7 Expert-Approved Tips for Getting Thicker Hair (2024)

Dealing with thin, limp or flat hair and trying to figure out how to transform it into long, thick, voluminous locks? You're not alone: About two in five women deal with hair loss by age 50. There could be a multitude of causes, often involving "a combination of genetics, age, hormonal changes, lifestyle, health conditions, physical or emotional stress or simply from poor or wrong haircare practices," says GH Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann. "Identifying the underlying cause of hair loss is the most important step and should require consultation with a healthcare professional or a dermatologist, as the treatment options can vary depending on the cause."

Many of these factors can be controlled, even inflammation and genetic thinning, as long as they are evaluated for proper treatment and recovery, says William Gaunitz, FWTS, certified trichologist and founder of Advanced Trichology. "Symptoms of genetic thinning would be hair loss more prominent on the top of the scalp rather than the sides," he adds. "Symptoms of inflammatory thinning include itching and burning as well as flaking and redness in areas of hair loss."

So, if you feel like your hair is lacking fullness, not to worry — we have all the tips you need to bring your strands back to life. Between Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, nutritionist, hairstylist, dermatologist and trichologist experts, these hair pros are here to help. Ahead, learn how to thicken fine hair, including natural home remedies, what to eat to grow hair faster, professional treatments, products to use and more so you can start seeing thicker, fuller, longer hair.

1. Pick a thickening shampoo and conditioner

The easiest way to volumize your hair: opting for a thickening shampoo and conditioner. You're washing your hair anyway, so it's no extra work to use a thickening or volumizing shampoo."I prefer to go with the work-with-what-you-have approach by using hair products and styling tools to create volume, thickness and texture," says Devin Toth, celebrity stylist at Salon SCK in New York City.

"Shampoos and conditioners labeled 'volumizing' or 'thickening' usually contain fewer conditioning ingredients, so they don't weigh hair down,” explains GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek. They're a good foundation (but not a replacement) for styling products; the GH Beauty Lab recommends using the matching shampoo and conditioner set for best results, as they are formulated to work together. Try one of these top-tested Beauty Lab-approved picks:

2. Keep your hair and scalp healthy

This seems like a given, but getting great-looking hair is nearly impossible if you keep damaging it. "If someone wants thicker-looking hair, they should minimize the use of heat styling tools and refrain from using too much conditioner in the shower [to avoid weighing down hair]," Toth advises. If you still want to use your hot tools, taking precautions like using heat protectant spray is a must. Avoid tight hairstyles and over-washing your hair too, which will help minimize breakage and hair loss, helping it look thicker and stronger over time.

In addition to heat styling, Wizemann recommends avoiding frequent chemical treatments, as consistent use of "bleaching, perming, relaxing and dyeing can damage hair and lead to thinning," she says.

3. Eat to benefit your hair

Regularly consuming certain nutrients and foods can make a difference when it comes to having thick, lush strands. Seek out lean proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, B-complex vitamins and iron, suggests GH Nutrition Lab Director and Registered Dietitian Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O., C.D.N.

If you're dealing with general hair thinning throughout the scalp, the typical cause is "low nutritional blood levels of specific vitamins and minerals, including zinc, vitamin D3, folate, B12 and ferritin," adds Gaunitz. "You need to be in the optimal range of these blood levels, which is specifically in the middle or near the top of the medical range for maximum hair growth."

Top sources to support healthy hair growth include:

• Salmon
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Spinach
• Avocado

4. Add hair thickening products to your regimen

Starting your style with volumizing or thickening styling products can go a long way toward making your hair look fuller, faster. Here are a few to try:

• Leave-in thickening and volumizing products, like sprays, mousses, serums and gels are used on — and "left in" — damp hair to provide a bigger boost of fullness compared to shampoos and conditioners. "They coat hair to make it feel thicker and give it grip to help you manipulate strands into a voluminous look," Wnek explains. For best results, distribute the product from roots to ends to fully coat strands.
• Root lifting spray. "Hair flat to the head always looks thinner than hair that is lifted at the root," says Nick Penna Jr., owner and lead stylist of SalonCapri in Boston. "You can use a root lifter to give hair bounce and volume right at the start of the hair shaft."
• Dry shampoo can also give you an instant boost of volume. "Dry shampoo often contains powders like starches and minerals to increase the friction between strands and absorb oil, which creates volume," Wnek says. Revive limp or flat stands anytime by spritzing dry shampoo under sections of hair at the roots, then lightly brushing through.

5. Use color to create the illusion of fullness

If you're open to coloring your hair, adding a few subtle streaks into the mix could be the right way to go. "Highlighting hair adds the look of depth to strands," Penna says. "It gives your mane dimension, which creates the illusion of fuller locks instead of flat, single-toned hair." Talk to your stylist about the most flattering highlights for your face, or bring a photo of a style you already love to your consultation.

Prefer to skip permanent color? Keep in mind that the more of your scalp that's visible, the thinner your hair will appear. Fill it in a bit with a powder eyeshadow in a shade close to your hair color or with a powder root touch-up, such as GH Beauty Award winner Me Cosmetics The Scalp Foundation to hide balding spots. Added bonus: Powder root touch-ups can also help hair look fuller and more textured.

6. Get a strategic cut

Though getting "longer hair" and "thicker hair" are often simultaneous goals, sometimes, getting a haircut can actually make your hair look thicker. "If you have thin hair, opt for a cut that is short to medium length," advises Penna. "Often thin or fine hair that's very long can look stringy and even thinner since it's weighed down by the length."

• For straight hair, shorter cuts such as a blunt bob (or a long bob, a.k.a. "lob") can up volume, making strands appear denser by snipping off straggly ends that can drag your style down, advises Kevin Mancuso, global creative director for Nexxus Hair Care in NYC.
• If you have textured hair, no matter what your length, cutting layers all over will help reduce hair's weight, adding piecey-ness, lift and movement to both air-dried and blow-dried styles.

7. Consider a dermatologist visit

For serious thinning hair or hair loss, a session with a dermatologist (they also specialize in hair) may be needed.

"Hair that's naturally thin in diameter [fine] or sparse is genetic," says Joyce Davis, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in NYC. "Hair loss is often hereditary (or androgenic) thinning, which tends to be patchy."

Another common type is telogen effluvium (TE), or allover shedding, due to hormones or health issues such as thyroid or autoimmune disease and anemia. With TE, hair generally grows back once the problem is treated; see a doctor for diagnosis.

While shelves are packed vitamins and supplements claiming to stimulate hair growth, a prescription may be your best bet for something that truly works. "Female-patterned hair thinning is related to hormones and the sensitivity of the hair follicles to the hormones," explains Hadley King, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in NYC. "Hormonal prescription medications such as some oral contraceptives and spironolactone can be very effective in making hair thicker."

For androgenic loss, over-the-counter topical minoxidil (well known in Rogaine) is FDA-approved and proven to grow hair with continued use. For all types of hair loss, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), a newer in-office treatment, stimulates growth with scalp injections of your blood's growth factors, Dr. Davis says. You can also implement low-level laser therapy, notes Gaunitz.

"Minoxidil, low-level laser therapy and injections like PRP improve blood flow, cellular recovery and stem cells to the area of desired treatment," Gaunitz explains. "Over time, this may improve hair growth and thicken hair, but if the underlying cause of the loss has not been remedied, the results will be temporary or muted."

How long does it take to get thicker hair?

The key to improving hair's density is to be both consistent and multifaceted: "Good nutrition, proper hair care and possibly medical treatment can lead to improvements over time," advises Wizemann.

"Depending on which treatment modality is utilized, you may see results in as little as three months," says Gaunitz. In some cases, you may not see thicker hair and instead, hair would remain the same because "it's simply stopping the progression of the thinning," he adds. "If you do everything correctly, you should be seeing some improvement within 90 days, remarkable improvement by nine to 12 months and typically peak or maximum recovery within 18 to 24 months."

How can I get thicker hair naturally?

There are multiple ways to help promote thicker hair naturally, including "making sure you have all of the optimal levels of nutrition in your blood, performing scalp massages two to three times a week, eating a balanced diet in alignment with your blood type, exercising regularly and minimizing sugar intake," says Gaunitz.

Rosemary oil is a buzzy ingredient for hair growth right now. Though there aren't any studies that show it can actually thicken hair strands, there may be hair loss benefits to the natural ingredient: A 2015 study showed that rosemary oil may be as effective in treating androgenetic alopecia as 2% minoxidil.

Can I increase my hair's thickness?

"You can increase your hair's thickness past your genetic capability with the ongoing use of low-level laser therapy as well as minoxidil, but you must maintain the use of both to maintain the results," explains Gaunitz. The GH Beauty Lab has also evaluated the Aloxxi Thickening Serum; data showed that it actually increased the thickness of individual strands, and testers gave it top rankings for making hair look fuller.