Unlock the Power: These 9 Shampoos Tested by Pros Will Transform Your Thinning Hair Like Never Before!

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo takes our top spot for a multitude of reasons. For starters, it contains key ingredients that our experts recommend, such as glycerin, rosemary leaf extract, and coconut oil-derived surfactants that cleanse hair without stripping it. It’s also pH-balanced and free of sulfates, phthalates, silicones, and parabens. Plus, it’s color safe.

If you have thinning hair that’s also brittle, bonding treatments like this shampoo can really come in handy: The formula strengthens and repairs hair while adding moisture and nourishment. Dr. Kilgour, who recommends this product, also uses it on a regular basis and has experienced the benefits first-hand. He appreciates that the sulfate-free shampoo contains amodimethicone, a smoothing polymer, that leaves his hair more manageable. “The bond building ingredients are good for maintaining the strength and the health of the hair you have rather than making your hair look thinner—it has less of a role in stimulating new growth by itself,” he says.

Underwood, who has more than 20 years of beauty journalism experience, is also a big fan of Olaplex: He has thick hair, but has some thinning around the crown. Underwood loves that Olaplex’s thick and nourishing shampoo leaves his hair feeling clean, but not stripped after using it. But where Olaplex shines is the difference it makes when Underwood blow-dries his hair. “I’ve noticed that since I started using this product, my strands don’t feel as straw-like and brittle after styling,” he says.

That said, you may want to weigh the pros with the cons, as the consistency is on the thicker side, which can make the detangling process a bit of a challenge—a huge consideration for someone with textured hair.

Read more: Red Light Therapy For Hair Growth

For those who are craving an extra hit of moisture, this budget-friendly pick delivers in spades, hydrating locks with Manuka honey (an effective humectant ingredient that attracts moisture) and leaving it silky-smooth to the touch. This hydrating, sulfate-free shampoo also combines shea butter and aloe leaf juice to soften and revitalize your hair, says Dr. Camp. It’s also infused with mafura oil to help prevent breakage, which is the enemy of length retention. Amazon reviewers rave about the quality of this shampoo, especially for its very wallet-friendly price, noting that the consistency and ingredients lead to thicker-looking hair over time. No wonder it nabbed an impressive 4.5-star average from nearly 9,700 Amazon reviews.

That being said, this may not be the ideal pick for those with very oily hair or who require a truly volumizing formula, as it won’t leave locks as squeaky-clean as other options, despite the fact that it lathers well.

If your curls need some love, just know we are impressed with this product for its growth-enhancing ingredients like rice, keratin, and amino acids. The price tag of $11 is the cherry on top. “Made for all curl types, this keratin shampoo cleanses and delivers a boost of moisture and hydration,” says dermatologist Brendan Camp, MD.

This shampoo will leave your curls with less frizz and added definition that lasts all day long, creating a fuller look overall. Plus, it’s lightweight enough so that it won’t weigh your hair down and make your curls look flat and lifeless. One thing to note: The formula is on the thinner side, so it may not be the best option for those with tighter coils and curls who require a creamier, more nourishing formula. Even better? This duo includes a matching conditioner. for only $6!

Color-treated hair can be more brittle than virgin hair, and end up looking lifeless and flat. As a result, those who dye need a super-lightweight shampoo that won’t mess with their volume, and for that, Pureology’s option is a solid choice. It’s formulated for people with dry, fine hair, delivering moisture exactly where it’s needed with key ingredients such as jojoba, soothing green tea, and sage. Not to mention, it smells of eucalyptus, lavender, and bergamot bringing a salon touch to your at-home wash days.

Wohlner has super-dry, fine hair and relied on this shampoo to add a gorgeous gloss and a dimensional shine that makes her hair appear lush and thick. The Pureology shampoo bottle lasted her about three months, and she found that because it removed excess oil, her hair wasn’t weighed down—and her hair looked fuller. Since her hair gets greasy during the summer and early fall months, Wohlner likes to wash her hair with this formula twice a day to rejuvenate her strands and ensure they look lush.

Dr. Camp says this formula is infused with all sorts of strengthening ingredients like biotin, keratin, and chia seed oil. ICYDK: Biotin boosts the production of keratin, a protein that keeps hair strong and elastic. Similarly, chia seeds are high in protein and can increase volume.

Those with fine hair know that oil is the enemy—it can make hair look flat and lifeless, especially if it already tends toward being thin-looking. Those hair types will love that Ouai’s shampoo removes buildup, allowing them to go more days without oiliness, which translates to a fuller appearance. It leaves their hair feeling clean, soft, and voluminous, making it well worth the investment. One thing to note is that the scent can be a bit overwhelming, with strong hints of rose oil. While some may love the scent of roses—Ouai makes a rose-forward perfume—this isn’t your best bet if you’re not keen on floral aromas

In a way, you want your hair follicles to be producing a lot of sebum because that’s what keeps your hair shiny, hydrated, and healthy. But again, too much of it can leave locks looking limp and wimpy. Plus, an “overproduction of oil may lead to build up and contribute to scalp conditions that may worsen the appearance of hair thinning or hair loss,” says Dr. Garshick. One example of this is dandruff, which can cause itchiness and as a result hair loss. Oily scalp can also lead to scalp acne that can lead to hair loss if it’s severe or causes scarring.

So, if you’re itching to get rid of that buildup, Briogeo’s Micro Exfoliating Shampoo is a great place to start. It uses dissolvable granules and charcoal to slough off unwanted oil and dirt and deep-clean hair follicles so healthy hair can grow. This one contains coconut, tea tree, and mint oils that will leave your scalps feeling clean and your hair bouncy and fresh.

One thing to note: This formula expertly removes excess oil, but may be too harsh on certain hair types, including those with fine, breakage-prone hair and those with very tight curls and coils. These hair types are typically drier and you might find this shampoo to be not hydrating enough.

This formula was designed to stimulate the scalp to hang onto the hairs you’ve got and to remove the buildup that can lead to the appearance of wimpier strands. This is done with the help of key ingredients such as strengthening alpha and gamma keratin proteins, plant extracts, and rice-based humectants and without sulfates, meaning you’ll get the clean with the stripping. It’s also a color-safe formula that won’t mess with your highlights. The result? A clean, flake-free scalp minus the irritation. It also works to increase elasticity and improve overall hair strength.

In just two weeks Parra noticed big results, like less shedding when showering and styling her hair. Whenever Parra uses this shampoo, it leaves her scalp visibly cleaner and her tresses are more hydrated. Her strands are also softer, shinier, and feel weightless. She’s been using this shampoo for six months and found her shedding practically stopped in the shower, though she’ll notice just a few strands a day when brushing her hair. “It honestly felt like a turning point for my hair,” she says. “The formula provides just the right amount of moisture to the follicle to keep them plump and smooth, while biomimetic signal peptides calm and nourish the scalp to help encourage new growth.”

Additionally, using Virtue pumped up her strands and left them feeling super smooth and fresh. She’s especially keen on the enticing spa-like aroma of citrus, floral, and aromatic notes.

That being said, one of its biggest drawbacks is that it can dry out your hair, especially if you’re already prone to dehydrated locks. Of course, this can be mitigated by using the brand’s corresponding conditioner or hair mask for thinning hair.

This product is a standout for all the positive feedback it’s received from our team. It contains unique ayurvedic ingredients such as onion juice to strengthen your hair and reduce breakage. A 2002 study found that topical application of crude onion juice gave significantly higher hair growth results than just tap water, making it an effective topical therapy for patchy alopecia areata. Meanwhile, the fenugreek seed adds volume and promotes a healthy scalp. And just like how your skin needs UV protection, so does your hair. Luckily, this formula also has amla extract that gets the job done while softening your strands.

Volumizing shampoos can easily deplete necessary moisture from hair and even weigh down your dresses, but Parra says her experience with Fable & Mane has been different. “I’ve had really good volume, and my day two and three hair looks just as good as day one (without any greasiness),” she says. “I even worked out on some of the non-wash days, and still had a great blowout the next day.” To avoid any potential dryness, she follows it up with a deep conditioner or a hair mask.

During her two-week testing window, Parra didn’t notice much hair falling out and her tresses looked fuller and healthier, which she considers a win. However, Parra no longer uses this shampoo because she didn’t realize that she’s allergic to benzyl salicylate, a common beauty ingredient that combines benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. That said, if you’re also not allergic to benzyl salicylate and want to achieve thicker-looking hair with less shedding, Parra still suggests using Fable & Mane.

Longing for va va voom volume? Look no further than this strengthening, splurge-worthy formula. Parra has used Oribe for a year and often reaches for it ahead of special occasions because it’s the “hands-down best shampoo for volume” that she’s ever tried. “You can literally feel this formula plumping your strands and, 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,.” she says. When paired with a round-brush, Para’s blowouts look comparable to a professional blowout. Since using this shampoo, Parra also experienced less shedding in the shower, which helps create a fuller looking mane.

This contains ingredients like lupine protein and saw palmetto extract to balance scalp pH and energize hair follicles while the signature complex of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower, protects hair from environmental damage, photoaging, and keratin deterioration. Oribe’s volumizing shampoo will strengthen hair to prevent breakage and make your hair appear thicker, but it’s not exactly the sole solution to thinning hair. That said, Parra says that, in contrast to other drying volumizing shampoos, this one is especially gentle on the scalp.

You might also want to know that the experience of using this formula is top-notch—perhaps one reason why this tends toward the pricey side. Parra describes the scent as “sultry” (and one that you’ll notice all day long) and is quick to point out how well this shampoo lathers, leaving your hair silky, clean, and smelling great.