10 Best Shampoos for Thinning Hair, According to Hair Loss Experts (2024)

When you’re noticeably shedding hair or your hair doesn’t fill an elastic like it used to, it can be alarming. “While humans do not die from hair loss, it can be particularly devastating to identity and self-esteem,” says hair and skin researcher Thomas L. Dawson, Jr, Ph.D., the CEO of Beauty Care Strategics. It's estimated that 50% of women will experience significant hair loss in their lives (and the number is higher for men over 50).

Understandably, for many, a panic takes hold — along with a willingness to hock your great-grandma’s heirloom jewelry to pay for any product that will grow your hair back and restore hair thickness. That's why there is no shortage of shampoos that specifically bill themselves as “hair growth shampoos.” At least for now, sorry to say, that’s a hard no if you’re talking about actual new growth or awakening follicles as opposed to making thinning hair look thicker or fuller.

So what shampoo should you use if you’re experiencing hair loss — that is, which are the best shampoos for various types of thinning hair to help you retain the hair you have, help it look thicker and/or keep it from breaking, so it can grow long and strong? Some over-the-counter shampoos contain ingredients that make your hair seem thicker and healthier to the touch, which in essence make you feel you have more hair, says Ben Benham, MD., FAAD, a dermatologist and co-founder of Happy Head. Others are designed to treat skin conditions on the scalp that can irritate or damage the follicle, preventing hair from growing, or even help retain hair you have.

We consulted medical experts in hair loss, product chemists and our own scientists in the Good Housekeeping Institute to compile this list of the best shampoos for thinning hair, one of which might be right for you. At the end of this guide you'll find more information on how we test as well as expert advice on how to prevent and treat thinning hair. Check out hair-thickening shampoos and the best shampoos for dry hair, oily hair and gray hair for more top-rated haircare products.

This is a rare bird: A product that lives up to its claim that it strengthens the hair root, thus reducing shedding: Lab data analysis found 2,400 more hairs on users scalps after six months, compared to those who used a placebo. That's why we picked it as a breakthrough winner in our 2021 Beauty Awards. The kit contains a serum along with the shampoo and must be used together to achieve the best results. Note: This kit is currently out of stock but customers can be notified when it's back on the shelf.

Experts rated this shampoo the best overall hair-thickening shampoo. The shampoo and conditioner, which contain moisturizing hyaluronic acid, together earned top ranks for making hair feel thicker and bouncier, while still being lightweight, according to our testers.

For a very affordable price, this shampoo delivered visibly more bouncy hair in our tests, tying for first place in volumizing evaluations. “My hair instantly felt fuller after just one use," a tester raved. "I was shocked!” Testers said hair felt soft and conditioned, and we love its great fruity scent.

The GH Beauty Lab was so impressed with this shampoo because when used with the conditioner, it left hair soft but not weighed down — important for fine or thinning hair to maintain volume. The line also includes a detangler, which is not just for kids — anyone with thinning hair will appreciate the reduced need to pull with the comb or brushed.

Used together with a conditioner and a leave-in treatment as a trio, this 2022 Beauty Award winner did indeed make testers’ hair feel stronger and more protected against damage, with one commenting that the effects lasted. Our experts evaluated the company’s data, which found that 93% of users said their hair felt more moisturized, and 82% saw visibly reduced split ends.

Thanks to peppermint oil and menthol, this sulfate-free shampoo makes your scalp feel refreshed. While it doesn’t contain any hair-growth treatment, it comes in a kit with a 2% minoxidil leave-in solution, which has been proven to regrow hair in many people.

Fine or flat hair that is also dry needs special consideration. Our volumizing shampoo and conditioner test results showed that this affordable option left users’ hair with more volume and less frizz.

You may be avoiding sulfates because you're looking for a gentler formula, but still miss the foamy feel of a traditional shampoo. If so, this one is worth a go. Not only does it offer a great lather thanks to purified sulfates, but also leaves hair feeling shiny and smooth, earning it a top spot in our sulfate-free shampoo review.

This pick is not only sulfate-free, but comes in a bottle made of 100% recycled material. It made our list of the best sulfate-free shampoos because of its cleansing capabilities and uplifting scent that leaves hair feeling deeply cleansed.

Why use a dry shampoo when your hair is thinning? While it is still important to cleanse the scalp to keep it healthy, washing a little less will often help reduce scalp friction and pulling on wet hair (hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet, says GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D). This formula has conditioning benefits, which is why our Beauty Director liked it so much. "It has a clean, fresh aroma that's not overpowering,"

The short answer is ASAP. “The earlier you do this, the better,” says Dr. Benham. “I see patients four or five years after they start losing their hair, and they’ve already lost a significant amount. It is much easier to save hair than to grow hair back,” he says. That is because of the way hair grows — and how it sometimes stops growing. Hair typically grows in three phases over roughly six months — the growth, or anagen phase; the catagen phase, a short transitional phase; and the telogen, or resting phase, where it naturally falls out. You normally lose between 50-100 hairs a day during this cycle, which is nothing to worry about. But for various reasons, follicles can start to miniaturize, which leads to thinner individual hairs, and eventually none at all being pushed out of the follicle. There are medications, depending on what is causing the miniaturization, that may prevent further miniaturization, says Dr. Benham, keeping the hair follicle out of retirement, and the sooner you start taking them, the better for keeping your hair.

By and large, shampoos that are on the market have been tested and do not contain ingredients known to cause hair loss. “However, from time to time we see certain ingredients being called out for causing hair loss. The most recent one is DMD hydantoin, a formaldehyde-releasing preservative in cosmetics, which is actually the subject of an ongoing lawsuit,” says Aral. But that is an anomaly, she says.

In addition to being a health editor and writer for decades, writer Stephanie Dolgoff experienced hair loss firsthand after an incredibly stressful series of life events and going off the pill 12 years ago. She used her reporter brain to learn everything there is to know about hair loss, the reasons behind it and treatments — legit and not-so-legit. "I know how desperate you can feel when you see handfuls of hair coming out, so it's important to me personally to help people not waste their money or their time on things that won't work," she says.Birnur Aral, who holds degrees in both mechanical and chemical engineering, has led the GH Institute's Beauty Lab for 15 years, overseeing hands-on tests for myriad health and beauty products we use every day. Prior to that, she spent seven years in R&D at Unilever, which owns several cosmetic brands that make shampoo. She is Good Housekeeping's go-to for understanding the science behind beauty products and debunking misconceptions.