Big-hair trend gives volumizing products a boost

Drug Store News, March 22, 2004

Hairstylists are pleading with women to unplug their straightening irons. After all, the look of the moment is big, '80s-inspired hair. In fact, these big, voluminous hairstyles took center stage at the spring fashion shows.

Hair care manufacturers, some of which include celebrity hairstylists, are encouraging women to trade their pin-straight locks for voluminous hair with new salon-inspired hair care products. The good news for retailers is that, like straight hair, big hair requires a special regimen of cleansing and styling products.

For years, chain drug stores have stocked single volumizing SKUs, typically a spray or mousse, but recently, hair care makers have together entire collections focused on giving consumers thicker, fuller hair.

Marketers have done a good job of convincing women that for extra oomph, they ought to use specially formulated hair products to add volume.

Charles Worthington has followed the introduction of its first chain drug store line Charles Worthington Results, a U.K. hair care line that launched exclusively in Walgreens almost four years ago, with Big Flair. Charles Worthington has since expanded distribution of both lines to additional chain drug stores.

Rite Aid's exclusive hair care brand Umberto Giannini is supporting the big hair trend with its Big & Beautiful line, which, in addition to a shampoo and conditioner, includes a volumizing spray and mousse.

The Marc Anthony True Professional hair care brand, which is available at such retailers as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, also includes a collection of six hair-thickening products called Instantly Thick. Each product in the line, which includes such items as Hair Thickening Shampoo and Hair-Fibre Putty, is formulated with Phytokeratin, a blend of natural botanic amino acids and a special thickening agent that expands hair by wrapping a vitamin-enriched layer around each strand. Other products in the line include Weightless Conditioner, Root Lifting Foam, Thickening Cream and High Volume Spray.

Procter & Gamble's Pantene brand has responded to the trend with the introduction of the Pantene Pro-V Full & Thick collection, a new line formulated to target the 17 percent of the population suffering from thin or thinning hair. The Full & Thick shampoo strengthens hair to prevent hair loss and makes hair look 35 percent thicker, according to P&G consumer tests. The collection also includes Full & Thick Complete Therapy Conditioner and Full & Thick 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner.

Along a similar line is L'Oreal's new Giannini Vive For Men, which features the proprietary ingredient Regenium and is targeted to men with thinning hair.

While some women have embraced the big hair trend, it's not likely that they will abandon the clean, polished look of straight hair completely. They likely will do both, which means they ultimately will need to purchase products for both regimens.