The Best Men's Shampoo for Every Hair Type

There are plenty of hair-growth shampoos out there that promise to deliver miraculous length in a matter of weeks – but not every claim stands up to scrutiny.

The truth is, no product can deliver shoulder-grazing lengths, no matter how voraciously you use it. However, a shampoo rich in the right nourishing ingredients will help to balance the state of your scalp, ensuring hair can grow at optimal rates.

This active formula contains four clinically tested ingredients designed to boost growth and density: the star inclusion, Redensyl, has been shown to be almost twice as effective as industry standard Minoxidil.

Affordable shampoos don't always reap rewards, but leading stylist Adam Reed has delivered a formula that belies its price tag. This crowd-pleasing cleanser contains coconut-based surfactants (they're the good ones) alongside baobab for moisture.

Use less than you think you'll need, and don't expect it to lather: it's designed to sweep away grime without foaming furiously. Trust us, it's better for your head.

The sulphate-free shampoos of old were lamented for their lack of lather – but Pureology’s gentle formulations foam up as well as any other. There’s specialist options for blonde or damaged hair, but the Hydrate iteration is a stellar all-rounder. It also smells particularly nice.

No one likes a rough beard, and the key to keeping yours soft is by using a specialised shampoo. Created by London's Murdock barbers, this one is rich in coconut oil to soften rough hairs while keeping the skin underneath happy at the same time.

If you live an hard-water area, it's likely your hair is taking a bit of a battering: the high levels of heavy metals can leave a coating on strands, making them look limp and feel fragile.

Hello Klean is a clever start-up designed to solve this very problem: its signature shampoo contains bamboo charcoal and lactic acid to gently lift the minerals that settle into each hair shaft, leaving lengths feeling serioisly clean and so much softer. In fact, it's so brilliantly effective, you'll be buying the coordinating conditioner and body wash in no time.

There are plenty of astringent shampoos out there for oily roots, but few that strike the balance just right (you want clean hair, not a screaming scalp). Parisian favourites Horace (who have just opened their first London store, by the way) offer this exemplary ginseng-boosted formula, which lathers up brilliantly and sweeps sebum away with ease.

Fine hair often falls flat at the root, so a good shampoo is requisite. L'oreal’s deep-cleansing bottle contains salicylic acid (of face-serum fame) to sweep away oil embedded within your follicles. It also works hard to leave your scalp and strands feeling extra clean, in turn delivering better volume, that should buy you an extra day (or two) in-between washes.

The exotic plant oils in Davines' creamy smoothing shampoo work to eliminate that just-washed fluff from the first use. It's brilliant on dry, coarse and damaged strands – if you're growing your hair long, take note too.

If your issues lie more with your scalp than your strands, it's time to start treating your head extra nicely. Act + Acre considers its thoughtful formulas to be 'skincare for your scalp', with every product designed to alleviate the imbalances that lead to dryness, flaking, and irritation.

The Hair Cleanse is a swift solution for seriously upset scalps: it's sulphate and fragrance free, yet effective enough to remove build-up of oils, styling products and dry skin.

This is no ordinary shampoo, so application takes a little effort: mix the product with water in your hands before applying to your head: you wont get a major lather, but you will emerge with a remarkably clean, calm scalp.

Infused with coconut oil and skin-kind surfactants, Kiehl's gentle shampoo is the formula to unite us all. It's kind on sensitive scalps, yet sweeps away oil and leaves ends feeling softened, not straggly. Use it daily, if you wish – it won't upset skin or induce frizz.

Nothing will miraculously turn the tide on a receding hairline, but a good hair thickening shampoo will impart more movement and volume to limp lengths.

Aveda’s acclaimed Invati shampoo uses salicylic acid to unclog follicles and stimulating plant extracts to kick them into gear. It won’t bring long-gone strands miraculously back to life – nothing will – but it will deliver quick aesthetic improvement.

While most anti-dandruff shampoos look like something you need to hide in the cupboard under the sink, Kérastase's major new launch combines a science-backed formula with luxury appeal.

The Symbiose shampoos contain piroctone olamine to reduce dandruff-causing bacteria, and salicylic acid to clear existing flakes and excess oil.

There are two to choose from: oily types should opt for the clarifying Bain Puréte, while dry scalps will enjoy the moisturising Bain Créme.

An in-shower tonic for the morning after, Malin + Goetz mint-infused shampoo will do good things for both your hair and your head. It's properly clarifying and lathers well, but won't leave dry strands feeling like hay.

Proof that grooming products can be both sustainable and sensorial, Haeckels' volumising shampoo is housed in a sandblasted glass bottle that can be easily recycled (even the pump is free from metal – a pricy move most brands won't invest in).

But that's not the sole reason to stick this one in your shower: the formula is boosted with kelp and panthenol that'll look after your scalp as much as your hair. Expect shiny, frizz-free lengths and a pleasant botanical scent.

Curly and coily hair types should look to a shampoo that conditions while it cleanses. Dizziak's cult-hero Hydration Wash is a heavily moisturising cleanser that sweeps away oil without drying your scalp or strands, leading to defined texture that isn't screaming out for a taming slick of gel.

Whether you’ve gone for a hue-enhancing tint or succumbed to the full Jonah Hill, a bleached head needs special care.

Many shampoos contain foaming agents that gradually strip the pigment in your colour, meaning it fades more quickly than it should. DP Hue's hairdresser-formulated shampoo is entirely 'colour-safe', meaning it'll help keep blondes bright and browns rich for weeks on end.