We’ve all seen those commercials and advertisements where a model or actress endorses a certain shampoo, claiming that the product makes their hair appear “thicker” and increases the “volume” of each follicle. Most of the time, these famous people that are promoting the product already have amazing hair to begin with. Plus, they have expensive stylists whose job it is to make their hair look like a million bucks.

However, if you are suffering from thinning hair, while it is indeed tough to believe the claims, you probably are willing to try anything to make your hair look fuller. This results in you spending a small fortune on a shampoo (and possibly conditioner) that may or may not affect your hair one bit. The question on your mind when shopping for shampoo should be a simple one: Does it work?

What Is the Science Behind It?

Beauty and cosmetic products bring in over $30 billion a year in the United States alone. The bad news is that this industry is not well regulated and the claims that the companies make on their products are usually not substantiated by any third party. Can shampoo actually make your hair noticeably thicker or is it just a tagline created to sell product? It depends on your opinion of “noticeably thicker.”

Everyone has their own perspective. Still, there is science behind the claims. Hair is 90 percent keratin. Keratin is a protein and it is considered a structural building block for your hair. It is placed in most thickening shampoos in an effort to plump up hair to make it look as thick as possible. Interestingly enough, the keratin that is added into hair products usually comes from the feathers, wool, and horns of various animals.

So the keratin is usually combined with panthenol (a B5 vitamin) in an effort to volumize hair and make it thicker. These work together to bring moisture to the scalp and to each strand of hair, since the more moisture there is, the more the hair thickens. If you are looking for a hair-thickening shampoo or any other product that can make your hair look fuller, you should first look at the ingredients label and make sure it contains keratin and panthenol for best results.

Can Shampoo Help Stop Hair Loss?

Besides using a thickening shampoo to make your hair fuller in an effort to camouflage your hair loss, there are other shampoo products out on the market that say they can slow down your hair loss and even regrow some of that lost hair on your head.

The shampoos that actually have any effect try to decrease the amount of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) on the scalp. DHT is one of the main culprits behind hair loss. You may believe that your baldness was inherited from your ancestors, and while DNA plays a huge factor, DHT is definitely not your friend. Shampoos that noticeably decrease DHT are available with a prescription from your doctor. However, that is not to say there aren’t hair loss shampoos that can work for you and can be bought just over the counter. There are known natural ingredients that can help block DHT from attacking the hair follicle (tea tree oil and saw palmetto are just a couple). 

Shampoo Brands for Hair Loss that You May Want to Give a Try

The beauty of online shopping is that practically any product is made available to you instantly. No longer do you have to drive an hour or more to find your favorite items. If your local pharmacy or big box store does not have one of these shampoos, you can find them very simply over the internet.

There is nothing like a catchy name to sell your product. For instance, Dr. Hempster Hair Loss and Biotin Shampoo is certainly catchy. It is also said to attack the enzymes that cause baldness in the first place. Biotin is in many hair loss products and it is basically another B vitamin that is great for your hair, nails, and skin.  If you enjoy shopping online and reading the reviews before you buy a product, Dr. Hempster’s has more than a hundred positive reviews on the retail giant Amazon.

The number one selling hair loss shampoo found on Amazon is the Honeydew Biotin Shampoo for Hair Growth B-Complex Formula for Hair Loss. More than a thousand positive reviews declare it can help regrow your hair or halt the balding process.

Making Choices with Your Budget in Mind

There are other hair loss and thickening shampoos you can certainly try, but make sure there is science behind them. The “magical” ingredients should not be too expensive as biotin, keratin, and the other items listed in the shampoos are really not that costly. If you are considering purchasing shampoo that costs more than $20 a bottle, you have to determine if you are spending the money on the brand name or the actual ingredients in the shampoo. There are generic versions of just about everything in this world, so if you fall in love with a certain shampoo that is breaking the bank, write down the essential ingredients in it and find a similar shampoo but for pennies on the dollar.

Laser Cap Hair Therapy: A Less Costly Option Over Time

Laser cap hair therapy has been shown to increase hair growth and halt the balding process as well. This could be used in conjunction with a hair loss and thickening shampoo as you combat thinning hair. The combination of shampoo and a one-time purchase of a laser cap just might produce the results you are looking for. Plus, it would be easy to maintain both of these processes for years or decades to come. Shampooing your hair only takes minutes and does not need to be done every day. Laser hair therapy can be completed every other day for fifteen to thirty minutes. You will never have to sacrifice large amounts of time or money to keep your hair if you use these two options.