These Shampoos Are Proven to Give You Thicker, Fuller Hair

We updated this article in July 2022 to include more information about each of our original picks, plus add three new products from Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Garnier based on recent testing done by the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab.

Some people are born with strands that are thinner in diameter or more sparse than others, but if your part is expanding or the thickness of your ponytail is shrinking, hair thinning may be the culprit. "The diameter of the hair shaft diminishes as we get older," explains Zoe Draelos, M.D., a clinical and research dermatologist in High Point, North Carolina. That means you may have the same number of follicles, but thinner individual strands will make it look like there's less volume. Thin hair is also more prone to breakage, and since hair growth slows as you age, the damage becomes more obvious.

While you can't permanently restore thickness to individual strands, there are plenty of ways (and hair thickening products) to boost overall volume. One of the easiest? Starting your haircare routine with a volumizing shampoo, according to Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts. Volumizing shampoos can help make hair appear fuller and thicker since they typically contain fewer conditioning ingredients, so they’re less likely to weigh hair down. To find the formulas that really work, our scientists evaluate hair thickening and volumizing shampoos both in the Lab and on consumer testers. Based on rigorous testing by the GH Beauty Lab and insights from hair experts, these are our picks for the best hair thickening shampoos of 2022.

Our top picks:

Read more about our top-tested hair thickening shampoos that work to leave fine, limp, thin strands with a serious volume and fullness boost, and find more information about how hair thickening products work at the bottom of this guide.