Dealing with flat, lifeless hair that won't hold volume? The culprit isn't always your styling technique. Multiple factors can trigger volume loss including genetics, environment, and hair damage.  

Understanding these major root causes of volume loss is the first step toward finding an effective solution—so let’s jump in.

hair type 

Have fine hair? You can thank genetics for that. Hair type is determined by our DNA, and some people naturally have biologically finer hair throughout their lives.  

“Finer hair fibers have an appearance of lower volume because they are thinner,” said Dr. Fraser Bell, K18’s Vice President of Advanced Research. 

That means that even if you have a lot of hair, it can appear flatter because each strand is thinner.

aging

Volume loss is a natural part of the aging process. Even thicker hair eventually loses fullness, because all hair types experience structural changes that lead to decreased volume over time. 

As we grow older, follicles become smaller and produce fewer hair fibers that are smaller in diameter and more prone to breakage, resulting in visibly less volume. “Hair starts to have lower elasticity and strength, which makes fibers more fragile and susceptible to breakage, further impacting volume loss,” Bell explains. 
 
As hair’s growth cycles begin to slow down, hair density decreases, and new hairs that grow in can be finer and weaker. “As we get older, the natural effects of aging, the hormonal changes we experience, and the long-term effects of oxidative stress can lead to changes in the hair follicle,”  says Bell.

Over time, these changes can cause follicles to shrink and produce fewer fibers. “The fibers that grow become thinner and have a lower diameter,” he adds. “This impacts natural hair volume and the products and styling processes needed to create looks with volume.”  

environment

Living in a climate with heavy humidity can also impact fine hair’s volume. “Humidity is one of the main factors in volume loss for those with fine hair,” says Bell. 

The excess moisture from humid environments can weigh down fine hair, making it fall flat and lose volume. While you can’t change the climate or your hair’s reaction to it, humidity-resistant products can fend off some of these environmental effects.

buildup  

“Buildup from daily hair care, styling products, and our natural sebum can weigh hair down,” Bell says.  

This not only can impact the height of individual strands, but can also cause hair to stick to the scalp.  This leads to flatter-looking hair—and ultimately, less volume. 

Buildup can disproportionately impact finer hair types, as their thinner strands are more easily weighed down.

hair damage 
Color, bleach, chemical services, and styling (both mechanical and heat) can damage hair’s cuticle, which protects and strengthens each strand.

“External cuticle layers can be degraded by chemical and color services, and mechanical stresses can wear down the cuticle,” explains Bell. Mechanical stresses means styling: tight hairstyles, aggressive brushing, heat styling, friction, etc.

Once the cuticle is stripped, the inner cortex becomes exposed. “Damage breaks bonds within the internal cortex structure, reducing strength and making fibers more susceptible to breakage,” Bell adds. This can lead to fragile, limp hair, and volume loss. 

meet the solution: AstroLift™ reparative volume spray

Whether you’re experiencing volume loss from genetics, age, buildup, your environment, damage, or all of the above—AstroLift™ reparative volume spray is for you. 

Powered by K18PEPTIDE™ and a hair fiber volumizing blend, AstroLift™ instantly restores touchable volume while reversing bounce-depleting damage deep within hair.

For those with naturally thin or aging hair, AstroLift™ increases the thickness of individual strands with a blend of protein-rich algae enhanced with arginine, an amino acid vital to hair structure, that puts a lightweight barrier on the hair. Proven to improve hair volume and increase hair fiber diameter with one use, it doesn’t weigh hair down and creates immediately visible volume and bounce. 

Environmental factors like humidity are no match for AstroLift™'s humidity-resistant polymers. Naturally derived, they act as a protective barrier, keeping hair looking thick and full for touchable, flexible body and bounce. 

K18PEPTIDE™ helps reverse damage from styling, coloring, and chemical services, while keeping the hair cuticle smooth and restoring its pH to the optimal level—4.5-5.5—to prevent frizz, reduce breakage, and help hair hold onto volume and bounce for up to 2 days*.

Ready to get your bounce back? 

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