Get Thick, Shiny Hair

The average woman spends hundreds of hours washing, drying, and styling her hair each year, and yet 81 percent of women report that they're not always happy with their coif. What are the most common complaints? Most of us wish our locks were either fuller or shinier (or both). It should come as no surprise then that more than half of all styling products sold are designed to make tresses either glisten or thicken up. Before you run out and buy another serum or spray, read on to learn the inside scoop: which products really work, the tools worth your investment, and the styling strategies used by the pros.

Shiny Hair Secrets

1. Go natural. Daily brushing and styling can take a toll on your tresses, robbing them of natural oils and leading to breakage. Trade in your plastic brush for one with natural bristles (look for boar), which redistribute oils throughout hair as you brush, boosting shine. "The only time I use anything but a boar-bristle brush is to detangle wet hair," says Harry Josh, creative consultant for John Frieda Collection. Natural bristles are also less likely to break hairs. Use them consistently for fewer flyaways. Try the Mason Pearson Sensitive Boar Bristle Brush ($130).

2. Avoid alcohol-laced products. "Alcohol, pollution, and humidity all rob hair of its natural shine," notes Arsen Gurgov, a top hairstylist at the Louis Licari salons in New York City and Beverly Hills, whose clients include Susan Sarandon and Melanie Griffith. "Most mousses contain alcohol, so if your hair is dry, try a cream or serum instead," adds Josh. All of the shine-enhancing products in Aveda's Brilliant line are blissfully alcohol free ($12-$23).

3. Wash the right way. Though many of us lather up daily, experts insist that washing a few times a week is sufficient. Skipping shampoo helps hair retain shine but can also leave it limp. "I tell my clients who wash every day to apply conditioner first, keeping it away from the roots," says Gurgov. "Then, without rinsing in between, apply shampoo just to the roots, lather, and rinse everything out," he instructs. "Your roots will be lifted, but the rest of your hair will retain its shine." Try L'Oréal Paris Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Conditioner ($4.99).

4. Rinse with cold. Rinsing hair with cold water closes the cuticle, leaving a smooth, shiny surface. Blasting with cold air after a blow-dry has a similar smoothing effect, and most dryers have a cold setting for this purpose.

5. Fight frizz. Hair is porous, absorbing moisture from the environment, which is what causes it to frizz in humid climates. To prevent midday flyaways, make sure your hair is dry before you head out; any water left in your locks can lead to frizzing later on. Gurgov recommends using a flatiron on the hair that frames your face after you blow-dry, which will remove any excess moisture.

6. Smooth with silicone. Products with silicones lie on top of the hair shaft to seal the cuticle and create a barrier between styling tools and hair, reducing friction and limiting heat damage. Try John Frieda Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum ($9.99). But like many other things, silicone works best in moderation. "Use too much of it and your hair will fall flat or begin to look greasy," warns stylist Tommy Buckett, a spokesman for Kérastase Paris. Buckett advises his clients with thinner tresses, like Rachel McAdams, to use a misting of a silicone shine spray instead. Try Kérastase Paris Vernis Nutri-Sculpt ($29).

7. Try a heat treatment. "Many women think of heat as something that dries out hair," says stylist Orlando Pita of New York's Orlo salon. But used the right way, it can give your hair incredible shine, especially if it's damaged. "The reason stylists put clients under heat during deep-conditioning treatments is that it opens up the cuticle, allowing a mask or oil to penetrate the hair shaft at a deeper level," explains Pita. If you can't get to the salon, apply a mask or a hot-oil treatment at home once a month. "After you've applied the product, wrap a really hot towel around your head," instructs Victoria's Secret spokesman Italo Gregorio, who creates the hair for the brand's annual fashion show and has shared this tip with A-list clients like Gwyneth Paltrow. Try Rene Furterer Karité Intense Nutrition Oil ($36).

8. Invest in ionic tools. Dryers and irons that are worth the investment not only protect tresses from frizz and flyaways, they also improve hair health. While traditional tools get hotter as you work, ionic ceramic tools maintain constant heat and pump hair full of cuticle-smoothing negative ions, which improve strength and shine over time. Try the T3 Bespoke Labs Evolution Dryer ($300).

9. Care for curly hair. Wavy hair tends to be much duller and drier than straight hair. "Curly hair usually grows slower than straight hair," explains Buckett, "so the ends are much older and need considerably more moisture than the roots." If your hair has some natural wave, make sure you get a trim every six to eight weeks, and always use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. After styling, apply a serum like TIGI S-Factor Dream Drops Shine On! ($30) to the ends to lock in moisture and shine.

10. Get glistening waves. "Shine is about alignment," notes Proctor & Gamble senior scientist Leslie Bride. "Light hits each individual hair and reflects back in a certain direction," she ex-plains, "so when neighboring hair strands are aligned, the reflections all come back to the eye in the same direction, resulting in a crisp shine band." Curly hair looks shinier when it's all going in the same direction, which is why big, smooth, structured curls reflect more light than lots of little ringlets. "Wrapping curls that are already dry around a barrel curling iron for a few seconds will align them and make them look more polished," notes Buckett. Try the Conair BaBylissPro Tourmaline Ceramic One-Inch Curling Iron ($99.99).

11. Tried and tested. Here are the best shine-boosting products for your hair type.

Normal/fine: Shampoo: Origins Clear Head Mint Shampoo ($11). Conditioner: Nexxus Headress Volumizing Leave-In Conditioner ($11). Styling product: Matrix Sleek.look Styling Crème Lite ($14.95).

Textured/curly: Shampoo: Aveda Smooth Infusion Shampoo ($20). Conditioner: Kérastase Paris Masque Oléo-Relax ($44). Styling product: Phyto Phytolisse Finishing Shine Serum ($30).

Get Volume & Thickness

1. Use protein products. Add body with protein-based products. "Hair is made of keratin protein," says Pita, so volumizers with protein attach to hair fibers and build body. Look for wheat, soy, and silk proteins. Try Ojon Hydrating Thickening Shampoo ($22). Beware of overuse, though, as too much protein can make hair brittle.

2. Try a diffuser. Most dryers blow air in a stream, which robs curls of their spring. "For fuller waves, use a diffuser with prongs," says Buckett. Dry your hair upside down, using the prongs to massage your roots.

3. A better blowout. Blow-drying gives limp locks a lift. "If your hair is fine, begin by drenching the roots in thickening spray while it's damp," instructs Gregorio. Try Victoria's Secret So Sexy Volumizing Spray ($12.50). Then, starting from the front and moving back, dry one-inch sections of hair. "Using a round boar-bristle brush, pull each section up toward the ceiling, keeping your dryer aimed at the brush," he says. "When you reach the ends, curl hair around the brush and roll it back toward the scalp." When all of the sections are dry, blast your hair with cold air to set the style.

4. Layer your locks. Fullness starts with the right haircut. If you have curly hair, layers will take it to new heights. "Shorter layers underneath really boost body," says Gurgov. "But make sure your stylist cuts with scissors rather than a razor, which creates frizz."

5. Try Velcro rollers. Setting hair with Velcro rollers will give you an unbeatable boost of volume. "Six rollers at the crown make a huge difference," says Josh. After hair is dry (but still warm), wrap one-inch sections of hair around each roller, following the direction of growth. Leave them on for at least 10 minutes. (Longer yields a bigger body boost.) "The key is to roll them really tight," says Josh. Brushing after you've taken the rollers out can cause volume to deflate, so just shake hair out and spritz with Herbal Essences Body Envy Hairspray ($2.99).

6. Lose some length. Chopping your locks can make them look fuller. "Bobs, particularly blunt bobs, make hair appear thicker and look modern now," advises Josh.

7. Add some color. Coloring hair fattens up every strand for an overall volume boost. "Processes that involve peroxide or ammonia yield the most dramatic results, pushing the hair shaft open to fluff up even the finest strands," Josh explains. Semipermanent color also has favorable effects on fullness, though it's not as noticeable to the naked eye. Simply adding a few highlights can give the appearance of volume, texture, and movement.

8. The high-tech future. Hair-thickening treatments may soon come to your dermatologist's office. Light BioScience has a new LED light treatment in the works that has docs talking. "This will be the next big thing in hair rejuvenation," says New York dermatologist Fredric Brandt. "The light penetrates deep into hair follicles to stimulate growth, and I have seen promising results."

9. Tried and tested. Here are the best body-boosting products for your hair type.

Straight/fine: Shampoo: Jonathan Product Serious Volume Shampoo ($20). Conditioner: Tresemmé Healthy Volume Conditioner ($3.99). Styling product: Biolage Volumathérapie Crème Gel ($13.95).

Curly/fine: Shampoo: Redken Body Full Shampoo ($11.50). Conditioner: Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Conditioner ($3.99). Styling product: Leonor Greyl Voluforme volumizing spray ($28).

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Get Thick, Shiny Hair