Here is the single most important thing I can tell you about hair loss shampoo: There is no such thing as “hair loss shampoo.” I don’t want you to expect to be able to suds up with a bottle of bubbly—only to feel down when it doesn’t spur regrowth. You can snag a shampoo for thinning hair that will volumize your strands, but my best advice is not to put too much pressure on your shampoo and instead invest in real hair loss treatments like minoxidil and finasteride if you’re worried about hair fall.
“In general, given the short contact time that shampoos have with our hair follicles and our hair, they are much less likely to have major effects when it comes to growing hair in cases of androgenetic alopecia,” says board-certified dermatologist Mona Mislankar, MD, founder of Cincinnati Skin Center and co-founder of Oathology Skincare. “Additionally, focusing on scalp health and keeping the hair follicles clean and without excess scale and inflammation is more likely to be beneficial to achieve healthy hair.”
So, if you are experiencing hair loss, what should you look for in a shampoo? You came to the right place. Read on for my picks across various scenarios, as well as what Dr. Mislankar suggests looking for in a men’s thinning hair shampoo.
The Best Shampoos for Men with Thinning Hair, at a Glance
The Best Shampoo for Thinning Hair Overall: Davines Naturaltech Replumping Shampoo
The Best Anti-DHT Shampoo for Thinning Hair: Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Ketoconazole 1% Shampoo
The Best Volumizing Hair for Thinning Hair: Sachajuan Ocean Mist Volume Shampoo
The Best Stimulating Shampoo for Thinning Hair: The Grey Stimulating Shampoo
The Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Thinning Hair: Hims Max Volume Shampoo + Conditioner
The Best Thickening Shampoo for Thinning Hair: Patricks Shampoo Plus Ultra Thickening Shampoo
The Best Shampoo for Thin Hair: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo
Why we love it: I can’t emphasize enough that your hair-thinning shampoo should not focus on treatments for hair loss but should instead work to improve same-day hair appearance—leaving room for other products and habits to target actual hair loss. That’s why I am such an advocate for Davines’ plumping shampoo. Yes, it has the trappings of a nourishing bubbly thanks to its antioxidant-rich formula, but it won’t fry your strands or compromise its everyday structure. This allows you to go in with a thickening conditioner or volumizing styler and then achieve the volumizing results you desire.
It does suit most hair types, but guys with naturally fine hair and actively thinning strands will benefit most. So, while most everything else on this list promises some performative measure, I encourage you to keep things simple: Choose a shampoo that actively works to fortify strands and prevent future damage, but which moreover has conditioning properties to keep your cuticles closed off so that subsequent products can be applied to a fully soothed, smoothed, and healthy head of hair.
Why we love it: As Dr. Mislankar points out (and as some studies support), the dandruff-neutralizing active ingredient ketoconazole is probably the best active ingredient for countering dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a the hormonal byproduct that shrivels up hair follicles in male-pattern baldness. Because of this, derms frequently recommend it for hair loss and dandruff, and I’ve had success using it; however, like most products with this active ingredient, I find it to be drying, so I always chase it with conditioner to help ward off frizz.
Still, I think every guy should own this shampoo and deploy it once a month or every two weeks to mitigate flakes and help mitigate DHT-induced hair lossd. Always, always follow it with a nourishing conditioner (and a thickening or volumizing one, should you want those results, too).
Why we love it: One of my favorite products from one of my all-time favorite haircare brands. Sachajuan’s refreshing shampoo gives you noticeably fuller and defined hair after each use, and I swear the light catches my strands differently after sudsing up with it, too (must have something to do with the added texture and definition). Chase it with the companion Volumizing Conditioner for truly revved-up fullness, even in regular and fine hair strands that are otherwise easily weighed down by bulkier options.
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