If your hair is thinning (and if you want it to stop thinning), it makes sense to start with the best shampoo for thinning hair. Of course, don’t stop there: Stopping hair loss typically involves dietary, health, and medical intervention. But these efforts can also be supported by the right hair products. And that’s why there is such a thing as the best shampoo for thinning hair—though what “best” means will differ from one guy to the next.
Regular Shampoo vs. Preventative Care
To kick-off your search for the shampoo best-equipped to put a halt to hair loss, it’s worth laying out that a general, all-purpose shampoo that simply purges your hair of built-up grime will likely not cut it. Like many hair products, some shampoos can aim to give more volume, and the illusion of texture. Or, they might coat each strand while cleaning, to provide an overall boost in fullness. (Many conditioners do the latter especially well.) If you want to really target the hair loss itself with your shampoo, know that this isn’t going to be your primary defense against going bald, but using a special shampoo can certainly boost the effort.
In this case, look for formulas with saw palmetto or pumpkin seed oil, the two primary ingredients that are known to inhibit the production of dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is the hormonal byproduct that steadily shrinks hair follicles and leads to recession, thinning, and overall loss. Point your shampoo search towards products that balance, purify, and fortify the scalp. A scalp-focused regimen can create an optimal environment for your follicles, which in turn means they stay better anchored and experience prolonged growth. Lastly, opt for light to mid-weight formulas that won’t weigh the hair follicle down. Sudsing up a super thick shampoo may make you feel squeaky clean, a dense formula is likely to take away a lot more than the daily filth you’ve accumulated.
Who Need Actually Needs This
If your hair is thinning or experiencing extensive breakage (two very separate things that can occur at once), then a specialized shampoo could either be the first step in taking back your hair narrative–or the solution. Strengthening your hair at the root with increased elasticity will prevent strands from easily breaking off which can lead to the appearance of balding. For hereditary hair loss, the right shampoo won’t be the end-all-be-all but it will provide the added boost you need after talking with your board-certified dermatologist to build a hair retention plan that works for you. Our roundup of the best thinning hair shampoos covers all of these approaches. Have a look, and see which option best suits your needs.
The Best Shampoo for Thinning Hair, at a Glance
The Best Thickening Shampoo for Thin or Thinning Hair
The protein-rich formula in R+Co BLEU’s thickening shampoo seeps into each strand of hair, making them individually thicker. The overall result, when applied across all of your head, is immediately noticeable, and it even feels thicker as you run your hands through it. It leaves hair shiny, hydrated, and with added volume—and should be chased with the brand’s thickening conditioner too.
The Best Volumizing Shampoo for Thinning Hair
This ocean-blue shampoo floods your hair with vegetable proteins, making it stronger so that it stands upright—strong and proud. And unlike other shampoos that give your hair volume by stripping it of all moisture, Sachajuan’s never compromises hair quality or health. You get volume, plus that healthy shine.
The Best Medicated Shampoo for Busting DHT
If you want to double down on proactively fighting hair loss while shampooing, then this is the product to do it with. MDhair’s formula combines pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto, the two best natural ingredients for DHT mitigation.
The Best Strengthening Shampoo
Stronger hair means less breakage, which is paramount for those experiencing thinning. Oribe’s Hair Alchemy shampoo is blended with growth-inducing chia seed and plant-based protein to reinforce the hair follicle at its root while a hyaluronic acid complex injects moisture to improve overall elasticity. Hair that can bounce back is less likely to break off when confronted with the harsh elements (and your city’s even harsher water supply).
The Best Shampoo Alternative
If you’re shampoo-averse, then you may want to try co-washing, which is when you rely on conditioner to flush away grime and excess oil. It works wonders, especially with a product like Modern Mammals’ everyday rinse. It almost straddles the line between shampoo and conditioner, though it is definitely more the latter. It delivers a hydrating rinse that won’t compromise your thinning hair’s health, and will instead preserve its buoyancy while also promoting a healthy, habitable scalp. Best of all, you can use it daily.
The Best Co-Wash for Curly Hair
For curly hair that shows signs of thinning, the best approach is to avoid heavy products that could weigh the hair down. Alternatively, you want to get a thorough cleanse without stripping your strands dry–so the delicate middle ground looks a lot like a co-wash specifically developed within these parameters. Carol’s Daughter’s lather-free hair milk is formulated with hydrating agave nectar and shea butter to replenish that much-needed moisture while gently lifting away dirt and grime.
The Best Shampoo for Scalp Stimulation
Caffeine wakes up your scalp, too: It’s pumped into Davines’ shampoo, and boosts circulation to the scalp and into each hair follicle. This increases nutrient delivery to each strand, and in turn strengthens hair as it grows. The gradual effect is that it slows future loss, and prevents breakage along any of the strands.
The Best Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Hair Growth
If you’re prone to itching or flaking up top, then give your scalp a periodic rinse with an anti-dandruff shampoo. (We like a once- or twice-monthly dose when preventing the problem, and more frequently when treating the problem.) One like Selsun Blue’s will handle things promptly—just don’t use it as your routine shampoo, or it might dry out your strands. (And always follow it with a conditioner or better yet, a deeply restorative hair mask.)
The Best Clarifying Shampoo for a Healthy Reset
Once every week or two, you should give your head and scalp a true flushing out—with a detoxifying and clarifying shampoo that removes hard water buildup, excess grime and oil, and the likes. OUAI’s does that while also pumpkin keratin into your strands for a fortified freshening-up.
The Best Vegan Shampoo
Nature knows best, especially when it comes to offering a first line of defense against the natural occurrence of thinning hair. Klorane’s vegan strengthening shampoo is a two-pronged attack: quinine bark extract to strengthen the folicle and produce breakage of existing strands, edelweiss to stimulate new growth. It’s like watering the garden of eden–on top of your head—and watching it blossom back to life.
The Best Shampoo for Curly, Thinning Hair
While it’s packed with biotin to fortify thin hair and promote growth, Briogeo’s shampoo also lifts hair without parching it. This is music to the ears of anyone with curly hair, because it promises bouncy, full, lively curls, even if your hair isn’t as full as it used to be. (With argan oil and other hydrating ingredients, this one makes it look fuller, too.)
The Best Dry Shampoo for Men for Men With Thinning Hair
Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day assortment really lives up to its name, and this dry shampoo upholds it all—literally. It gives hair more texture and volume by soaking up the excess oils at the root of the hair, buying you an extra day before requiring a wash.
The Best Dry Shampoo Spray for Men With Thinning Hair
Swedish hair brand Maria Nila is finally a hit stateside, and this lighter-than-most dry shampoo spray is a good entry into the brand, especially since it leaves no residue in its wake (unlike many spray-to-powder dry shampoos). Use it on the mornings your hair needs a little extra lift, volume, and texture, but only if you haven’t shampooed that day. Make sure hair is rinsed and dried before use, then follow with your usual styler.
Adam Hurly, Michella Oré
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