Add volume and shine with one of these high-end bottles

If you’ve got naturally fine hair or have experienced severe hair thinning, then you’re a prime candidate for the best hair-thickening shampoos. These are products formulated to gently cleanse the hair and scalp while boosting volume and definition simultaneously (and all without overdrying your strands, to boot).

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all game, though, says celebrity hairstylist Andrea Claire. “It’s important to understand your specific hair cleansing needs,” she says. “Is it just a simple fine or thinning hair situation you want to fix? Because if you add in other variables, like curly or textured hair, color-treated hair, damaged hair, then the answer isn’t so black and white.”

The way many “thickening” shampoos work is by swelling the hair shaft, according to Claire. Ingredients such as chia seed and quinoa proteins flood each shaft, making every strand look plumper. Multiply that by all the hairs on your head, and your mop suddenly looks thicker to the naked eye. But those same ingredients can have a different effect on some hair types. (They can make curly hair look frizzy, so you’ve got to find a recipe that targets thin curls specifically. The same applies if your hair is dyed or damaged.)

Check out our favourite hair-thickening shampoos below, which cover those various bases. And as a bonus tip, Claire offers this hair-volumizing advice: “Use a blow dryer when styling your hair to get more volume,” she says. “Good quality blow dryers have heat and airflow controls to prevent overdrying the hair and scalp.”

Kevin Murphy Plumping Wash

Whether your hair is naturally fine or increasingly growing thinner, Kevin Murphy’s shampoo makes the most of what you’ve got. Not only does this salon staple thicken your hair on contact, but it also supplements your hair retention efforts at the root. The trio of nettle, ginger root and oleanolic acid help to reduce, counter and reverse DHT damage, respectively. (DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is a byproduct of testosterone and is the primary culprit behind male-pattern hair loss.) Meanwhile, rice proteins and amino acids pump keratin back into each strand, so you get a fortifying and nourishing wash while you flush away grime, sweat and excess oil. Remember, let it set on your scalp for 60 seconds to absorb as many of these active ingredients as possible before rinsing.

Patricks SH1 Daily Thickening Shampoo

This shampoo uses gentle ingredients to help hair tolerate daily use—should you choose to wash every day—and its protein-packed formula also visibly thickens each strand. Don’t even get us started on its stellar ingredients roster, which includes anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and even a couple that counter the effects of follicle shriveling due to DHT (again, this is the hormonal byproduct that is behind male-pattern shedding).

Prose Custom Shampoo

Prose’s shampoo can do whatever you need it to: Want thicker hair and better volume? Tell them so. They’ll outline the recipe that goes into your unique formula, with ingredients ranging from biotin and castor oil (for strength), honey and carob seed (for density), as well as collagen and argan oil (for repair). So, while your formula may vary from the next guy’s, that’s entirely the point. Prose’s assortment caters to you specifically, since volume and density might not be the only benefits you want in a shampoo.

Sachajuan Thickening Shampoo

The Swedes do everything better, and Sachajuan’s Thickening Shampoo is a prime example. If you keep your hair longer, this product will coat each strand to visibly smooth cuticles and bodify overall, delivering a fullness that lasts for days at a time. It also gives you a UV/heat shield to protect strands from the frizzing and frying effects of blow-drying, humidity and sun exposure. No wonder it’s a salon favorite, even on this side of the Atlantic.

DevaCurl Low-Poo Delight Shampoo

If you have fine, fragile curls, then stick with a gentle but hydrating hair wash like DevaCurl. This stuff gives hair more bounce than a basketball and flushes away oil, product buildup, and grime without any compromise to your strands’ moisture levels. It’s also a great way to reset your curls, by rebuilding definition as it cleans.

Davines Volu Shampoo

Often, when people say they want thicker hair, they actually seek more volume and body (which gives the hair the appearance of fullness). Davines’ lightweight wash delivers fullness and definition in a flash, with a soft, natural glow. Suddenly, flat and lifeless hair comes alive, looking fuller instantly.

R+Co Dry Shampoo Paste

Dry shampoo isn’t a replacement for regular shampoo, but it is a great volumiser between wash days, since daily washing isn’t typically advised. You can get dry shampoo from powders and sprays, but this styling paste is one of the more peculiar and efficient means. It soaks up excess oil at the scalp, giving hair a healthy lift. Just be sure to target the roots, which is where the oil accumulates and really starts to weigh things down.

DS Laboratories Revita High-Performance Hair Stimulating Shampoo

A healthy scalp is the foundation of healthy hair growth, and the right one can maximise the potential of your follicles. DS Laboratories’ shampoo stimulates circulation in the scalp thanks to caffeine, which improves nutrient delivery to the hair follicles and promotes thicker hair growth; be sure to let it sit on the skin for a minute and to massage it in (which adds to the circulation boost). A light inclusion of ketoconazole even prevents the proliferation of fungus and its resulting itching, flaking, and inflammation. (That’s a common active ingredient in many dandruff shampoos, but in this one is lightweight enough not to parch the scalp or strands.)

Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo

Packed with quinoa proteins, this shampoo helps build back damaged bonds in the hair due to heat or UV damage or dyeing, or anything else that has compromised strand quality. It uses babassu oil to lift away excess sebum, dirt, and grime, leaving hair with a healthy, natural shine and some serious eye-catching definition—quite a 180 turn from the initial damage.

Living Proof Full Shampoo

Here is your go-to for thickness boosts whenever your hair is shorter than a few inches. It’s packed with peptides to help plump the hair, as well as algae extract to shield strands from further wear. Living Proof’s shampoo gives hair the same effect as a texturising sea salt spray, paving the way for a lightweight, choppy styler like clay or fibre.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Patricks