Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Why trust us?
Sometimes you have to get to the root of the problem: your scalp! Benzoic Acid
If you’re anything like me, your hair is your #1 accessory. A good hair day totally brings together a great outfit and sets the mood for the rest of the day. A bad hair day, on the other hand, makes you want to crawl back in bed. My entire life, my long thick hair had been my favorite physical attribute—so you can imagine my distress the first time I began to experience severe hair loss.
I had never felt so alone in my life. I didn’t know any other woman who was in her early 30s experiencing this. I sought out all the doctors and specialists, ordered all the treatment products, and read everything regarding hair loss that I could get my hands on. I quickly came to learn that thinning hair is something many people will experience in their life, and there are a myriad of ways to manage and treat it.
Meet Our Expert: Dr. Marie Jhin, MD, board-certified dermatologist and president of Premier Aesthetic Dermatology
According to dermatologist Dr. Marie Jhin, MD, hair thinning can be caused by a number of factors, including (but not limited to) aging, genetics, diet, hormones, and even trauma. That said, she notes that the most common type of hair loss is referred to as pattern hair loss, and guess what? It's totally natural. She says that it affects more than 80 percent of men and 50 percent of women in their lifetime.
"Your hair follicles begin to shrink with every growth cycle, causing hair strands to become thinner and more fragile over time," she says. "The truth is, change is an inevitable part of aging and your hair is no different."
The best way to prevent or treat thinning hair is to get to the root (no pun intended) of the problem: your scalp. That's because healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp.
"Dandruff or residue build-up can cause inflammation and increase the likelihood of hair loss," says Dr. Jhin, “It’s extremely important to start considering your scalp as part of your anti-aging routine. Consistent, ongoing treatment is essential."
That’s why finding the right shampoo is really important. Shampoos can help add density to thin hair, help stimulate new growth, and help to avoid buildup that sometimes leads to hair loss. Being that I am part of the 50 percent of women who have experienced thinning hair, I know firsthand that there are shampoos out there that can help.
So whether you’ve been noticing more hair going down your shower drain, or have always had fine thin hair, below are the six best shampoos for thinning hair that will give you stronger and thicker looking hair. I have each one in my shower on rotation and can attest to them all!
Every Oribe shampoo is my favorite, but Magnificent Volume leads the pack—it’s a fine-haired girl's dream! We’re talking voluminous hair lifted at the root that exudes the most sultry smell. I tend to reach for this shampoo the night before a big occasion or when I want to leave a lasting impression. Unlike other shampoos that only provide the same ‘wash-day’ volume, this color-safe hair cleanser allows me to wake up the next morning with the same shape and volume I had the night before! No touch-ups required.
Though an 8.5oz bottle is quite pricey, the formula is highly concentrated and a little truly goes a long way. Likely due to the blend of high-tech polymers in this larger than life shampoo, you can quite literally feel the shampoo plumping your strands as you lather it in. If you are looking to splurge, this shampoo will not disappoint!
Whenever I feel my hair is going through a particular period of stress - we’re talking feeling really dull and dry, falling extra limp, or looking lackluster - I know I’m in need of Kerastase, specifically their Densifique shampoo. This shampoo and range of products bring my hair back to life and give it the feeling of a fresh cut. Think silky smooth, no flyaway, just left the salon hair. And my favorite thing about this shampoo is its ability to make my hair appear more dense without the poofy frizz effect that some other volumizing shampoos cause.
A blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and gluco-peptides work to promote strength, shine, and elasticity which are key to keeping our hair on our head vs. breaking off onto the floor. Additionally, hyaluronic acid helps hair follicles lock in moisture, so if you find yourself washing your hair quite frequently - as many of us fine-hair ladies tend to do - this shampoo grants you the freedom to do so without any concerns of stripping your hair.
While browsing TikTok for tips and tricks on regrowing healthy hair, I quickly learned that Mielle’s Rosemary Mint range of products has a cult following. Given the affordable price tag and insane number of positive reviews, I immediately ordered the shampoo for next day delivery. But why such a big fan base? Because the primary ingredient, rosemary, one that many swear is a natural alternative to minoxidil. It can promote hair growth and prevent breakage by coating the hair with fortifying oils, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi, MD.
In addition to rosemary oil, this shampoo also features biotin that helps to encourage healthier hair. After several weeks of use, I began to notice subtle regrowth in my temples, an area I had previously lost a ton of volume and was almost completely sparse. You better believe that this shampoo now has a permanent spot on my shower caddy!
If you’ve been experiencing hair thinning for quite some time, then you know that the regrowth process is…a process. It takes quite a bit of time before you’ll begin to see any new baby hairs or regrowth in the areas you’ve lost – just due to the natural cycle of our hair – and then you run the risk of the baby hairs falling. I have experienced this many times, and it’s quite disheartening. This shampoo was specially developed to address female hair thinning, and two weeks into using it, I already noticed less shedding while showering and styling my hair.
Like all other Virtue products, this shampoo is packed with their patented Alpha and Gamma Keratin 60ku proteins to help repair damage and strengthen existing hair, as well as scalp-stimulating actives to form a canvas for healthy growth. Key ingredients like sodium hyaluronate + red algae extract and rice-based humectants provide moisture to the follicle to keep them plump and smooth, while biomimetic signal peptides calm and nourish the scalp to help encourage new growth.
If you need to feel it to believe it, then this is the shampoo for you. My first experience with this shampoo was what I’d equate to a deep mediation. I closed my eyes, and it took me to a luxurious outdoor shower overlooking the most serene transcendent landscape. Thanks to the mentha arvensis leaf oil in this carefully thought out formula, your scalp will feel tingly and revitalized as you lather up, while other key ingredients like camphor crystals, bergamot, and black pepper work together to balance the scalp and strengthen and stimulate hair follicles.
My personal suggestion with this shampoo? Massage it into the scalp, then let it sit for a minute while you relax and let the shampoo invigorate all your senses!
The only way I’m able to truly see results from all the amazing shampoos I’ve listed above, is by doing a weekly detox to my strands and scalp to rid of any buildup from product residue, excess oils, and sebum buildup in follicles; all of which can also contribute to hair loss. A deep cleanser is crucial to mane maintenance and basically acts like a reset button for strands, says Dhiran Mistry, a stylist at the David Mallett salon in New York.
Monk Fruit Extract With skincare-inspired active ingredients like activated charcoal, salicylic acid, and K18 Peptide, I’ve found this color-safe clarifying shampoo to be the perfect weekly cleanser. It’s so gentle and effective, that it’s allowed me to train my hair and extend my two-day blowouts to four days! I simply do a double cleanse that includes this shampoo and one of the aforementioned volumizing shampoos, and I’m set!