft hold on stubborn locks, especially when paired with some structured styling. Comb a healthy palm of mousse through lightly damp strands, making sure to cover the strands evenly. Section off 2-inch sections of hair and twist them into tight mini-buns. Hold in place with a bobby pin or two.
Once all of your hair has been pinned into small buns, blast them for about 10 seconds each with the blow dryer on medium heat and air flow. Allow the buns to cool and the mousse to set in place for about 10 minutes and gently release. Tousle your hair with your fingers, but avoid brushing the strands, which will deflate the waves and disturb the mousse.
Stubborn hair needs some extra shaping power, and mousse can help create a beach-inspired, wavy texture while you catch up on your beauty sleep.
Apply a generous handful of volumizing or curl-enhancing mousse to your damp strands in the evening. Volumizing products are lightweight and encourage a boost at the roots. Feel free to use a little extra product in this routine for powerful hold, especially if you have stubbornly straight strands.
Section off your hair into four even sections. Braid each section into a standard 3-strand braid. For more structured waves, braid the strands very tightly. For a gentler wave, braid loosely. Let the braids sit in place for at least 8 hours. Unbraid your hair and tousle it with your fingers to loosen up the strands and fluff up the waves.