Curls that stay small and flat aren’t a personality trait, they’re just a sign your routine is secretly anti-volume. With a few tweaks, you can turn “nice curls” into “who gave you that blowout?” big hair energy, without betraying your natural texture.

Why Your Curls Don’t Look Big (Yet)

If your curls only look big for about 20 minutes after styling and then shrink into tiny, shy spirals, you’re definitely not the only one. Most of the time it’s not your curl pattern that’s the problem, it’s heavy products, flat roots, and a routine that’s obsessed with definition but forgets about volume.

Think of it this way: every time you smooth, weigh down, or over-layer products, you’re basically telling your curls to sit down and behave, when you actually want them to stand up and take up space. Once you start choosing lighter formulas and smarter techniques, your hair can literally lift itself and suddenly that “volumized curly hair” Pinterest board doesn’t feel so unrealistic anymore.

If you suspect your curls are also dealing with damage or stretched-out patterns, it really helps to understand what your natural curl pattern actually wants to do before you ask it for more volume. Must read: how to restore your natural curl pattern.

Washday: Setting Up Bigger Curls

Washday is where bigger curls are born or buried. If you pile on thick creams and oils “just in case”, don’t be surprised when your hair politely refuses to get big and just sits there looking glossy but flat.

After cleansing and conditioning, keeping things on the lightweight side gives your curls space to move instead of glueing them to your head. Work with plenty of water in your hair while you apply stylers so your curls can clump, then scrunch upwards to encourage them to spring rather than droop. A bold but honest confession from my side: whenever my curls refuse to get big, it’s almost always because I drenched my roots in way too much product.

And because frizz and volume like to show up to the same party, it’s smart to understand how to keep frizz on your side instead of fighting it with a ton of heavy formulas that flatten everything. Must read: frizzy hair tips.

Styling for the Big Hair Look

When you’re figuring out how to make natural curls bigger, the goal isn’t “perfect little ringlets”, it’s airy, lifted, touchable curls with attitude. This is exactly where Volume Spray goes from “nice to have” to “why did I ever try to do volume without this?”.

On damp hair, after your leave-in or light gel, mist Volume Spray mainly at the roots and upper lengths instead of soaking your whole head from scalp to ends. Then diffuse or air-dry while scrunching, this helps your curls set with more lift instead of clinging to your scalp and pretending gravity always wins. Later, on dry hair, a little Volume Spray at the roots plus a quick fluff is all it takes to bring back that “just styled” bounce when your hair starts to fall a bit flat.

If there’s one product I’d save from a burning bathroom cabinet, it’s a good volume spray that lets my curls be big without turning them crunchy. For how to get more volume in hair, that kind of formula is non‑negotiable, especially if you want big hair without backcombing or teasing your curls into breakage. 

Tools & Tricks: Afro Pick and Fluffing

Let’s be honest: a lot of people say they want volume, then panic the second their hair gets bigger than their face. An Afro Pick is for those moments when you actually mean it and you’re ready to let your curls live their best, lifted life.

Use your Bamboo Afro Pick only at the roots, never yanking it through your ends like a regular brush, unless you’re purposely going for “triangle fluff ball”, no judgement, but that’s a different look. Flip your head upside down, slide the teeth gently into your roots, lift, and pull out without combing all the way through; think “lift and release” instead of “drag and destroy”. Shake your curls out, then go back in wherever it still looks a little flat for extra oomph. Your curls won’t magically get big if you never really disturb that compact little halo.

When my hair looks “too flat”, it’s almost never my curls, it’s me not picking them out properly or being scared to really go for volume. For extra drama, I love combining Volume Spray at the roots with my Afro Pick once my hair is dry; that combo is the “how to get volume in hair” trick that looks like I spent an hour styling, when it was really a 60‑second fluff.

Nighttime Habits for Lasting Volume

Big hair isn’t just a washday thing, it’s a lifestyle, and your pillow can either help or ruin it. If you sleep on a rough cotton pillowcase and squash your curls all night, you’ll wake up with perfectly flat roots no matter how good your routine is.

Swapping to a satin pillowcase is one of those changes that feels too easy for the payoff it gives. It cuts down friction, helps your curls glide instead of snag, and means you wake up with more shape and less “pillow print” on one side of your head, which is pretty key when the goal is volumized curly hair. A loose pineapple or soft high bun on top of your head keeps your roots lifted while you sleep and makes refreshing in the morning as simple as a quick mist, scrunch, and fluff.

If you love your beauty sleep as much as you love big hair, a lazy‑girl‑friendly routine with the right pillowcase and a zero‑fuss morning refresh is non‑negotiable. Must read: how to wake up with perfect curls.

Do’s & Don’ts for Volumized Curly Hair

Do’s

• Do get regular trims so heavy, damaged ends don’t drag your curls down and cancel your volume for you.
• Do keep your products lightweight and build in thin layers so your hair can still move instead of stiffening up.
• Do scrunch out the crunch once your curls are fully dry to release volume and soften the look.
• Do use your Afro Pick or fingertips at the roots whenever your hair starts to look a little too well‑behaved.

Don’ts

• Don’t brush curls when they’re dry and then call the frizz “volume”, your hair knows the difference.
• Don’t drown your hair in oils and butters if your main goal is height instead of weight.
• Don’t sleep on cotton and act surprised when your curls look like they’ve been ironed overnight.
• Don’t keep touching and flattening your hair all day; fluff it, let it set, and let it be big.

When I actually commit to my Volume Spray, Bamboo Afro Pick, and satin pillowcase for a full month, my hair always proves it can get way bigger than I thought. Big hair isn’t reserved for certain curl types, it’s what happens when you stop apologising for volume and start styling like you really want it.