7 Hair Stylist Secrets and Tips for Thicker, Fuller Hair (2024)

No one wants thin, flat, limp hair, so we get why you're a little envious when you run into that woman with the impossibly thick and bountiful strands. Well, that can be you, too. Just follow these tips straight from Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists and hair pros for how to permanently thicken fine hair naturally, including home remedies and what to eat to grow hair faster and get thicker, fuller, longer hair overnight, in a week, and in a month.

1. Pick a thickening shampoo and conditioner

If you don't want to try expensive extensions or experiment with supplements, there's always the tried-and-true method of volumizing: opting for a thickening or volumizing shampoo and conditioner. "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 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.

2. Keep your hair and scalp healthy

This seems like a given, but getting great-looking hair is nearly impossible when you're constantly damaging it. "If women want thicker-looking hair, they should minimize the use of heat styling tools and refrain from using too much conditioner in the shower," Toth advises. Taking precautions like using heat protectant spray and not over-washing your hair can help it look thicker and stronger over time, too, by minimizing breakage and hair loss. And lay off the tight hairstyles, too!

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 Director and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, CSO, CDN. 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, fast. 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 and provide more fullness boost 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," Penna explains. "Women can use a root lifter to give their 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 the 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 a using a hair color spray, like Bumble and bumble Hair Powder. Hold it out about 10 inches from your scalp and spray it onto your roots.

6. Get a strategic cut

Though "longer hair" and "thicker hair" are sometimes used interchangeably, in reality, they're totally different. "If you have thin hair, opt for a cut that is short to medium length," advises Nick Penna Jr., owner and lead stylist of SalonCapri in Boston. "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 strategic layers all over will help reduce hair’s weight, adding pieciness, lift, and movement to both air-dried and blow-dried styles.

7. Consider a dermatologist visit

One in four American women reports thinning hair — and that doesn’t count those born with wispy or sparse strands. 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 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 RX is your best bet for something that truly works. "Female-patterned hair thinning is related to our hormones and the sensitivity of the hair follicles to the hormones," explains Hadley King, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. "Hormonal prescription medications such as some oral contraceptives and spironolactone can be very effective in making hair thicker."

For androgenic loss, the over-the-counter topical minoxidil (most well-known in Rogaine) is proven to grow hair with continued use. For all types of hair loss, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), a newer dermatologist's-office treatment, stimulates growth with scalp injections of your blood’s growth factors, Dr. Davis says.