Quick answer: The "weird trick" is scalp exfoliation. Nikol uses a sea-salt purifying scalp scrub to deep-clean her scalp, which she says is where the volume really starts. Pair that with a volumizing wash, lightweight prep products, a Dyson styler and velcro rollers, and fine or flat hair can look noticeably bigger and last all day.
Key takeaways
- A clean, exfoliated scalp is the foundation of volume — Nikol's secret is a sea-salt purifying scrub.
- She washes only about twice a week; over-washing dried out her gray hair.
- Prep with a scalp serum, a lightweight heat-protectant, a light oil for flyaways, and mousse at the roots only.
- Style with a Dyson styler, set with velcro rollers, and "train" the hair upward instead of pulling it down.
- Gray hair often has a coarser, more expanded texture that naturally holds more volume than dyed hair.
Hey ladies! After experimenting with tons of products over the years, Nikol realized one surprising step was doing most of the heavy lifting for her volume — and it is not a fancy styling tool. If your fine, flat, or graying hair keeps falling limp, here is exactly what she does, start to finish.
What’s the “weird trick” behind huge hair volume?
It is scalp exfoliation. Nikol’s game-changer is a cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt (she uses Christophe Robin). She scoops out a little, warms it between her hands so it turns balm-like, sections her hair, and massages it into her scalp — concentrating from the temples back and up over the crown. The result is a squeaky-clean scalp with no built-up product, oil, or debris, which she says is where her volume truly begins. As she puts it, you need a healthy scalp to have healthy hair.
Nikol’s full volumizing routine, step by step
- Double-cleanse. Wash with a nourishing volumizing shampoo (she uses Kerastase Elixir Ultime), running it through twice depending on how much product is built up, then follow with the matching conditioner. A hair mask goes in only when her hair feels especially dry.
- Tone the gray. Because gray and white hair can turn brassy, she uses a deep violet purple shampoo made for gray, white, or bleached hair (Phyto Phytargent; Shu Uemura also makes a purple line) to keep it bright and non-yellow.
- Exfoliate the scalp. The sea-salt purifying scrub — the “secret sauce” — deep-cleans the scalp for that volume boost.
- Feed the scalp. At night she uses a dropper to work an advanced scalp-and-hair serum concentrate through her hair, then massages it in with a soft silicone scalp massager (hers is from L’Oreal).
- Protect before heat. Before blow-drying she applies a lightweight heat-protectant blow-dry lotion (a Kerastase one she has used for years) — light enough that it never weighs her hair down or leaves it matted.
- Smooth flyaways. A few drops of a lightweight hair oil (Kerastase Elixir Ultime oil, which does not tint gray hair) tame frizz and add shine without heaviness.
- Add root lift with mousse. A volumizing mousse goes on only at the crown and sides — not all over — for targeted lift.
- Style and set. She styles with a Dyson styler, then sets with velcro rollers, leaving them in as long as possible (and pinning them if they slip).
- Train the hair up. After taking the rollers out she clips everything up on top with a claw clip, keeping the hair high and avoiding tension — no tight ponytails or slicking it down.
Why does fine or gray hair fall flat — and how do you fix it?
Heavy, product-coated, or dyed hair tends to lie flat, and Nikol says her hair was always flat back when it was colored. As she transitioned to gray, the texture changed — gray hair is often coarser and more “expanded,” so it naturally sits bigger. The fixes she leans on: do not over-wash (it dried her hair out), keep the scalp clean and healthy, feed it with a serum, and stick to lightweight products so nothing drags the hair down. It took a lot of experimenting to land on a core rotation she trusts.
The bottom line
Big, lasting volume did not come from one miracle product — it came from a healthy, exfoliated scalp plus a consistent, lightweight routine. Find the specialty products that suit your texture, be gentle with your hair, and give it a little time to settle into the rhythm.
While you are perfecting your hair, round out your look with Nikol’s makeup favorites. Explore the best sellers, browse makeup, or see what’s just landed in new arrivals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “weird trick” for huge hair volume?
Scalp exfoliation. Nikol uses a sea-salt purifying scalp scrub to deep-clean her scalp before conditioning. Removing built-up oil, product, and debris gives her hair a fresh, lifted foundation, and she says this single step is where her all-day volume actually starts.
How does exfoliating my scalp help with volume?
A clean scalp is not weighed down by layers of sebum and product residue, so hair can lift at the root instead of lying flat. Nikol warms a little sea-salt scrub, works it in section by section, and massages from the temples up to the crown for a clean, healthy base.
How often should I wash fine or gray hair?
Nikol washes only about twice a week. She found that washing too often dried out her gray hair, which is more temperamental and prone to frizz and brassiness. Spacing washes out kept it healthier. Everyone differs, so adjust to your own hair and scalp.
Why does gray hair sometimes look bigger than dyed hair?
Gray hair often has a coarser, more expanded texture, so it naturally holds more volume. Nikol says her hair lay flat for years while it was dyed and only got big and wild once she stopped coloring it and let its natural gray texture come through.
How does she make the volume last all day?
After styling with a Dyson styler and setting with velcro rollers, Nikol “trains” her hair by clipping it up high with a claw clip and avoiding tension. She keeps it in a bob, skips tight ponytails, and never slicks it down, so it stays lifted.
