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The 12 Best Shampoos for Fine Hair

Major volume is just a wash away.

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best shampoo for fine hair
Graham Pollack for Ceremonia

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Like all of our favorite hair products, we ask a lot from our shampoo. At its most basic, of course, it needs to clean our hair. But a great shampoo should also hydrate and nourish—and in the case of the best shampoos for fine hair, it should boost volume to limp styles, too. After filling our shower with bottle after bottle promising to amplify our fine hair, we rounded up the below list of the best volume-boosting shampoos, featuring top-reviewed formulas, editors' picks, and expert intel from Natalia Rojas, a senior colorist at NYC The Team salon in New York. Find your new favorite ahead.


Expert Pick

shu uemura Muroto Volume Lightweight Care Shampoo

Muroto Volume Lightweight Care Shampoo

Pros

  • Silicone-free

Cons

  • Over $50

Rojas recommends this luxe shampoo, made with mineral-rich Japanese Depsea water. It's ultra-gentle and lends just the right amount of volume to make styling hair after the shower a breeze.

For: Coily, curly, straight, and wavy hair

Customer Review:

"My hair is naturally straight and fine. I've tried several shampoos but they all were either to heavy, oily or bad for my scalp. This shampoo leaves my hair feeling soft, healthy and smells amazing." —MariaGMendoza

Best for Shine

Saltair Volume Boost Thickening Shampoo

Volume Boost Thickening Shampoo

Pros

  • Safe for color-treated hair

Cons

    Housed in recyclable aluminum packaging, this shampoo's thickening power is courtesy of flower-derived peptides and antioxidant bioactives. It also leaves hair looking ultra-shiny, and so soft you won't be able to stop touching it.

    For: All hair types

    Customer Review:

    "This made my hair look so healthy! I was blown away. I usually stick to salon products from my hair salon, but I haven’t had a chance to get over there in between appointments! This stuff is awesome!" —emilydana7

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    Best for Mature Hair

    Better Not Younger Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo

    Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo

    Pros

    • Safe for chemically-treated hair
    • Nice scent

    Cons

      Better Not Younger targets mature hair, which most of the time means a lack of volume of thickness. This biotin-infused shampoo adds volume and fullness to strands, while utilizing bamboo and hops (yes, the same ingredient that's in beer!) to nourish the scalp. Plus, the formula boasts a refreshing sage scent for a spa-like experience.

      For: dry, fine, thin hair

      Customer Review:

      "I have used this product for a couple of years. I am an older woman with long hair whose hair has gotten thinner in time. It really works to help make my hair feel thicker and stronger. I don’t see as much hair in my brush any more. And I’m not allergic to it either. Have those issues with some products. Great product. TY"

      Best for Fine, Thin Hair

      Andrew Fitzsimons Body Volume Boosting Shampoo

      Body Volume Boosting Shampoo

      Pros

      • Luxe fragrance

      Cons

        This shampoo from celeb hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons's line has the one-two punch of a protein-based complex that boosts the keratin hair structure as well as caffeine to promote growth.

        For: thin and fine hair

        Customer Review:

        "I am obsessed! It makes my hair feel clean and actually adds volume while also leaving my hair feeling conditioned. This is magic!!! I cant say it enough." —Liz

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        Best Sulfate-Free

        Ceremonia Weightless Hydration Champú de Yucca for Fine/Thin Hair

        Weightless Hydration Champú de Yucca for Fine/Thin Hair

        Pros

        • Doesn't strip away hair's natural oils

        Cons

          Many sulfate-free shampoos lack that luxurious lather, but this formula retains it thanks to the magic of yucca extract. It also features witch hazel to cleanse the scalp and vegan keratin to boost volume. It's ultra-lightweight but still deeply cleansing.

          For: fine, thin, or oily hair

          Customer Review:

          "This is the only shampoo I've used for years now. I love the smell, the weight, how it rinses very clean and is never drying. I wash my hair pretty often compared to others (usually every other day—old habits die hard) and this shampoo is so gentle I don't really feel bad about it." —Mariel K

          Best for Breakage

          Nexxus Unbreakable Care Shampoo For Fine & Thin Hair

          Unbreakable Care Shampoo For Fine & Thin Hair

          Pros

          • Color-safe

          Cons

            If your hairbrush is always a web of hair each time you run it through, try this strengthening shampoo. A blend of biotin, keratin, and collagen amino acids lends volumizing power, and helps reduce breakage.

            For: All hair types

            Customer Review:

            "Very pleased with the 'Unbreakable' shampoo and conditioner. These products are the best I’ve ever used on my thin hair. Nexxus, please don’t ever change or discontinue these!" —Cassie01

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            Best for Balance

            Divi Volumizing Shampoo

            Volumizing Shampoo

            Pros

            • Color-safe

            Cons

              Divi's products focus on scalp health and hair growth, and their shampoo helps with those goals. In addition to hair-plumping biotin, it has several ingredients that help balance the scalp's oil production, including tea tree oil, postbiotics, and green tea.

              For: Thin, fine hair, dry hair

              Customer Review:

              "I have really been enjoying using divi since having my second child. I feel like my hair loss is much less than not utilizing Divi after my first pregnancy. I don’t have as many “baby hairs” this time around. I have enjoyed it so much that I signed up for the monthly subscriptions!" —Megan R.

              Best Drugstore

              Dove Beauty Thickening Volume Lavender Shampoo

              Thickening Volume Lavender Shampoo

              Pros

              • Has a calming lavender scent

              Cons

                This Dove shampoo punches above its weight class when it comes to delivering benefits for the price (less than an iced coffee!). Inspired by French hair rituals, the mild formula doesn't over-strip oils as it leaves hair with a fuller appearance.

                For: All hair types

                Customer Review:

                "Cleans well and has a subtle lavender scent that is pleasant, not overpowering at all. Seems to add a bit of volume to my hair as well." —Alison

                Best Micellar Shampoo

                Philip B Weightless Volumizing Shampoo

                Weightless Volumizing Shampoo

                Pros

                • Safe for color and keratin-treated hair

                Cons

                  The not-so-secret ingredient in Philip B's lightweight shampoo is micellar water, which soaks up excess sebum at the scalp and allows hair at the root to thrive to its full voluminous potential. Even better, it has rosemary, green tea leaf, and sunflower and aloe extracts to soften and condition hair too.

                  For: Coarse, curly, dry or damaged, fine, normal, oily

                  Customer Review:

                  "Leaves my hair fuller and shiny, not dry. I alternate with the gentle conditioning shampoo, using this one about every third wash." –JK

                  Best for Aging Hair

                  Kevin Murphy PLUMPING.WASH

                  PLUMPING.WASH

                  Pros

                  • Also helps with thinning

                  Cons

                    Reviewers are obsessed with this thickening shampoo from Kevin Murphy, which is infused with antioxidants and amino acids to nourish hair and help protect it from environmental stressors. And although it is suitable for anyone with fine hair, those with mature hair will especially love its strengthening benefits.

                    For: all hair types

                    Customer Review:

                    "Love this product paired with the plumping rinse. My hair is certainly fuller after using it." —Elizabeth M

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                    Best for Salon-Esque Body

                    Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo

                    3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo

                    Pros

                    • Has cumulative benefits so hair looks fuller over time

                    Cons

                      Reviewers swear this formula gives them that shampoo-commercial bounce like they just left the salon. That's thanks to the multiple protein complexes, omega-rich sea buckthorn, or the other nourishing ingredients in the mix.

                      For: fine, limp, or flat hair

                      Customer Review:

                      "I have a lot of fine but heavy hair. This shampoo truly gives me the best volume I’ve ever experienced." —Cynthia M

                      Best for Instant Results

                      John Frieda ULTRAfiller+ Thickening Shampoo

                      On Sale
                      ULTRAfiller+ Thickening Shampoo

                      Pros

                      • Silicone-free

                      Cons

                        Fortified with biotin and plumping hyaluronic acid, this shampoo is all about instant gratification. Compared to an average shampoo, this one can increase hair volume by up to 200 percent(!) in just one wash.

                        For: fine and damaged hair

                        Customer Review:

                        "Definitely an improvement for my this fine hair. Noticeable after first use. Highly recommend. I'm 81 and have tried lots of products!"

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                        Frequently Asked Questions

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                        What Is Fine Hair?

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                        There's a misconception that fine hair and thin hair are the same thing. But that's not the case, explains Rojas: "Fine hair [speaks to] the thickness of the hair strand. You have a lot of hair in a small diameter," clarifies the stylist. On the other hand, thin hair refers to less hair in a certain area of the scalp (as in, hair that is thinning). "There are fewer strands of hair growing," says Rojas.

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                        What Type of Shampoo Is Best for Fine Hair?

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                        The right shampoo for fine hair is all about restoring volume. "Volumizing shampoo can help thicken the hair by plumping the cuticles of the strands," says Rojas. "It helps create a thicker appearance and lifts the roots."

                        Meet the Expert

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                        • Natalia Rojas is a senior colorist at NYC The Team salon in New York.
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                        Why Trust Harper's Bazaar

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                        For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women of every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in beauty by working with the world’s leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, hair care, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.

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