Looking to try something new behind the chair? Of course you are! After all, practicing new techniques is one of the most exciting parts of your job. We went to amika Global Artistic Director Naeemah LaFond (who just so happens to be a texture guru) for a how-to on building some serious volume. She uses the rick-rack technique to give even the most straight-haired client massive texture, and it’s a perfect process to use when prepping the hair before an upstyle. Here’s a step-by-step look at how it’s done.
STEPS
Create a deep side part.
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Then, starting 2 to 3 inches down from the root and using a long hair pin, take a random section of hair and wrap it around the pin in a figure 8 motion.
Use your thumb to push the hair down into the pin and to hold the hair in place every time you complete another figure 8.
When you get to the end of your section and the hair is completely wrapped around the pin, use a small bobby pin (in the center of the figure 8) to secure the hair you just wrapped.
Then, using the amika Antidote Styler, press heat into the hair by tapping the iron over the wrapped section. Be sure to start at the bottom of the section, then work your way up.
The new Antidote Styler offers a silk-wrap technology, allowing for this intense process to be more gentle on hair strands.
After heating the section, let cool and continue steps 3 through 6 on the remaining hair. Use random sectioning patterns and sizes in each figure 8 process to achieve a more natural look.
Once finished, work section by section to release the hair. Remove the small bobby pin first, then holding the top of the hair pin with one hand and pulling the bottom of the hair with the other, unravel the section.
After every section is released, start at the bottom back and brush the hair out in small sections.
For maximum volume, softly brush every section of hair up and out (never down!).
Pro Tip: For this process, use a detangling brush instead of a grooming brush. Detangling brushes have wider-set bristles that spread the hair out, where as grooming brushes smooth the look.
Spray the amika Headstrong Hairspray on every section, starting on the bottom and working to the top for an airy finish. Continue this process on every section until the entire head is complete.
Finished Look
