5 Ways Make Your Ends Look Even & Full (No Trimming Required!)

Here's the thing: If you really want to keep your ends looking full, going for a trim is your best bet. Regular trims can promote healthy hair growth and make your strands appear longer, to boot. But as haircuts may be few and far between, here are five other ways you can add weight to those ends:

You may even want to snag a volumizing shampoo, especially if you find your hair lying limp at the root as well. Many clean options include hair-strengthening vitamins (like vitamin B5) to stimulate the follicles and keep your hair looking fluffy and full, root to ends.

We'll spare you the double note on sulfate-laden shampoos (those can be super drying, as mentioned above), but think about your post-shower behaviors, too: For example, a too-rough towel dry can take out moisture, roughen up the cuticle, and leave you with those tapered, dry ends. Additionally, regularly blasting your strands with hot tools (especially without a thermal protectant) can be very, very harsh and cause dry, brittle hair. If you can, stick to gentle air-drying methods—like hair plopping—to keep your hair hydrated.  

"When the ends of your hair are thinned out and tapered, this is normally a sign that they are dehydrated, causing splitting and ultimately thinning," says hairstylist Gigi Lenora. And while those annoying frays are irreversible (there's ultimately nothing you can do except snip them off), you can prevent them in the first place—which can save your ends from looking thin and stringy.

OK, technically this tip requires some hair scissors. But hair dusting is way easier to replicate at home than your standard trim: Simply twist half-inch sections of dry, clean hair and snip off those split hairs poking out. That way, you can shear split ends (and keep your whole mane looking even and full) while staying true to your length goals.

Bowman recommends applying a texturizing serum to the ends in order to help create a fuller looking style. These volumizing serums can give the hair some grip, providing a light hold, and add density to those strands. Rather than lying limp, the ends can appear effortlessly tousled.

If you're facing some thin, tapered ends, you can add an even weight to your hair without hitting the salon. While a trim is ultimately necessary to stave off those dry ends long term, it's definitely possible to sport a thick, even mane using products alone. Perhaps it'll hold you over until you and the salon chair meet again.