The bob haircut, and all its iterations (Italian bob, French bob, boyfriend bob, to name just a few), is the hair trend that’s here to stay. You can spot versions of the bob on celebrities including Carey Mulligan, Cate Blanchett and Kerrie Washington, who have long championed shorter styles, while recent converts include Margot Robbie and Emma Stone.
The beauty of a bob, according to expert stylists, is that there’s an iteration to suit every hair type and texture. It’s a common misconception that hairstyles for fine hair need to be long, when in fact you can create the illusion of thickness and volume with a well-cut (and styled) bob.
Legendary hairstylist, Michael Douglas, whose client roster includes Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer, exclusively shared with us his top three styling tips that can make a noticeable difference, particularly when it comes to lift at the roots and crown.
3 ways to add volume to a fine bob, by Michael Douglas
Tip #1: Blow dry hair upwards
Fine hair is easily weighed down, which is why traditional blow-drying (aka directing heat downwards to smooth the cuticle) can sometimes leave it looking flatter than you’d like. Instead, Douglas recommends flipping your technique. Rather than setting your parting straight away, hold your best hair dryer underneath the section and direct the airflow upwards and outwards. “All of a sudden, you have this volume here [at the roots] that you didn’t have before,” he explains. It’s a small switch, but one that creates instant lift through the root.
For a quick volume boost, this is the product Douglas swears by. Sprayed at the roots, it gives hair a subtle lift and hold that helps maintain shape throughout the day. It’s a good option if your bob tends to drop flat by mid-morning.
Tip #2: Try parting the hair in a diagonal
There’s arguably nothing cooler than a side parted bob – just look to singer Raye for proof. But on finer hair types, a side parting often creates an imbalance with one side appearing noticeably fuller, the other flatter. Douglas’s solution is a diagonal parting. Starting at one side, gradually angle your part towards the centre as you move back towards the crown. “What you’ll end up with is way more even volume distribution and a lift at the crown,” he says.
The result is subtle but effective: height where you want it, without losing that soft, face-framing shape at the front. It’s also particularly flattering on mature hair, where lift through the crown can help offset any natural thinning around the temples.
Tip #3: Recruit the help of a volume spray
When it comes to the best hair thickening products, placement matters just as much as the formula itself. For fine or thinning hair, the goal is lift without heaviness – and that often means working underneath the hair rather than over it. Douglas recommends using a lightweight texturising spray, almost like “scaffolding” for the style. His go-to is The 5 Voluminous Texture -which he applies sparingly to create structure and hold without the crunch of traditional hairspray. “I’ll just put a tiny bit of backcombing in to add height at the back,” he adds.
