TL;DR
We love Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray for its long-lasting volume and UV protection. If you'd prefer to add volume while you shower, you can't go wrong with R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Conditioner, which strengthens each hair strand over time.
Big, voluminous hair is back, but we're not all blessed with naturally thick strands. Whether you've always had fine hair or are experiencing thinning due to stress, hormonal changes, or aging, hair thickeners can add volume, body, and fullness to your hair. These products typically fall into two categories: volumizing and texturizing. Texturizing sprays work by depositing product onto the hair and wrapping around each strand to create a fuller look, while volumizing formulas penetrate each strand to plump them from the inside out.
"Look for anything that adds fibers to the hair. It's the best bet to be sure that the hair itself will expand in size," says Las Vegas-based hairstylist Haley Curnutt. Thickening agents like silica silylate and starchy ingredients like maltodextrin or silk powder work particularly well.
We researched the best hair-thickening products to learn which ones live up to their claims, including shampoos and conditioners, leave-ins, sprays, lotions, powders, and pomades. We also considered our editors' experiences with thickening products and called on an expert hair stylist for her opinion. We combined all these insights to curate this list of thickening products that deliver real results.
Best Overall
Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray
Long-lasting volume
Strengthening with amino acids
UV protection
Can get sticky if over-applied
Product Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Thickening copolymers, amino acids | Size: 6.8 oz
This thickening spray has a well-deserved fan following, working overtime to lift your roots and add all-day body while protecting your hair from heat and UV rays. Oribe Maximista calls on copolymers (texture enhancers and style holders) to create fullness and amino acids to strengthen each individual hair.
This product is safe for keratin blowouts and color-treated hair. Spritz it onto your damp hair, working through one section at a time, then blow-dry or style as usual and watch your hair reach new levels of volume. But be careful not to over-apply; some reviewers say the product can make hair feel sticky if used excessively.
Best Budget
Kristin Ess Instant Lift Thickening Spray
Promotes shine
Works on all hair types
Helps smooth the appearance of split ends
Can be drying if over-applied
Product Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Keratin, pea protein | Size: 8.45 oz
Our favorite budget-friendly option is this thickening spray from Kristin Ess. It's a lightweight spray that's meant to be applied on towel-dried hair before blow-drying to add body and lift to the roots and lengths of the hair. Star ingredients include strengthening keratin, hydrating chia seed oil, and texturizing copolymers. It also adds shine and helps smooth the appearance of damage and split ends. If you have dry hair, we recommend just using a bit and finishing off your style with a hydrating hair oil to avoid over-drying.
Best Strengthening
Mielle Organics Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil
Supports healthy growth
Smooths split ends
Budget-friendly
May weigh down fine hair
Product Type: Leave-in oil | Key Ingredients: Biotin, essential oils | Size: 2 oz
You'll have to play the long game for hair that's genuinely thicker and doesn't just appear that way temporarily. That's where this strengthening oil from Mielle comes in. It's designed to deliver nutrients to the root of your hair when applied directly to the scalp and left to absorb. The nutrient-rich blend is infused with growth-boosting biotin and contains upwards of 30 essential oils. It also hydrates every follicle, smooths split ends, and stimulates the scalp. Consider its TikTok virality justified.
Best Conditioner
R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Conditioner
Long-lasting volume
Smooths split ends
Supports healthy growth
Some reviewers experienced tangled hair after use
Product Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Biotin, vitamin B5, saw palmetto | Size: 2, 8.5, 33.8 oz
As the saying goes, everything's bigger in Texas and this conditioner is aptly named. Made specifically for folks with thin, fine hair, the volumizing formula leans on saw palmetto—an ingredient shown to improve hair density—to expand your hair and pump it with soft volume. It's also infused with biotin to strengthen strands and provitamin B5 to increase smoothness and shine. The only negative we came across is some users found their hair tangled more easily, but that can be remedied with a good detangler.
Best Splurge
Oribe Serene Treatment Spray
Noticeable results
Supports healthy growth
Strengthening with biotin and peptides
Not ideal for those who don't wash their hair frequently
Product Type: Treatment spray | Key Ingredients: Biotin, peptides, thickening copolymers | Size: 4.2 oz
If you're open to splurging on a product that’s produced legit results, we recommend Oribe Serene Scalp. The spray-on treatment fortifies with biotin and peptides to promote healthy growth, then coats every hair with copolymers to deliver a fuller, thicker head of hair.
It's a great option if you want convenient application, but it's worth noting that it needs to be applied on clean, damp hair and used consistently to produce results. If you're a wash-twice-a-week person, this probably isn't the ideal treatment for you.
Best Serum
Vegamour Gro Hair Serum
Lightweight texture
Great for all hair types
Nongreasy formula
Best used as a spot treatment
Product Type: Serum | Key Ingredients: Turmeric, nicotiana benthamiana, red clover | Size: 1 oz
Many of us have small areas of thinning hair we want to target, and this Vegamour Gro Hair Serum is specifically designed for that. The serum is formulated with anti-inflammatory turmeric, density-boosting nicotiana benthamiana (a plant native to Australia), and red clover to help promote new hair growth and prevent hair loss. Thousands of reviewers have seen incredible results with this best-selling serum, and it's a great option for all hair types. However, if you're looking for more fullness all over your head, this one likely won't cut it.
Best Night Treatment
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum
Minimizes shedding
Promotes healthy growth
Noticeable results
Can leave hair feeling greasy
Product Type: Leave-in treatment serum | Key Ingredients: Redensyl, procapil | Size: 2 oz
According to The Ordinary, this leave-in treatment is best applied directly to the scalp right before bed. The concentrated, no-nonsense formula contains redensyl and procapil—breakthrough ingredients shown to improve hair density, stimulate the scalp, reduce shedding, and promote healthy growth. Reviewers say it can leave hair feeling greasy, but if you shower in the morning you've still given the serum enough time to work while you were sleeping.
Best Cream
Living Proof Full Thickening Cream
Softening with emollient blend
Noticeable results
Conditioning
Reviewers say more product is needed than advertised
Product Type: Leave-in cream | Key Ingredients: Thickening molecule, emollient blend | Size: 3.7 oz
If Jennifer Anniston, the hair goddess herself, didn't convince you of the powers of Living Proof when she was the face of the brand, allow us to sway you. Lack of texture can make hair appear thin and flat, and this cream addresses the issue with finesse. Formulated with the brand's mysterious yet effective "thickening molecule," it deposits what are essentially teensy-tiny dots on your hair, making it look bigger and fuller.
After testing the product ourselves, we loved that the cream made our hair look fuller whether we wore it down or just wanted to boost a simple ponytail. It actually felt like it made our hair healthier rather than just increasing volume, so it’s a must-have for thicker hair in our book.
Best Texturizing
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Volume Texture Spray
Long-lasting texture
Versatile
Holds styles
Heavily fragranced
Product Type: Aerosol spray | Key Ingredients: Thickening copolymers, zeolite, silk powder | Size: 3.6 oz
Reach for Bumble and Bumble's Dryspun Spray to give thin hair a little oomph. Whether you want beachy waves, a fuller updo, texturized curls, or just a refresher for second-day hair, this product has you covered. Thickening ingredients zeolite and silk powder absorb excess oil at the scalp, preventing strands from being weighed down and adding plenty of texture and volume. The overall result is more dimension and body with a lifted and airy effect.
Best for Blow-Drying
Alterna Caviar Multiplying Volume Styling Mist
Strengthening
Smooths split ends
Supports healthy growth
Not ideal for air-drying
Product Type: Styling spray | Key Ingredients: Keratin, biotin, amino acids, algae, kelp | Size: 5 oz
Alterna's Multiplying Volume Mist coats your hair with a smoothing, strengthening blend of keratin, biotin, and amino acids, while algae and kelp work to plump individual strands. Though it can leave hair feeling a bit stiff if you let it air-dry, a few spritzes before you blow-dry will yield smooth, stunning results—with plenty of volume, of course.
Best Leave-In
Amika 3D Daily Thickening Treatment
Noticeable results
Supports healthy growth
Smells amazing
The spray mister can be a bit inconsistent
Product Type: Leave-in spray | Key Ingredients: Redensyl, thickening copolymers, rice protein, vegetable protein | Size: 4 oz
Amika's 3D Thickening Treatment pulls out all the stops to deliver fuller-looking hair. We're talking redensyl for density and healthy growth, hydrolyzed proteins to smooth, strengthen, and protect, and copolymers for instant oomph. We love how it smells, and that it's not too heavy or greasy on fine hair types. We just wish the spray mister worked a little better.
Best Pomade
Qhemet Biologics Nourishing Pomade
Strengthening
Budget-friendly
Supports healthy growth
Can be greasy on fine hair
Product Type: Pomade | Key Ingredients: Castor oil, amla oil | Size: 4 oz
A pomade can be super useful for thicker hair that soaks up nourishing oils. Qhemet Biologics made this hair-healthy pomade to help boost growth, nourish the scalp and ends, and soften the hair. The vegan formula contains amla oil (a popular ingredient in ayurvedic beauty) and castor oil to hydrate, soften, strengthen, and thicken your hair while reducing shedding and encouraging growth. As with most pomades, it can be heavy on fine hair, so you might have to experiment before landing on the right amount of product to use if you try this one.
Great for all hair types
Balances oils
Hydrating formula
Boosts volume and hair strength
Some reviewers experienced heavy, greasy hair after use
Product Type: Shampoo | Key Ingredients: Vegan protein, prebiotics | Size: 8.1 oz
The shampoo you use can majorly impact the health, look, and feel of your hair. This one is amazing for anyone dealing with thinning hair but covets that bouncy, full look. The fortifying formula strengthens the hair and balances the scalp by supporting its natural microbiome using probiotics. It also rids the scalp of excess oil while helping to maintain necessary hydration for fuller, healthier, and more voluminous-looking hair. It can feel a bit heavy on finer hair though, so we recommend potentially double-shampooing to remove any excess product.
Best for Root Volume
BondiBoost Hair Thickening Therapy Styling Spray
Good for colored hair
Prevents breakage
Long-lasting texture
Cool mint can be overpowering for sensitive scalp
Product Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Biotin, vitamin B3, amaranth extract | Size: 4.23 oz
BondiBoost’s Hair Thickening Therapy Styling Spray provides volume, thickness, texture, and body without weighing down the hair as it lifts from the root plumping each strand. It contains biotin and collagen to strengthen strands and boost growth, hydrating aloe to condition and magnesium sulfate for texture and body. In addition to preventing split ends and breakage, this spray gets bonus points for being vegan and cruelty-free. While we love the refreshing mint scent, it might be too intense for more sensitive scalps.
Best for Daily Use
OGX Thick & Full + Biotin & Collagen Shampoo
Promotes hair growth
Budget-friendly
Safe for colored and treated hair
May be too oily for some hair types
Product Type: Conditioner | Key Ingredients: Vitamin B7, biotin, collagen | Size: 13 oz
If you want your hair to grow longer, become stronger, and have more volume and bounce, this conditioner is for you. We love the star ingredients of biotin and collagen found in this OGX conditioner, which is designed specifically for those with fine hair. The volumizing features of the conditioner help lift the hair at the roots, giving the hair a fuller look and effectively masking thinner hairs. As with other serums and conditioners on this list, this one may way down some hair types, so we suggest using sparingly.
Best Multitasker
Joico JoiFULL Volumizing Styler
Boosts shine
Protects against heat
Body without crunchiness
Too much can product can weigh some hair types down
Product Type: Spray | Key Ingredients: Thickening copolymers, amino acids | Size: 3.38 oz
We love a multitasking product, and while a few on this list have numerous benefits, this is the only one that, apart from adding texture and volume to your hair, imparts shine that lasts up to 24 hours. The styler contains silica-rich bamboo extract for instant volume, and amino acid-packed rice extract to strengthen strands over time. Plus, it acts as a heat protectant for those partial to blow-dryers and styling tools, and a humidity guard to lock in your style. This one really does all the things.
Best Root Cover-Up
Color Wow Root Cover Up Powder
Hides grays
Adds shine to hairline
Waterproof ingredients
Limited shades
Product Type: Hair compact | Key Ingredients: Zinc Stearate, reflective crystals, emollient blend | Size: 0.07 oz
One of the telltale signs of thinning hair is an increasingly wide part or more visible scalp in general. Plus, as we age, we may see more and more grays, especially at the roots. This cover-up power by Color Wow is intended to camouflage grays, but it does a good job of disguising thinning, too. Simply dab it on wherever needed and it will help touch up and conceal the contrast between the scalp and hair, providing a more full and thick appearance.
Thickens hair instantly
Helps detangle and condition
Strengthens hair over time
Not a lot of product for the cost
Product Type: Hair mask | Key Ingredients: Rice starch, polymers, Vitamin B5, sunflower extract | Size: 6.7 oz
Add this nourishing mask to your haircare routine and you'll get more voluminous-looking hair instantly, and stronger, thicker hair long term (sounds like a pretty good deal). Designed for use a couple of times a week as a deep treatment, the product fortifies strands with sunflower and rosemary extracts, hydrates with vitamins B5 and E, and plumps strands with rice starch and densifying polymers. Reviewers love how it softens and volumizes their hair but those with long strands felt they only got a couple of treatments out of the small container.
Best for Thinning Hair
Rogaine Women's Rogaine Hair Regrowth Treatment
Proven to help regrowth
Contains conditioning humectants
Dermatologist recommended
Requires consistent, long-term use
Product Type: Regrowth treatment | Key Ingredients: Minoxidil | Size: 2.11 oz
If your hair is actually thinning as opposed to just naturally fine, reach for the Rogaine. Formulated with doctor-recommended minoxidil, which is clinically proven to encourage hair regrowth by activating and stimulating the follicle, this foam helps thicken hair when used consistently every day. It even works for those with alopecia. It also contains AHAs (chemical exfoliants regularly used in skincare) to help open the hair follicle and increase the effectiveness of the minoxidil, supercharging the results. This one takes patience, but after a month or two of consistent use reviewers raved about the results.
Best Dry Shampoo
Olaplex Detox Dry Shampoo
Weightless lift
No white residue
Instantly thickens
Some reviewers felt it could have absorbed oil better
Product Type: Dry Shampoo | Key Ingredients: Zeolite, rice starch, maltodextrin | Size: 6.3 oz
When you need instant root lift, dry shampoo can help—especially this one from Olaplex, which boasts a laundry list of plumping ingredients. Ultra-fine micro starches including zeolite, maltodextrin, and rice starch, absorb excess oils from the scalp and provide airy lift while simultaneously wrapping each strand in a plumping film, creating the appearance of thicker strands. Unlike many dry shampoos, this one won't leave a white residue behind, so feel free to spray it with abandon.
What to Look for in Hair Thickening Products
- Intended Use: The main thing to look for when buying a hair-thickening product is its intended use. Look for the words "thickening," "volumizing," "strengthening," "texturizing," "full," "plump," or "lift" in the name or on the label. These terms usually mean a product is formulated to thicken the hair or at least make it look thicker.
- Formula: Hair-thickening products come in many forms. There are shampoos and conditioners, lotions, sprays, mousses, pomades, powders, and treatments. While you can stock up on one of each type, we recommend considering the unique needs of your hair and the look you're going for to figure out what'll work best. Remember, texturizing formulas work instantly by depositing product onto the hair to create a fuller look while volumizing formulas work over time by penetrating strands to plump them from the inside out.
- Ingredients: The ingredients list can tell you a lot about how a product works and whether it can live up to its claims. Hair-thickening products are often made with ingredients such as biotin, collagen, amino acids, zeolite, peptides, and niacinamide (vitamin B3), which help strengthen and plump the follicles and promote growth. You might also see options with castor oil or essential oils, which can help nourish the scalp and encourage hair to grow fuller. With texturizing sprays and powdery formulas, you'll want to look for thickening agents like silica silylate and starchy ingredients like maltodextrin or silk powder.
Why Trust Byrdie
Theresa Holland is a beauty and lifestyle product writer with over a decade of experience writing for some of the biggest publishers out there. She considered dozens of hair thickening products for this roundup, evaluating each on active ingredients, targeted results, and value. She also consulted with our product testers who tried out top-rated products for their insights.
This article was updated by Byrdie beauty commerce writer Alyssa Kaplan and freelance beauty and wellness writer Esme Benjamin in 2024.
Additional guidance was provided by:
- Haley Curnutt, a Las Vegas-based hairstylist who specializes in balayage color.