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The Best Hair Thickening Shampoos for Men
Get more volume in less time with these body-building formulas
The grooming industry isn’t exactly known for its straight-talking pragmatism, but there’s a special kind of hyperbole reserved for the hair-thickening category. Wash your head with a caffeine-steeped solution and wake up with Jared Leto lengths? Perhaps, if you buy into everything you read on those tube ads.
But you're not the kind of man that believes every well-angled before-and-after thrown in front of your eyeballs during the morning commute: you want a thickening shampoo that’ll simply bring better volume and movement to the hair you’ve got.
While there’s no magic formula for resurrecting a long-departed hairline (outside of a transplant, anyways), there is a wealth of effective thickening shampoos out there that’ll build body and plump up a limp barnet.
Why Your Hair Might Be Thinning
But first, why exactly is your hair looking thinner? It’s easy to blame the pandemic (as we do for our forehead wrinkles and that new-found urge to go out every single night) but stress isn’t the only factor that can lead to lacking lengths. “There are multiple reasons why one's hair might thin over time and determining the underlying cause can be multi-faceted, often requiring an assessment by a hair-loss expert,” explains Dr Bessam Farjo, Hair Restoration Surgeon at Farjo Hair Institute. He outlines the main culprits as genetics – “roughly 90% of hair loss in men is down to genetic reasons” and the ageing process, as older strands tend to be thinner and have less pigment.
As Darren Fowler, Kérastase Expert and owner of Fowler35 adds, there are external factors to consider too. "These can include anything from a habit of running your hands through your hair continuously to using the wrong comb or brush."
Do Thickening Shampoos Actually Work?
So, are thickening shampoos worth a go? Yes – but if you’re imagining yourself as the Eurovision lad, adjust your expectations: we’re talking density, not growth here.
“Thickening shampoos work by physically swelling the hair follicles individually,” says Dr. Farjo. “This gives the temporary appearance of more volume. So, while they have some effect, it's not a real treatment for thinning hair. The results will also stop once you stop using the shampoo.”
That said, if you simply want a little extra volume in the morning, these are the thickening shampoos that'll really deliver.
The Best Hair Thickening Shampoos For Men
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