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You don't realize what a part of your identity your hair is...until it all begins to go gray or fall out. These bodily changes, while jarring for some, are natural parts of aging.
"By far the leading cause of hair loss or thinning—95 percent—is genetic," says William Yates, MD, a board-certified hair loss surgeon and the owner of a hair restoration clinic in Chicago. Of course, hair loss or thinning can be attributed to other causes, including trauma from hair styling, like braiding or extensions, that puts excessive tension on the hair follicle and injures them over time, overuse of irritating chemicals or hair products such as relaxers and perms, and medical illnesses, medications, pregnancy, menopause, or even stress, he explains.
If you're inclined to do something to counteract the hair loss or thinning you're experiencing, Yates says the best products are ones that provide visual thickening of the hair and relieve any scalp irritation that can be associated with genetic hair loss. These types of thickening products come in many forms, including shampoos. To help give you a leg up on your research, we asked experts like Yates to weigh in and share their top picks for the best shampoos for thinning hair.
Why We Love It
- Makes hair look fuller
What to Consider
- Some buyers don't like the recent reformulation
Though they can't directly stimulate hair growth, volumizing shampoos like this one work extremely well to coat each hair follicle to give the impression of more volume, more hydration, and a healthier hair style, says Erum N. Ilyas, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. "It works primarily by adding hydration to each hair follicle to give them a fuller wider barrel of each hair strand, which adds to the appearance of our hair volume."
Why We Love It
- Affordable
What to Consider
- Some buyers say it's greasy
Though a bargain drugstore find, this shampoo contains biotin and proteins that coat the hair and give it a fuller appearance, says cosmetologist Ghanima Abdullah.
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Made with active ingredients that help block the cause of hair loss
PURA D'OR Original Gold Label Anti-Thinning Biotin Shampoo
Why We Love It
What to Consider
- Some buyers don't like the scent
This shampoo includes 17 DHT blockers—compounds that, well, block the root causes of hair loss—as well as a host of vitamins and minerals that promote healthy hair. It also includes important ingredients like saw palmetto, pumpkin seed, tea tree oil, aloe, and niacin.
Why We Love It
- Affordable
What to Consider
- Some buyers say it's drying
"Plant stem cells—a relatively new ingredient in hair loss products—work to prolong the anagen, or hair growth, phase of the hair follicle," says Abdullah. "This means that when your hair is genetically scheduled to fall, stem cells will keep them in the hair follicle for longer." The more hair strands you have on your head, the thicker your hair is.
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Why We Love It
- Exfoliates scalp
What to Consider
- If you don't like fragrance, you may not like the sweet scent
If you can't resist a pleasing fragrance, you'll love this plant-based thickening shampoo, which works to exfoliate the scalp and nourish hair strands.
Why We Love It
- Reduces breakage
What to Consider
- Some buyers say it doesn't lather well
This powerful shampoo contains a hardworking trio of turmeric, ginseng, and Kakadu plum that works to expand each strand to give the appearance of fuller hair and reduce breakage each time you wash.
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Why We Love It
- Offers a deep but gentle cleanse
What to Consider
- Some buyers find the formula a little drying
Celebrity stylist Michelle Cleveland says, "Hands-down, Nioxin is absolutely the best line of defense against thinning hair." And to help target your specific level of concern, there are six different variations within this line of shampoos, each addressing a different phase of hair loss.
Why We Love It
- Decreases frizz
What to Consider
- Some buyers say the formula is greasy
Get the look of voluminous hair thanks to this shampoo formulated with biotin and ginseng to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and in turn encourage healthy hair growth.
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Why We Love It
- Affordable
What to Consider
- Some buyers say it's stripping for color-treated hair
Viviscal is another affordable pick that contains hydrolyzed keratin to help the hair feel fuller, and biotin to help your hair follicles grow new hair, says Abdullah. It also contains stem cells from pea sprouts to help the hair growth phase last longer.
Why We Love It
- Lightweight
What to Consider
- Some buyers say the voluminous result doesn't last long
For fine hair, you need a volumizing shampoo that won't weigh your strands down unnecessarily. That's where this pick from Bumble and Bumble comes in. Though it contains all kinds of good-for-hair ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin B5, it's nice and lightweight to keep even the finest, limpest hair nice and bouncy.
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Why We Love It
- Volumizing
What to Consider
- If you don't like fragrance, you won't like this option
Caviar isn't just for eating—it turns out, the upscale ingredient is also rich in ingredients that are crucial for hair health. This gentle, sulfate-free wash works hard to eliminate impurities and buildup to promote scalp health and give the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.
Why We Love It
- Great for textured hair
What to Consider
- Some buyers don't like the scent
Got curls? You'll love this affordable shampoo by SheaMoisture. It is formulated with black castor oil to strengthen strands and promote growth, says Abdullah. It's also sulfate-free and can be used on all types of hair, even color-treated.
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Why We Love It
- Increases scalp circulation and strengthens hair
What to Consider
- Not suitable for colored hair
For a shampoo that's specifically targeted to your hair type, turn to Bosley MD. It has multiple formulations to suit a wide range of needs, says stylist Keri Breanne.
Why We Love It
- Gentle formula
What to Consider
- It's a splurge
Pricey, no doubt, but Breanne says this gentle wash is worth the splurge. It's paraben-free and formulated with ingredients like pea sprout extract, ginseng, and ginger to help promote softer and fuller-looking hair.
Brigitt Earley
Contributing Writer
Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and more.