If your hair is fine and flat, you know the pattern: lovely for an hour after the blow-dry, then flat again. The fix usually isn't a different shampoo — it's the order you put things on. Paul Mitchell's Extra Body line is built for exactly this, and after 35 years on the salon floor I can tell you it works best as a layered routine, not a single hero product. Here's the full sequence.
Why fine hair falls flat (and why layering fixes it)
Fine hair has a smaller strand diameter, so it carries less of its own structure — any weight from heavy conditioners or silicone build-up pulls it down fast. The answer is several lightweight layers rather than one heavy one: a wash that adds body, a featherweight conditioner, then styling products that build lift from the root up.
One important distinction before we start: fine hair is a hair texture; thinning is a hair density change. If you're noticing less hair rather than skinnier strands, read our guide to Paul Mitchell's thinning-hair options with Regeniplex instead — it's a different problem with its own toolkit.
Step 1: Wash with Extra Body Shampoo
Paul Mitchell Extra Body Shampoo is the volumising classic of the range — it cleanses gently while bulking up each strand, with panthenol in the formula, and rinses clean so nothing weighs the hair down. Use lukewarm water rather than hot, focus the lather at the roots, and give your scalp a proper 60-second massage before rinsing fully.
It starts at £9.45 for a 75ml travel size, with 300ml, 500ml and 1000ml options. If you're a daily washer, the litre works out much better value — our litre and gallon buying guide covers the maths.
Step 2: Condition the mid-lengths, not the roots
Paul Mitchell Extra Body Conditioner is deliberately lightweight: it detangles, smooths and reduces static without the weight that collapses fine hair. The technique matters as much as the product — apply from the ears down, keep it off the roots, and rinse thoroughly. Conditioner sitting at the scalp is the number one volume killer I see in the salon.
Step 3: Sculpting Foam — the foundation of the blow-dry
On towel-dried hair, Paul Mitchell Extra Body Sculpting Foam goes on first. It's a rich, conditioning mousse that adds lift and fullness while smoothing the cuticle, and the humidity-resistant formula resists frizz without going crunchy. Shake well, dispense a golf-ball amount, and work it from roots to ends before you pick up the dryer.
Blow-dry with your head tipped forward or with a round brush lifting at the root — the foam holds whatever shape you set while the hair cools.
Step 4: Root Boost, exactly where you need it
If your lengths hold up but the crown sits flat, Paul Mitchell Extra Body Root Boost is the targeted answer. It's a lightweight, quick-drying spray that lifts hair right at the root, adding dimension without stiffness or residue. Section the crown, spray at the roots on damp hair, then blow-dry against the direction the hair naturally falls. It's the step most people skip — and the one that makes the biggest difference to all-day lift.
Step 5: Thicken Up for visible thickness
Paul Mitchell Extra Body Thicken Up (150ml, £21.45) is the strand-plumper of the line: a lightweight volumising styler that coats each hair for touchable fullness and flexible hold, resisting humidity without any sticky residue. Apply it to damp or dry hair — through damp hair before drying for overall body, or spritzed lightly onto dry hair where you want extra thickness. On very fine hair, less is more: start small and build.
Step 6: Lock it in with Firm Hairspray
Finish with Paul Mitchell Extra Body Firm Hairspray, held 20–30cm from dry, styled hair. It's a fast-drying, firm-hold spray that keeps volume and lift in place while resisting humidity — but it stays flexible, with no stiffness or flaking, so the hair still moves. A light mist underneath the roots at the crown, then over the top, locks the lift in for the day.
Don't want six bottles? Start here
You don't need the full line-up on day one. Start with the wash step: the Paul Mitchell Extra Body Duo pairs the shampoo and conditioner at a saving over buying them separately, from £18.95 for the travel pair up to the litre duo.
If styling is where your hair lets you down, I've bundled my four styling essentials — Root Boost, Thicken Up, Sculpting Foam and Firm Hairspray — as Mel's Pick: Extra Body Volume Collection (£70.95), again cheaper than buying each one individually.
Everything ships direct from our Bridlington salon — we've been an authorised Paul Mitchell Signature Salon since 2006, stocked straight from SweetSquared, the official UK distributor. Weekday orders before 2pm are dispatched the same day, UK delivery takes 1–3 working days, and delivery is free on orders over £25. Not sure Extra Body is your range? Our guide to every Paul Mitchell range will point you to the right one.
Your Extra Body questions answered
Is Paul Mitchell Extra Body Shampoo good for fine hair?
Yes — it's designed specifically for fine, limp or flat hair. It cleanses gently while bulking up each strand, and it rinses clean without build-up, which is exactly what fine hair needs. Use it daily and keep the lather focused at the roots.
What order should I apply volumising products?
Work from wash to finish: shampoo, then a lightweight conditioner on the mid-lengths only, then on damp hair apply sculpting foam roots-to-ends, root boost sprayed at the crown, blow-dry, add Thicken Up where you want extra fullness, and finish with a firm hairspray. Each layer is light, so they build lift without weighing hair down.
Does Extra Body Sculpting Foam make hair crunchy?
No — it's a conditioning mousse formulated to resist crunch and frizz. It smooths the cuticle and adds shine while it builds lift, and it leaves no residue, so hair feels soft and moves naturally once it's dry. Use a golf-ball amount on towel-dried hair.