If you’re looking for a surefire solution to hair loss, excessive shedding, or breakage, we have some bad news for you: Even the best shampoos for thinning hair won’t cause miraculous regrowth. (For more powerful products, you’ll need to see your doctor or dermatologist).
Now, for the good news: Your choice of shampoo can still make a difference if you’re concerned about fine or thinning hair. “The shampoo you use can play a significant role in the health of your hair and scalp, which directly impacts your hair density,” Anetta Reszko, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, tells SELF.
Specifically, shampoos that prevent future damage, address conditions related to hair loss, and create the illusion of thicker, fuller strands are all great options for people with thin hair. We looked into the best options you can try and spoke to dermatologists to get to the root (heh) of what causes thinning hair—shop our top picks below.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: IGK Extra Love Volume Shampoo
- Best Budget: 365 by Whole Foods Market, Volume & Thick Shampoo Rosemary Mint
- Best for Natural Hair: Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Best Volumizing: Cake the Big Big Deal Sulfate-Free Thickening Volume Shampoo
- Best for Hydration: Augustinus Bader The Rich Shampoo
- Best for Buildup: RŌZ Foundation Shampoo
- Best for Breakage: Verb Bonding Shampoo
- Best for Curly Hair: Curlsmith Frizz Control Cleanser
- Best for Dandruff: Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
- Best for Color-Treated Hair: Kérastase Chroma Absolu Shampoo for Fine to Medium Color-Treated Hair
- Best Dry Shampoo: Batiste Volumizing Dry Shampoo
In this article
FAQs about shampoo for thinning hair
What are the most common causes of thinning hair?
First, let’s break down what we mean by “thinning hair.” That term refers to a loss of density, which is most commonly caused by a genetic condition known as androgenetic alopecia, or male/female pattern baldness, Christine Shaver, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Bernstein Medical Center in New York City who specializes in hair restoration, tells SELF. In these cases, your hair’s growth cycle changes so that it doesn’t grow back as quickly, leading to decreased hair density, and the shafts themselves actually shrink, becoming thinner, shorter, and finer.
Hair loss can also look like excessive shedding related to stress, vitamin deficiencies, hormonal fluctuations (often due to postpartum changes or menopause), or simply getting older. Breakage caused by health conditions like anemia and hypothyroidism; severe dandruff; or heat styling, dyeing, or other chemical hair treatments can also give the impression of hair loss. Even tight hairstyles can affect hair density if you wear them regularly—they put stress on the follicles along your hairline, which can weaken and inflame them, leading to traction alopecia, Azadeh Shirazi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of AziMD Skincare, tells SELF.
For some people, the exact cause of thinning hair might be easy to pinpoint—maybe hair loss runs in your family or you’ve just gone through a stressful period in your life. But for others, getting to the root issue can be tricky, so talk to your health care provider if you notice sudden or chronic thinning (especially if it’s accompanied by redness, itching, or pain, Dr. Shirazi says). Your doctor can help you determine the reason and point you toward the right hair loss treatment, like lifestyle changes, a topical product like minoxidil (a.k.a. Rogaine), or prescription medications.
How can you prevent thinning hair?
Some causes of hair loss, like your genetics and age, are unavoidable. But managing your stress and eating lots of nutritious foods are good preventative steps to start with, Dr. Reszko says. She adds that your choice of shampoo can help offset some factors related to breakage and shedding (although no shampoo can literally regrow your hair).
As far as your shower habits are concerned, don’t skip wash days out of fear you’ll see a wad of hair go down the drain, Dr. Shaver says. “Normal daily hair fall is 100 hairs per day,” she explains. “When shampooing and showering is avoided, these hairs can be retained in the scalp until the next shampoo occurs, which will lead to a more notable amount of hair fall than the standard 100 hairs per day.” Even if you’re dealing with thinning hair, it’s still important to wash it on a regular basis, she says.
What should you look for in a shampoo if you have thinning hair?
It can help to first learn which ingredients and qualities you should avoid, Dr. Shaver says. Heavy products can make your hair feel limp and flat, and shampoos that contain harsh cleansers like sulfates can be irritating for some people (though they can be fine for folks with oily hair, who need a clarifying shampoo). She says it’s best to look for products that address issues like oiliness, dryness, itchiness, or scaling, all of which have an impact on your overall hair and scalp health.
A good shampoo for thinning hair will “create a healthy scalp environment [and] strengthen hair strands,” Dr. Reszko says. Ingredients like keratin and amino acids can reduce breakage and help repair damage, while antifungals like pyrithione zinc and ketoconazole will address dandruff symptoms. Silicones like dimethicone can help make your hair look thicker and fuller. And on that note, you can look for shampoos specifically marketed as “volumizing,” but make sure they’re also hydrating, Dr. Shirazi says—otherwise, you risk drying out your hair.
Shop the best shampoos for thinning hair
Thin hair doesn’t have to look limp and lifeless—these expert-recommended and SELF Healthy Beauty Award–winning shampoos will help bring some bounce back.
Best Overall: IGK Extra Love Volume Shampoo
Pros
- Makes hair look fuller
- Strengthening
- Smells great
Cons
This 2022 Healthy Beauty Award–winner contains rice amino acids, dimethicone, and panthenol, which can improve your hair’s elasticity and make it stronger. Our tester, who’d been dealing with hair loss related to the pandemic, saw visible improvements after using it: “My hair looks so shiny and healthy after using this shampoo,” they wrote.
It’s also formulated to balance the natural oils on your scalp, which can inject some life into your roots and give your hair some nice body.
Other notable ingredients
Reliable moisturizers vitamin E and glycerin
Best Budget: 365 by Whole Foods Market, Volume & Thick Shampoo Rosemary Mint
Pros
- Available in big bottles under $15
- Volumizing
- Refreshing scent
Cons
- Lacks a satisfying lather
Rosemary oil might not be the hair loss silver bullet some brands claim it to be. But in the case of this Healthy Beauty Award–winning shampoo, it certainly makes your hair smell fresh and zingy—and we’ll never say no to that. “This clear shampoo has a refreshingly minty scent to it. I didn’t feel it lathered too much, but it left my hair feeling clean,” our tester said.
Its star ingredients are rice protein, a strengthening ingredient, and hydrolyzed collagen, which may help prevent breakage and tangles.
Other notable ingredients
Best for Natural Hair: AG Care Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Pros
- An effective, gentle cleanser
- Won’t disrupt your curl pattern
- Refillable container
Cons
“I absolutely love this product,” one tester who tried adding it to her shower routine tells SELF. “It leaves my hair feeling so clean, yet doesn’t disrupt my curl pattern. My scalp feels great and it doesn’t require two washes.”
They like how AG Care’s Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo creates a nice lather, despite the fact that it’s made without naturally sudsing sulfates. Instead, that clean feeling comes from apple cider vinegar, a gentle clarifying agent that won’t strip away your hair’s natural moisture.
Other notable ingredients
Glycerin, soothing aloe, moisturizing argan oil
Best Volumizing: Cake The Big Big Deal Sulfate-Free Thickening Volume Shampoo
Pros
- Very volumizing
- Gentle formula
- Fresh, lemony scent
Cons
- Container may leak in transit, according to Amazon reviewers
Made with nourishing aloe vera and plant proteins, Cake’s The Big Big Deal Thickening Volume Shampoo won a Healthy Beauty Award back in 2019. At the time, our tester said it “was really easy to lather, made my hair feel noticeably clean after rinsing, [and] left me with fuller hair and fewer fly-aways.”
Judging by the droves of recent five-star Amazon reviews, it still delivers impressive results: “Once I hit 40, I noticed my hair was thinning quite a bit,” one shopper wrote. “[This shampoo] literally doubled the thickness of my ponytail! My hair looks and feels like it did when I was a teenager! Soft, thick, HEALTHY!”
Other notable ingredients
Best for Hydration: Augustinus Bader The Rich Shampoo
Pros
- Rich consistency
- Formulated to prevent and repair breakage
Cons
- The texture might feel too heavy for some
- Most expensive option on our list
Dr. Reszko recommends The Rich Shampoo from Augustinus Bader if you have dry, damaged hair. It has a creamy consistency and a laundry list of hair-strengthening ingredients (including rice protein and a proprietary blend of amino acids). Plus, it gives your hair tons of shine.
Perhaps most impressive is its ability to volumize and add moisture simultaneously. “It hydrates, but somehow still leaves the scalp balanced,” wrote one Nordstrom reviewer. “Also adds volume to my roots and helps with frizz.”
Other notable ingredients
Vitamin E, moisturizing sunflower seed oil
Best for Buildup: Rōz Foundation Shampoo
Pros
- Clarifying but not drying
- Suitable for all hair types
- Smells great
Cons
- On the pricey side
- Container may be difficult to travel with, per our tester
Dr. Reszko also likes Rōz’s Foundation Shampoo because it uses gentle, coconut-based surfactants instead of harsher ingredients. “It effectively cleanses the hair without stripping natural oils, making it suitable for all hair types and textures,” she says.
Our tester agrees: “The shampoo made a rich, thick lather, and my hair felt super clean afterwards,” he says, adding that its scent is downright yummy.
Other notable ingredients
Glycerin, ceramides (which provide structure to the hair follicle)
Best for Breakage: Verb Bonding Shampoo
Pros
- No greasy residue
- Contains protective silicones
Cons
- Consistency may feel too heavy for some
Verb’s Bonding Shampoo brought our tester’s hair back from 10 days spent abroad, using whatever travel-sized hair care products she happened to have handy. “It cleaned out product buildup and made my roots feel hydrated, clean, and not greasy or sticky,” she says. “I really feel like it ‘repaired’ my hair, even on its worst days.”
In addition to amino acids and conditioning, plant-based ingredients, it also contains silicones like dimethicone, which help seal in moisture on every strand of your hair and make it look fuller overall.
Other notable ingredients
Best for Curly Hair: Curlsmith Frizz Control Cleanser
Pros
- Formulated for all curl types
- Intensely hydrating
- Lightweight
Cons
- Thin, liquid consistency might not feel appealing
You won’t have to worry about shapeless curls or haphazard flyaways with Curlsmith’s Frizz Control Cleanser. It uses argan oil, coconut butter, and sunflower seed oil to soften and smooth without weighing your hair down. According to our tester, its texture is on the thinner side, but it lathers well once you work it in your palms for a minute.
On top of all that, you’ll get a reliable clean. “It lathered well, but never gave my strands that ‘stripped’ feeling,” our tester says. “In fact, it felt quite gentle and hydrating! It also smells so, so fresh: slightly sweet, slightly coconut-y.”
Other notable ingredients
Glycerin, panthenol, vitamin E
Best for Dandruff: Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
Pros
- Highly effective antifungal
- Resolves itching and flaking related to dandruff
- Suitable for dyed, chemically-treated, and gray hair
Cons
In severe cases of dandruff (known as seborrheic dermatitis), your hair follicles can get clogged by the excess flakes and oil on your scalp, which affects their nutrient supply. When that happens, your hair’s structure gets weaker, and it’s more likely to fall out. Luckily, you can avoid this type of shedding with a good dandruff shampoo.
There are whole pharmacies of products you can try—but Nizoral, which contains the powerful antifungal ketoconazole, is considered one of the best for seborrheic dermatitis. It’s currently the only over-the-counter ketoconazole shampoo available, although you can get prescription-strength options from your dermatologist.
Other notable ingredients
Sodium laureth sulfate (one of the most common sulfates you’ll find in shampoos—highly effective, but can be drying)
Best for Color-Treated Hair: Kérastase Chroma Absolu Shampoo for Fine to Medium Color-Treated Hair
Pros
- Lightweight
- Subtle, pleasant scent
- Made with fine hair in mind
Cons
- On the pricey side
- Packaging makes it difficult to reach the last of the product
Kérastase’s shampoos come highly recommended by Dr. Shirazi, and we loved the Chroma Absolu Shampoo when we put it to the test a few years ago. It contains amino acids that help prevent breakage and extend the life of your hair color without fading, and uses lightweight moisturizers like hyaluronic acid to keep hair hydrated.
“The formula was super silky and lightweight, yet created a nice lather,” our Healthy Beauty Awards tester said. “It didn’t weigh down my hair like some shampoos did, and left it feeling clean too.”
Other notable ingredients
Glycerin, centella asiatica (which may have protective antioxidant properties)
Best Dry Shampoo: Batiste Volumizing Dry Shampoo
Pros
- Highly volumizing
- Floral scent
Cons
- Some Ulta reviewers found it drying
Few things refresh your do as quickly and effectively as dry shampoo—and this Healthy Beauty Award–winner does so without turning fine, thinning hair into a clumpy, chalky mess.
“I feel like it did a great job of making my hair look full, not flat,” our tester said. “Honestly, I’ve used it between washes to look less greasy, and even on days I wash my hair just to add more volume and body.”
Other notable ingredients
Keratin, hydrolyzed collagen
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