a guide to big hair and instant dishevelment

While big hair might be something that most people wish was left in the 1980s, there are some that just don’t feel quite themselves without that added volume. I am one of those people.

Big hair aficionados know that hours of liberal backcombing / teasing and lots of product is a sure-fire way of achieving the voluminous look. It’s also sure to completely destroy your hair. But fear not… there IS another way.

What you need
Straightening irons (GHDs or similar)
A large hairclip or hair-tie
If you have it, hair wax/paste/whatever will help prolong the style

The basic technique involves creating volume at the roots and first few inches of the hair by curling the hair in this section using the irons. By also leaving the top layer of the hair straight, lots of volume and messy waves are created when the curls are loosened a bit. With practice, the whole process will only take five minutes.

Lets go:

Bottom Layer: Take the top half of your hair and pin it up. Then work around the head taking sections of hair and curling it right from the root using the irons. To do this you need to clamp the hair as if straightening it, then pull the irons down bit by bit as you turn the barrel, wrapping the bit you’ve just curled around it. You want volume rather than curls, so only do the first few inches!

Creating perfect ringlets takes practice, but the best thing about this is that no-one will see this layer so it’s allowed to be messy. You just want to create volume. Repeat at intervals around the head – I usually do 5 or 6, but I have a lot of hair.

Middle Layer: Release most of the hair in the clip until you just have a small top layer pinned up. Repeat the process above with this layer of hair.

Shake it out: Let the very top straight layer down and shake your hair a bit with your hands to loosen it. You should now have the most fabulous volume. Use your straightening irons to curl or straighten any bits that need fixing, scrunch in some product at the roots and you’re good to go. Tina Turner, eat your heart out!

You could of course use the irons to create a perfect head of curls – just use the same technique but section the hair neatly and curl the whole of the hair to the tip. Then hairspray each layer when it is done and don’t shake the curls out.