How Can Shampoo Thicken Hair?

There are a lot of events that can lead to our hair thinning out of the blue. A poor diet, stress; however, the biggest for women our age is triggered by menopause.  

According to the Cleveland Clinic, hormone changes give rise to nearly 30 million U.S. women experiencing a condition called female-pattern hair loss (FPHL), or androgenetic alopecia. 

When looking for solutions to remedy the situation, a shampoo that can thicken your locks while cleaning them seems like a no-brainer. After all, you need to wash your hair anyway. Why not use a product that makes it appear thick and more voluminous, too? 

However, you are probably wondering, how can shampoo thicken hair? Great question, because while many shampoos claim to address hair thinning challenges, not all of them are formulated to do so. Continue reading to learn about shampoo that can help improve your hair's appearance and treat the underlying causes of age-related hair loss. 

How to Know if You Are Experiencing Shedding or Hair Loss 

How do you know if the thinning you are experiencing is normal shedding or hair loss? According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), women shed about 50 to 100 hairs every day on average. When you start seeing hair clumps on your brush or coming off in your hands while shampooing, you are likely experiencing androgenic hair loss. 

This type of hair thinning starts creeping in as we reach our 40s. Our bodies start producing less of the sex hormones that activate follicle fibers, leading to marginal testosterone dominance. 

Due to environmental and aging changes, a portion of our follicles quit making new hairs completely. Our strands grow in finer, shed, and never regenerate. 

What You Should Know About Thickening Shampoo 

Regular shampooing already gives your hair additional volume because dirt and grease weigh down your tresses. By incorporating ingredients to nourish and clean your hair follicles, companies that produce thickening or volumizing shampoos intend to help make your hair appear plumper or fuller. 

Of course, not every shampoo is formulated equally, and many of them have a hard time delivering on their big promises. 

The Difference Between Thickening and Volumizing Shampoos 

Shampoos like Better Not Younger’s Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo are intended to make your tresses appear fuller; therefore, they usually use featherweight ingredients that won’t bog down your strands at the roots. 

On the other hand, thickening shampoos target individual strands of hair rather than just the roots. These shampoos work by infusing your strands with a vitamin and protein to draw in moisture for additional girth. Other companies use synthetic ingredients to achieve the same results. 

Thickening Shampoo Letdowns 

A lot of women feel let down with their shampoos because they often don't work as expected. These thickness layers only last until your next shower. By continuing to use certain thickening shampoos, you may experience buildup, which only increases fine hair flatness. 

To clean buildup from your hair, many women turn to clarifying shampoo, which contains heavy sulfates. These sulfates can weaken your hair structure, strip away natural oils, inflame your scalp, and cause split-ends and breakage. Age-related hormone fluctuations escalate these challenges, leaving you with brittle, thinning hair. 

Moreover, there is a limit to how thick your hair can get with these shampoos. 

Strand Thickness Limitations 

A B-5 vitamin called panthenol, and the protein keratin, are the primary ingredients in many thickening shampoos. B-5 penetrates your scalp to attract moisture to your strands, while keratin protects your hair's cuticle layer. 

Aging, fine-textured hair types are limited to how much water they can hold and how much swelling they can experience. This means it may leave the women who use these products with more scalp exposure than they would like. 

Volumizing shampoos create the appearance of fullness by lifting your strands by the roots. 

Give Yourself Fuller, Thicker Hair Using a Volumizing Shampoo 

The best shampoos for fine-textured and thinning hair are ones formulated to treat these issues on multiple levels. Find a lightweight product packed with nutrients to foster hair health, stimulate blood flow to your scalp, offset age-related problems, all while adding volume and shine. 

Better Not Younger’s Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo targets your scalp and follicles and adds a three-dimensional body to your fine hair. Wake Up Call is a sulfate-free product, which means it uses mild surfactants to cleanse your hair and scalp gently. There is no residue or buildup, leaving your hair bouncy and clean. 

Our shampoo includes ingredients to maximize lift and fortify follicle structure for long-term volume: 

• Meadowfoam seed oil — Because it contains long-chain fatty acids, meadowfoam seed oil functions as an emollient, establishing a protective seal over your hair and scalp to lock in moisture. It also controls frizz, adds luster, and gives you a silky-smooth mane.
• Caffeine — Caffeine is well-known for increasing blood circulation to the scalp, encouraging hair follicle health.
• Argan oil — Our shampoo also contains argan oil, an ingredient that gives your hair fullness and body while providing anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and vital micronutrients like vitamin E and omega-6. All of it is crucial for vibrant skin and hair.
• Sage — This organic astringent balances scalp oil production and cleans your follicles. Sage can also clear your scalp of bacteria, buildup, and free radicals.
• Biotin — Biotin enhances your hair’s keratin infrastructure, increases hair fullness, and minimizes scalp inflammation.
• Bamboo — Bamboo is an ingredient that contains 70% silica, which is crucial for your hair, skin, and nails. Bamboo also improves moisture retention, making your fine hair appear fuller and shinier. 

After you shampoo, use Better Not Younger’s Wake Up Call Volumizing Conditioner. This sulfate-free conditioner helps to further hydrate, smooth and add manageability to thin, flat hair without weighing it down.

Use BNY’s Sulfate-Free Shampoos for Thicker-Looking Locks 

Are you dealing with thinning hair? Don't stress. Better Not Younger shampoos can help. 

To recap, thickening shampoos may be limited in what they can do for you and may leave you with buildup and less scalp coverage than you would like. BNY’s Wake Up Call Volumizing Shampoo is mild and lightweight and contains ingredients to address your age-related hair challenges while nourishing your locks from the inside out. 

Learn more about Wake Up Call and check out the entire Better Not Younger product lineup on our Shop page.