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Keeping hair thick and lustrous can be a fickle affair. Anything from hormonal shifts to aging to the stress of, say, a global pandemic can cause the hair to thin. Luckily, the best hair-thickening shampoos offer a volumizing fix. Infused with growth-stimulating ingredients that fortify the strands and nourish the scalp, strengthening shampoos can undo some of the damage that leaves hair looking thin and sparse.
Vogue’s Favorite Thickening Shampoos
- Best for Curls: Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo, $12
- Best for Volume: Davines Volu Shampoo, $34
- Best for Scalp Health: RevitaLash Cosmetics Thickening Shampoo, $38
- Best for Shedding: Vegamour GRO+ Advanced Replenishing Shampoo, $52
- Best for Light Thinning: Nioxin Scalp + Hair Thickening System 1 Shampoo, $26
- Best for Color-Treated Hair: Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume, $49
Ahead, find the best shampoos for restoring hair with a thicker, lusher look, according to Vogue editors and industry pros.
In this article:
- Do hair-thickening shampoos really work?
- Why is my hair thinning?
- How can you make thin hair appear thicker?
- How to Choose a Hair Thickening Shampoo
- Meet the Experts
Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Mielle made a viral splash with its rosemary-and-mint hair oil. “After just two months of applying daily, my hair feels reborn. It’s stronger, fuller, and much more shiny. I m so happy with the results,” Vogue contributor Veronica Cristino previously wrote. Like the brand’s beloved oil, this companion shampoo is infused with peppermint oil and rosemary leaf extract to stimulate hair growth. What’s more, the formula has biotin, which is thought to stimulate hair growth, and it hydrates with a moisturizing mix of coconut and babassu-seed oils. And then, of course, there’s the smell. The mix of herbal, floral, and fruity notes makes for a dash of aromatherapy in the shower.
- Key Ingredients: Rosemary leaf extract, peppermint oil, biotin, coconut oil, babassu seed oil
- Best For: All hair types, particularly Types 3A to 4C
- Size: 12 oz
Davines Volu Shampoo
- Why We Love It: As it turns out, the humble turnip has mighty powers for stimulating hair growth. Packed with iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins, turnip extract infuses Davines’ volume-boosting shampoo. With a lightweight texture, the foamy salve softens the hair while adding body and shine, and its body-boosting effects are instant. For hairstylist Glenn Ellis, the Italian shampoo is a must-have because it’s “great for adding volume while hydrating and nourishing [the hair].”
- Key Ingredients: Caprauna turnip extract
- Best For: Fine or limp hair
- Size: 8.45 fl oz
Nécessaire Rosemary Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Known for infusing its body products with skincare-grade ingredients, Nécessaire took the same skin-centric approach to formulating its Rosemary Shampoo. The formulation has pure rosemary oil, which can increase blood flow to the scalp to stimulate hair growth. It’s also made with five plant proteins and five ceramides, which nourish the skin barrier. The signature scent—a mix of mandarin, jasmine, and cedarwood—is a spa-channeling perk.
- Key Ingredients: Pure rosemary oil, ceramides, plant proteins
- Best For: All hair types
- Size: 8.4 fl oz
Kérastase Densifique Bodifying Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Made with gluco peptides, hyaluronic acid, and the patented Intra-Cyclane, the French shampoo caters to hair in need of some TLC. “For a volume shampoo [to treat] damaged hair, I would recommend Kérastase Densifique,” celebrity hairstylist Anthony Campbell tells Vogue. “As with all Kérastase products, it will repair damaged hair and also gives a good bit of thickness.” The shampoo is also infused with neroli oil for a fresh, honeyed scent.
- Key Ingredients: Gluco peptide, hyaluronic acid
- Best For: Fine, thinning, and damaged hair
- Size: 8.5 fl oz
Revitalash Cosmetics Thickening Shampoo
- Why We Love It: This thickening shampoo treats the hair and scalp with a cocktail of antioxidant-rich ingredients. Loquat leaf strengthens thinning hair, while willow bark gently exfoliates the scalp. The formulation also contains biotin, which gives the hair a fuller look; panthenol, a hydrating form of vitamin B5, brings luster back to dull, over-processed strands. With a high level of tannins, the shampoo also helps reduce oiliness and inflammation in the scalp.
- Key Ingredients: Loquat leaf, willow bark, biotin, panthenol
- Best For: Thinning, dull, and color-treated hair, dry scalp
- Size: 8.5 fl oz
R+Co Dallas Thickening Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Campbell also approves of R+Co’s biotin-infused formulation, which gives a lift to fine, flat hair. “It’s color-safe and gives great volume,” he says. The shampoo hydrates the hair with a shine-boosting mix of coconut oil, pro-vitamin B5, and hydrolyzed rice protein; the addition of saw palmetto extract helps kickstart hair growth. (Crash course: Certain compounds within saw palmetto may prevent testosterone from converting to dihydrotestosterone (DHT.) The latter hormone can overstimulate the hair follicles, which causes the hair to thin.)
- Key Ingredients: Biotin, pro-vitamin B5, saw palmetto berry extract, coconut oil, loquat fruit
- Best For: Fine, flat, and thin hair
- Size: 8.5 oz
Nioxin Scalp + Hair Thickening System 1 Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Nioxin’s thickening shampoo targets light thinning with keratin-boosting niacinamide and growth-stimulating biotin. Best suited for untreated natural hair, the shampoo is formulated with a mix of wild mint and peppermint oils, which promote circulation in the scalp. It also has salicylic acid. The exfoliating ingredient gently whisks dead skin cells and excess oil off the scalp, creating a healthier environment for hair growth.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, biotin
- Best For: Untreated natural and lightly thinning hair
- Size: 10.1 fl oz
Vegamour GRO+ Advanced Replenishing Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Designed to treat significant shedding, Vegamour’s shampoo has a high-tech blend of ingredients. The patent-pending Groactive+ Complex, developed by AI, targets shedding with a mix of plant actives that are rich in growth-stimulating polyphenols. It’s also made with Spanish microalgae, a superfood that hydrates and balances the scalp, and niacinamide, which boosts keratin production. Clinically tested and safe for color-treated hair, the exfoliating shampoo was co-developed by dermatologists.
- Key Ingredients: Groactive+ Complex, Spanish microalgae, niacinamide
- Best For: Severe shedding
- Size: 8 fl oz
Isdin Lamdapil Hair Density Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Designed to treat hair-thinning in women and men, Isdin’s density-boosting shampoo takes a three-pronged approach to thickening. Infused with biotin and saw palmetto (also known as Serena serrulata fruit extract), the product strengthens the hair and promotes growth. The shampoo also contains zinc, which is said to help regulate testosterone and DHT levels while increasing keratin production.
- Key Ingredients: Serena serrulata fruit extract, zinc, D-biotin
- Best For: Thinning hair
- Size: 6.7 fl oz
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Volume Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Softening, hydrating, and non-stripping, Bumble and Bumble’s thickening shampoo is suited for all hair types, including color-treated tresses. Made with panthenol to moisturize and strengthen, the lightweight shampoo leaves the hair soft, full, and bouncy. While giving the mane a voluminous lift, the shampoo uplifts the senses: its scent—which mixes notes of waterlily, cedarwood, apple, citrus, and bergamot—is addictive.
- Key Ingredients: Panthenol
- Best For: All hair types
- Size: 8.5 fl oz
Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume
- Why We Love It: Safe for color and keratin-treated hair, Oribe’s volumizing shampoo has a lightweight formula that’s infused with hair-plumping polymers. It also has hydrolyzed vegetable protein and keratin proteins, which offer heat-activated protection from hot styling tools and UV rays. (If you’re headed on a tropical getaway, stow a bottle of this in your luggage.) Best suited for fine to medium hair, the volume-imparting shampoo also contains saw palmetto extract and Oribe’s signature blend. The mix of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss-flower extracts protects the hair from oxidative stress and preserves color.
- Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, keratin proteins, panthenol, lupine protein, saw palmetto extract
- Best For: Fine to medium hair, including hair that’s been color or keratin-treated
- Size: 8.5 oz
Living Proof Full Shampoo
- Why We Love It: The sulfate-free shampoo contains a proprietary cleansing complex made with amino acids that won’t strip the hair of its natural oils. It also has amaranth peptides to plump the hair fibers, and marine algae polysaccharides to protect the hair from environmental damage. The shampoo also contains phytantriol, which preserves color while protecting the hair from heat damage. Vogue’s marketing and production manager Clarissa Schmidt is a devotee. “I love the way my hair feels, smells, and looks after every shower—I receive compliments nearly every time I rush out the door!” she wrote.
- Key Ingredients: Amino cleansing complex, amaranth peptides, marine polysaccharide, phytantriol
- Best For: Fine, flat hair
- Size: 8 oz
Nutrafol Root Purifyer Shampoo
- Why We Love It: Developed by physicians, the hydrating shampoo nourishes the hair with vegan protein while using prebiotics to strengthen the scalp barrier. What’s more, its cleansing agent is a biosurfactant, which offers a gentler alternative to traditional surfactants that can dry out the hair. The shampoo can be used in conjunction with Nutrafol’s beloved hair growth supplements, and it promises to boost volume and balance oil production in as little as two weeks.
- Key Ingredients: Vegan protein, prebiotics, biosurfactant
- Best For: Thinning hair
- Size: 8.1 fl oz
L’Oréal Paris Ever Pure Thickening Shampoo
- Why We Love It: L’Oréal Paris’s thickening shampoo is made with two growth-promoting ingredients. Rosemary leaf extract stimulates blood circulation in the scalp, which helps the hair follicles grow. Meanwhile, arginine increases blood flow to the hair follicles, which also stimulates growth. Made without sulfates or added phthalates, the formulation is gentle on color-treated hair. What’s more, its fragrance fills the shower with the scent of jasmine and bergamot.
- Key Ingredients: Rosemary, arginine
- Best For: Thinning, brittle, color-treated hair
- Size: 8.5 fl oz
Do hair-thickening shampoos really work?
“Hair thickening shampoos absolutely work!” says Dr. Gary Linkov, a New York-based double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon and hair restoration expert. “A well-formulated shampoo can definitely improve the thickness of your hair.” According to Linkov, the best thickening shampoos are infused with ingredients that have clinical research to back their claims. “My ingredient ‘hits list’ includes caffeine, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and curcumin,” Linkov says. “While none of these ingredients can regrow the hair, they do work on a cellular level to protect the hair you have, which encourages hairs to mature and makes them appear denser.”
Why is my hair thinning?
“There are many reasons we can lose hair,” Linkov says. “Some hair losses are temporary, some are transient, and some are permanent.” Some of the most common causes of hair loss, according to Linkov, are outlined below.
- Androgenetic alopecia: “This is the most common cause of hair thinning, and is often referred to as male patterned or female patterned hair loss, Linkov says. “Contrary to popular belief, both men and women experience this, though the pattern tends to be distinct.” Women typically experience a diffuse, central thinning of the hair that’s most noticeable at the crown of the head, especially when the hair is parted. Men’s hair tends to thin at the hairline at first, causing an M shape along the widow’s peak; eventually bald spots appear on the top of the head. “The underlying cause is the same: an inherited genetic sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) at the hair follicle that causes hairs to miniaturize and eventually fall out,” Linkov says. “The best treatment for androgenic alopecia in both men and women is a medical therapy [such as Finestaride] that targets the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Without medical therapy, hair loss will continue. This is one of the reasons why getting hair loss diagnosed is so important.”
- Telogen effluvium: “So many people became familiar with this kind of hair loss during the pandemic!” Linkov says. “Telogen effluvium is where hair loss is triggered by stress, such as a virus or even extreme emotional stress. The stress speeds up the hair growth cycle and pushes hairs to the telogen, or shedding stage, where they fall out. Thankfully it’s usually temporary, but that doesn’t mean it’s not distressing.” The best way to treat telogen effluvium is to use growth-fostering products—such as the shampoos listed above—or to try a medical therapy like minoxidil.
- Alopecia areata: “This class of hair loss is triggered by an immune condition where immune cells attack the hair follicle,” Linkov says. “It’s most commonly seen as patches of lost hair anywhere on the body. Again, diagnosis is really key—alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition, so the treatment plan is different than for other types of hair loss.” A treatment plan may include injections or topical doses of corticosteroids, which suppress the immune system from attacking the hair follicles.
- Aging: “As we get older, most humans will find that their hair thins to varying degrees,” Linkov says. “As we age, our hair just isn’t as good at the ‘growing’ part anymore. This is where hair-growth-support molecules [such as saw palmetto] and potentially a medical therapy like minoxidil can help encourage miniaturized hairs to grow more robustly.”
Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist Joseph Chase also sees hair thinning caused by the overuse of styling tools and products. “Brushing too hard or too often, using too much shampoo, and using heat from blow-dryers, flat irons, and curling irons can strain and break hair,” he says.
How can you make thin hair appear thicker?
While ingredients such as biotin and saw palmetto can make the hair appear denser over time, Chase says that certain styling techniques can instantly give the hair a thicker look. “Choose a layered haircut and use volumizing styling products like mousse or dry shampoo at the roots,” he says. When blow-drying, he recommends flipping the hair upside-down for increased lift. Other tips: “Tease the hair at the crown for added volume, switch up your part, opt for a darker hair color, and consider hair fibers to fill in thinning areas.”
How to Choose a Hair Thickening Shampoo
“It’s really hard to recommend any one particular hair care product that will work universally,” Linkov says. “Everyone’s hair and scalp are just so different. A well-formulated product that works for one person can easily be problematic for someone else.” That said, here are some things to consider when selecting the best thickening shampoo for you.
- Ingredients: “Caffeine, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, curcumin—that’s the gold standard in research-backed support molecules,” Linkov says. On the flip side, “Avoid harsh surfactants—they can put stress on the hair follicles and scalp.”
- Hair Type: “Learn what your hair needs, even if it requires some experimentation,” Linkov says. “For example, if you are someone who can’t shampoo frequently, a leave-in foam might be preferable and easier to be consistent with. The same goes for those with fine hair or those who aren’t fans of conditioners. If your hair is on the thinner side, you may want to avoid thicker, more emollient products which can weigh hair down. Choose a product you’ll use regularly! The support molecules won’t get to your scalp otherwise.”
- Hair Goals: “Understanding where you want to get your hair is really important for determining what products you’ll need,” Linkov says. “If you’re generally happy with your hair but want to see a bit of improvement, an at-home hair care plan may be just what you need. However, if you’re dealing with trickier or more significant thinning and hair loss, you’ll be best served finding a great hair restoration professional to help you determine if medical therapy or [hair transplant] surgery is an option.” A dermatologist can also diagnose and treat hair loss.
Meet The Experts
- Anthony Campbell is a New York-based celebrity hairstylist.
- Joseph Chase is an international celebrity hairstylist represented by Exclusive Artists.
- Glenn Ellis is a Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist.
- Dr. Gary Linkov is a New York-based, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon, hair restoration expert, and founder of Feel Confident.
