Hair Stylists Are Begging You to Avoid These Types of Shampoos if You Have Fine Hair—& to Buy *These* Instead
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I say I’m “fine” a lot. But, as my father noted in his speech at my wedding, I almost never mean it in the sense of Merriam-Webster’s first definition of the word, which simply reads “all right.” Rather, my personal version of “I’m fine” usually means I’m slightly irritated and best left alone. (It’s taken my husband years to take note of my dad’s speech and become fluent in what I mean when I say “I’m fine.”)
Another arena wherein the definition of the word “fine” gets… hairy? Your hair. Contrary to common belief, fine hair and thin hair aren’t the same. And understanding the difference between the two is a prerequisite for effectively selecting products that’ll help care for your strands best—like by picking the best shampoos for fine hair.
Best Shampoos for Fine Hair at a Glance
Best Overall: R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, $38
Best For Color-Treated Hair: Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo, $28
Best Drugstore: Nexxus Diametress Volume Shampoo, $16
Best For Dry Hair: Maria Nila True Soft Shampoo, $32
Best For Curly Hair: R+Co Bleu Soft Bounce Shampoo, $44
Best Moisturizing: ALURAM Volumizing Shampoo, $20
Best Hydrating: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, $37
Best for Breakage-Prone Hair: Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume, $49
Best Thickening: Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo, $21
Best Budget: Nexxus Unbreakable Care Anti-Breakage Shampoo, $16
Best For Tangle-Prone Hair: Ouai Fine Shampoo, $24
Best Volumizing: Unite Boosta Volumizing Shampoo, $35
Best for Postpartum: Zenagen Revolve Thickening and Hair Loss Shampoo, $48
Best for Thinning: Nutrafol Root Purifier Shampoo, $33
Best Vegan: Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo, $48
To be sure, that selection is a trickier task than many might realize. “It’s a common misconception that thin and fine are the same,” says Nashville-based celebrity stylist Emily Bochette. “With fine hair, the actual strands are smaller [than with thick hair]. Finer hair lacks the inner structure in the hair shaft called the medulla, which causes the smaller diameter of each strand.” Thin hair—which can be fine but doesn’t have to be—has more to do with total hair density and growth than girth, if you will, of each strand.
One way to test if your hair’s texture is fine, says Nashville- and Los Angeles-based celebrity hair stylist Kayla Kaplan, is to do a strand test: “Pluck a strand of hair and rub between your fingers. If you can’t really feel it, you have fine hair,” she says. “You also can compare the strand to thread; if your strand is thinner than thread, it’s considered fine.”
After correctly identifying that you indeed have fine hair, next comes correctly caring for it. Stylists are here to help you pinpoint the best shampoo for your fine hair.
What to Look for (and Avoid!) in Shampoos for Fine Hair, According to Stylists
When selecting a shampoo for fine hair, it’s best to adopt a “less is more” mentality in terms of the ingredients. “You should search for a shampoo that’s made with lightweight ingredients that promote scalp health and add volume to the hair,” says Kaplan. Some of those (not-so) heavy-hitter lightweight ingredients include biotin, keratin, and chia seed oil—and a number of others, depending on your specific needs.
When it comes to picking the best shampoo for fine hair, knowing which ingredients to avoid is perhaps as important, if not more so, than knowing what to look for. They’re essentially the flipside of the same coin. So, while the ingredients to look for are those that are lightweight and volumizing, the shortlist of what to avoid includes ingredients that’ll flatten your hair.
“You should avoid anything too heavy or thick, as it will weigh the hair down,” says celebrity stylist Kathleen Riley. “You should also avoid sulfates and silicones because they can dry out the hair and also weigh the hair down.” Kaplan adds that avoiding hydrating oils and heavy moisture in a shampoo for fine hair is a smart move, too.
Also smart is remembering that no single product will be the best product for your hair forever and ever. For all types and textures, shampoo cycling can help refresh your hair, Bochette says: “You need to be switching up your hair products every three months or so because your hair can become used to the products, which will make them less effective.” With that in mind, you might want to click “add to cart” for several of the best shampoos for fine hair, so you can cycle through them.
Experts in This Article:
Emily Bochette: Nashville-based celebrity stylist
Kayla Kaplan: Nashville- and Los Angeles-based celebrity hair stylist
Kathleen Riley: Celebrity stylist
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BEST OVERALL
R+Co, Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo
Dallas from R+Co bills itself as “good for anyone with thin, fine hair looking for thickening benefits.” Kaplan backs up those claims, calling it a winner thanks to its lightweight ingredients that add volume. “It also smells great, ia vegan, and cruelty-free,” she says.
Key ingredients:
Biotin
Pro vitamin B5
Saw palmetto berry extract
Coconut oil
Scent
“Dark Waves,” which is a blend of cardamom, pineapple, tangerine, lavender, bamboo, and blonde woods
Pros:
Strengthening
Paraben-free
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Cons:
Price
BEST FOR COLOR-TREATED HAIR
Redken, Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo
According to Bochette, this shampoo from Redken, which is formulated for all hair types and textures—not just fine hair—is especially great to use for “revitalizing hair after a color session.” The shampoo claims to be able to repair a year’s worth of visible damage in just one use. So, if you’ve been getting a lot of color treatments, enjoying your fair share of UV light, or doing at-home blowouts on the reg, this shampoo might be a good option to revive your fine hair.
Key ingredients
Citric acid
Pros:
Sulfate-free
Paraben-free
Suitable for color-treated hair
Cons:
Not specifically formulated with fine hair in mind
BEST DRUGSTORE
Nexxus, Diametress Volume Shampoo
“I love this shampoo for fine hair because it gives amazing volume to the hair,” says Riley. Given that promoting volume is a key goal of a shampoo for fine hair, this attribute of Nexxus Diametress Volume, specifically formulated for fine and flat hair, is worth highlighting. Its two key ingredients, green tea extract and elastin protein, work to nourish, strengthen, and moisturize hair, all without weighing it down—and all at a wallet-friendly price.
Key ingredients:
Green tea extract
Elastin protein
Pros:
Price
Silicone-free
Cons:
Contains sulfates
BEST FOR DRY HAIR
Maria Nila, True Soft Shampoo
Even though this shampoo includes oils in its formulation (argan oil, sunflower seed oil, moringa oil and shea butter), Kaplan says it’s the exception to her rule of fine-haired folks needing to avoid oil-rich and moisturizing products. Even with those ingredients, she says it’s still magically super light—and it’s her favorite recommendation for people who have dry or color-lightened fine hair: “It prevents the hair from feeling straw-like, but also won’t weigh it down.”
Key ingredients
Argan oil
Shea butter
Moringa oil
Sunflower seed oil
Scent
Floral scent of lily, jasmine, and rose
Pros:
Sulfate-free
Paraben-free
Vegan
Moisturizing
Anti-frizz
Cons:
Not the best choice for people who don’t have color-lightened fine hair or who have oily hair
BEST FOR CURLY HAIR
R+Co Bleu, Soft Bounce Texture & Curl Shampoo
“This shampoo is lightweight, yet allows the hair to have soft bouncy curls,” says Kaplan. “It has a great citrus, floral smell and its banana fruit extract nourishes waves and curls,” she says. Other standout ingredients include vegan keratin, and restorative black seed oil, among others, contributing to a strengthening, nourishing, detangling formula that allows curly fine hair to shine in more ways than one.
Key ingredients
Chia and flaxseed polysaccharides
Bleu molecule complex
Banana fruit extract
Black seed oil
Keramatch vegan keratin
Scent
“Bleu waves,” a sparkling, citrus floral
Pros:
Nourishing
Strengthening
Paraben-free
Anti-frizz
Cons:
Price
Optimal just for curly hair
BEST MOISTURIZING
Aluram, Volumizing Shampoo
“Aluram is coconut water-based…which hydrates the hair shaft, which is missing the medulla,” says Bochette. As a reminder, fine hair strands are marked by a shorter diameter than thick hair, due to lacking the inner strand structure of a medulla, which thicker hair has. Aluram’s formula seeks to hydrate and protect strands from the inside-out in order to protect hair’s vitality—along with nourishing hair, promoting shine, and promoting fullness.
Key ingredients
Coconut water
Rose extract
Rice protein
Scent
Coconut
Pros:
Price
Vegan
Sulfate-free
Paraben-free
Color-safe
Cons:
Might not be as volumizing as other options
BEST HYDRATING
Pureology, Hydrate Moisturizing Shampoo
Bochette’s favorite hydrating product, Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, adds moisture to dried out strands and nourishes the scalp, for root-to-end hair health. It isn’t formulated just for fine-haired folks, either—meaning you can share it with whomever else might use your shower.
Key ingredients
Jojoba oil
Rose extract
Green tea extract
Sage extract
Scent
Lavender, bergamot, patchouli
Pros:
Sulfate-free
Color-safe
Vegan
Cons:
Price
Formulation might be on the heavier side
BEST FOR BREAKAGE-PRONE HAIR
Oribe, Shampoo for Magnificent Volume
Strengthen your hair and also give it weightless height by gifting yourself Magnificent Volume from Oribe. A blend of botanical ingredients delivers benefits like plumping, follicle protection, and anti-aging properties, in addition to a bevy of other locks wins that are worth locking in.
Key ingredients
High-tech polymer blend
Lupine protein
Saw palmetto extract
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Moringa seed extract
Scent
Côte d’Azur: Calabrian bergamot, white butterfly jasmine, and sandalwood
Pros:
Paraben-free
UV protecting
Cons:
Price
BEST THICKENING
Amika, 3D Volume & Thickening Shampoo
A common dilemma of a shampoo is being able to clean the hair without drying it out or weighing it down. That’s exactly what Amika’s 3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo aims to do. The inclusion of Redensyl, a hair-growth ingredient, in the formulation means the shampoo can help with a fuller mane.
Key ingredients
Redensyl
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Scent
Warm vanilla, spicy sweet clover, fresh citrus
Pros:
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Paraben-free
Sulfate-free
Cons:
Formulated for all hair types; not targeted to just fine hair
Not for those who might get irritated by Redensyl
BEST BUDGET
Nexxus, Unbreakable Care Anti-Breakage Shampoo
Nexxus created this shampoo specifically for fine hair that’s prone to breakage. “This shampoo creates natural fullness in the hair while protecting it from breakage,” says Riley. Specifically, it achieves this effect by strengthening strands’ inner fibers, protecting hair from the inside out.
Key ingredients
Biotin
Keratin protein
Collagen amino acids
Pros:
Price
Sulfate-free
Paraben-free
Silicone-free
Safe for color-treated hair
Cons:
Salon-like scent might not be for everyone
BEST FOR TANGLE-PRONE HAIR
Ouai, Fine Hair Shampoo
Formulated for the purpose of thickening fine hair, Ouai’s Fine Shampoo is certainly more than just “fine.” Inclusive of ingredients that’ll volumize, moisturize, and protect your ends from breakage, it deserves a spot in your shower if you have fine hair. “I love this shampoo because it has biotin, chia seed oil, and hydrolyzed keratin,” says Riley.
Key ingredients
Biotin
Chia seed oil
Hydrolyzed keratin
Scent
“Mercer Street,” which includes top notes of Italian lemon, orange, peony, iris, and lily
Pros:
Cruelty-free
Gluten-free
Paraben-free
Phthalate-free
Safe for color-treated hair
Cons:
Strong scent might not be for everyone
Unite, Boosta Volumizing Shampoo
One of Bochette’s favorite options for volumizing fine hair, Boosta from Unite offers a thick formulation that aims to cleanse and protect, thanks to coconut oil, while adding moisture and weightless volume, thanks to its pro-vitamin B. So basically, you can consider this to be a unicorn product.
Key ingredients
Coconut oil
Pro-vitamin B
Scent
Coco banana
Pros:
Color-safe
Sulfate-free
Paraben-free
Cruelty-free
Cons:
Thick texture might not be for everyone
BEST FOR POSTPARTUM
Zenagen, Revolve Thickening & Hair Loss Shampoo
Bochette says this option from Zenagen is one of her staples for people with fine hair dealing with hair loss, whether following pregnancy or otherwise. Use it three times a week to achieve denser-looking hair, thanks to its nutrient-rich, plant-based formula.
Key ingredients
Red clover extract
Green tea extract
Lavender extract
Saw palmetto
Pros:
Vegan
Color-safe
Paraben-free
Cons:
Price
BEST FOR THINNING HAIR
Nutrafol, Root Purifier Scalp Shampoo for Thinning Hair
Nutrafol’s hair-thinning solution also addresses flaky-scalp issues and is safe for color-treated hair. It’s also a physician-formulated shampoo that’s undergone clinical trials to back up its claims of improving hair health, volume, and texture. To up the ante on its purported effects, consider pairing with its hair-growth supplements.
Key ingredients
Vegan protein
Prebiotics
Biosurfactant
Scent
Elevated, effervescent, light citrus scent
Pros:
Physician-formulated
Color-safe
Sulfate-free
Cons:
Price
Formulated for all hair types; not just targeted to fine hair
BEST VEGAN
Vegamour, Gro Revitalizing Shampoo
Formulated to help hair look thicker, fuller, and healthier, Vegamour’s Gro Revitalizing Shampoo leans on vegan ingredients, like Karmatin—a vegan alternative to keratin—to help strengthen strands and gentle cleanse.
Key ingredients
Karmatin
Caffeine
Biomimetic peptides
Biotin
Scent
Bergamot
Pros:
Vegan
Color-safe
Phthalate-free
Silicone-free
Cons:
Price