These Shampoos Are Proven to Give You Thicker, Fuller Hair
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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.
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1) Densifique Bain Densité Shampoo
Kérastase
sephora.com
$36.00
This Kérastase formula was a winner across the board in the GH Beauty Lab's hair thickening and volumizing shampoo test. It scored highest for making strands feel thicker, best at leaving hair feeling clean and earned top points for being lightweight. “They truly worked!" a tester marveled. "My hair has so much volume and bounce when I use these products!”
kérastase - 3/15
2) Fructis Full & Plush Fortifying Shampoo
Garnier
amazon.com
$9.97
Garnier’s sweet fruity-scented shampoo tied for top in GH Beauty Lab testing for volumizing strands while also leaving hair feeling soft and conditioned — at a fraction of the price of other products. The formula was also easy to dispense and left hair easy to comb after towel-drying. “My hair instantly felt fuller after just one use," a tester raved. "I was shocked!”
Garnier - 4/15
3) Volumebloom Shampoo
Biolage
amazon.com
$19.00
Celebrity hair colorist George Papanikolas loves this Biolage shampoo because it "really shows results!" Here's why: "One of the things that prevents fullness and hair growth is a clogged scalp, and this thickening shampoo helps to remove impurities and buildup to encourage hair growth," he explains, adding that he also loves that it's combined with an effective "thickness formula" including ingredients like biotin, zinc PCA and gluco-omega.
Matrix - 5/15
4) Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo (Pack of 2)
Pantene
amazon.com
$12.97
This affordable Pantene powerhouse can transform fine or flat hair that's also dehydrated and in need of extra conditioning. One GH Beauty Lab tester commented, “This shampoo made my hair so nice and full, and considerably cut down the frizz.” Others loved the “clean”, “fruity” scent and how well it conditioned hair, which made for easy combing after towel-drying.
Pantene - 6/15
5) Thick & Full + Biotin & Collagen Extra Strength Volumizing Shampoo
OGX
amazon.com
$5.65
Despite being made without sulfates, bargain-priced OGX was beloved in GH Beauty Lab testing for its "luxurious" cleansing lather. The formula rated highly at applying and rinsing easily, effortlessly providing sufficient lather and leaving hair feeling cleansed and easy to comb. "It helped give my hair more body," a tester commented.
OGX - 7/15
6) Extra-Body Shampoo
Paul Mitchell
ulta.com
$11.50
Those with fine hair that are concerned about products making it feel heavy can turn to Paul Mitchell’s shampoo. Testers rated the formula best for not weighing hair down. “This definitely added a good amount of volume to my fine, limp hair," a tester reported. "I didn’t have to put any product in to help with volume.”
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7) Pure Abundance Volumizing Shampoo
Aveda
nordstrom.com
$27.00
Made with natural ingredients like wheat protein and aloe, Aveda’s shampoo earned top marks from GH Beauty Lab testers for making their hair feel thicker. “This product gave my hair volume and thickness — and created the appearance of actually having more hair!” one exclaimed.
Aveda - 9/15
8) Dandruff Shampoo, Volume Boost
Head & Shoulders
walmart.com
$5.94
Even those with dandruff can use volumizing benefits, too. This shampoo from Head & Shoulders contains pyrithione zinc to treat dandruff, while adding lift and volume for up to 24 hours, according to the brand. "I have used and always liked Head & Shoulders products and especially love their nice, clean scents," says GH Beauty Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek.
Head & Shoulders - 10/15
9) Volumizing Shampoo
Kenra Professional
amazon.com
$26.99
If you have hair that gets greasy easily, this pick from Kenra, which performed well in GH Beauty Lab testing for giving hair a clean feel, may be for you. It scored highly for washing out easily and leaving hair feeling clean after rinsing, plus highest for making strands easy to comb after towel-drying. "My fine, thin hair looks thicker, has more volume than before and it lasts all day!" a tester remarked.
Kenra - 11/15
10) Starter Kit For Women
KeepItAnchored
keepitanchored.com
$89.00
A GH Beauty Award winner, KeepItAnchored's shampoo works with the included conditioner and scalp serum to nourish and nurture the scalp with ingredients like niacinamide, zinc and caffeine. By improving the scalp's condition, the formulas help hair maintain fullness. Lab analysis found that users of the kit had about 2,400 more hairs on their scalp after six months than those who used a placebo, based on a clinical study on the technology.
Keep It Anchored - 12/15
11) Nutritive Solutions Oxygen Moisture Shampoo
Dove
walmart.com
$12.24
Give lifeless strands a refresh with this Dove shampoo, which ranked at the top for its pleasant "fresh and clean" scent. It also scored well for leaving hair feeling clean, soft and not weighed down. "My styled hair had more volume and body after using these products and I received compliments," a tester noted. Another said: "My hair had more bounce."
Dove - 13/15
12) Perfect Volume Shampoo
NatureLab
amazon.com
$15.00
A powerful combination of apple stem cells and rice and soy protein help strengthen strands and add lift and bounce in NatureLab Tokyo's sweetly-scented formula. "This is one of the only shampoos I've tried that made my hair instantly feel fuller once it was dried," says GH Beauty Director April Franzino. "Even the next morning, my hair still has visible lift and volume — it's light and bouncy instead of going flat."
NatureLab Tokyo - 14/15
13) Gentle Shampoo
Arrojo
amazon.com
$58.00
Want a gentle option that won't weigh down your hair? "Super lightweight, this shampoo is sulfate- and sodium-chloride-free, only uses mild natural ingredients, and encourages natural thickness," explains Nick Arrojo, hairstylist and founder of Arrojo Salon in New York City. "It's great for making all hair types look and feel full and thick."
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In the Lab, the Instron machine (pictured here) is used to measure the conditioning ability of each pair on human hair samples. In total, 6,254 data points were tallied in the most recent test to find the best thickening shampoos.
Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab