What’s the Best Volumizing Shampoo to Combat Thin Hair?

While male-baldness is now considered a norm, many people don’t realize that women are just as likely to experience thinning hair. Two-thirds of women will experience significant hair loss in their lifetime.

Of those women that deal with thinning hair, 40% of hair loss is due to styling products used. This means it’s important to know what’s in your products, especially your shampoo.

When dealing with thinning hair, many people look for the best volumizing shampoo to help stop the effects. The problem is, they often don’t realize what’s in those products that may increase damage to their hair. To find the best volumizing shampoo for thinning hair, it’s important to look out for these hidden ingredients.

What to Avoid for the Best Volumizing Shampoo

Thinning hair happens for any number of reasons.

• Poor nutrition
• Stress
• Genetics
• Harmful styling products

All these factors work together to damage your hair and increase loss. When facing increased hair loss, it’s tempting to look for the “volumizing” label and leave the rest to work itself out. Volumizing shampoo is not created equally though.

Before you make a decision on new hair products, make sure you check the ingredients. Some common shampoo ingredients may actually add to your hair loss or create other health issues.

Retinyl Palmitate

Retinoids are actually good for skin and hair, so you may think retinyl palmitate is a good ingredient to add to your hair care. The problem is, retinyl palmitate converts back to retinol when it comes in contact with skin.

Retinols cause skin irritation such as peeling or scaly skin. This can increase hair loss when it affects the scalp. Retinols also cause itching which means your adding to the problem by scratching your scalp through the day.

Alcohol

You’ve probably never considered the alcohol content of your shampoo. The truth is, most shampoos do have alcohol in the ingredient list.

Some alcohols are okay for your skin. Cetearyl or stearyl alcohols can increase moisture which is helpful for thinning hair. Most alcohols increase the drying effects of shampoo though.

Parabens

Parabens are common in shampoos, even in those labeled as natural options. Many shampoo manufacturers include parabens because they act as a preservative against bacteria.

While this sounds like a good thing, parabens actually mimic hormones in your body. Parabens can act like estrogen in your system.

If your body believes it has an excess of estrogen this can increase hair loss. This mimicking of hormones can also increase your chances of cancer.

Formaldehyde

Some shampoo manufacturers will use a strain of formaldehyde as a preservative. Yes, the same chemical used to preserve bodies.

You may have difficulty identifying formaldehyde in an ingredient list. Manufacturers label this ingredient under different names depending on the chemical process used to create the preservative. Look for common names such as:

• Methaldehyde
• Methanal
• Oxomethylene

Make sure you’re aware of the many names formaldehyde can take in an ingredient list.

Sulfates

Sulfates are another common ingredient in shampoos. Sulfates can take many names, but they will always include some form of the word sulfate in the listed name.

Sulfates strip oil from your hair. This makes the hair feel cleaner, but the process also strips useful oils that keep your hair and scalp moisturized. The loss of moisture causes brittle hair that easily breaks off, increasing the thinning process.

Fragrances and Dyes

Shampoos are often treated with different fragrances and dyes to make them more appealing to the senses. The problem is, these are usually synthetic products.

Synthetic fragrances and dyes can cause scalp irritation, especially if your scalp is already sensitive. This is due to phthalates that are common in the synthesizing process.

Sodium Chloride

Sodium chloride is commonly used in shampoos to thicken them. As you can tell from the word sodium, this substance is salt.

Salt can irritate and dry your scalp. This is another way shampoos can decrease needed moisture so that hair thins more rapidly.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a foaming agent. Many shampoos labeled natural include this ingredient since the chemical comes from coconuts.

Most people look for a foaming agent in their shampoo because it makes them feel like the hair is cleaner afterward. The problem is, these foaming agents actually irritate the scalp.

Dimethicone

Dimethicone is a silicone substance that creates a cover over the hair follicles. People like the shininess associated with this ingredient, but it actually weighs your hair down.

Dimethicone acts as a plastic coating that increases build-up in your hair. This product also keeps helpful nutrients and moisture away.

This plastic substance also clogs the pores in your scalp. This ingredient causes irritation and decreases hair volume.

What to Look for in Volumizing Shampoo

Don’t be fooled by a natural label. Many of these products contain harmful ingredients. Many of the ingredients actually strip your hair of necessary moisture and nutrients.

When choosing a volumizing shampoo, make sure you look for nutrient-rich ingredients, such as needed vitamins and minerals that strengthen your hair.

Shampoos that include B vitamins are a good option. For instance, B5 helps hold in moisture to strengthen your hair.

You should also look for shampoos with gentle detergents. Reducing the use of harsh detergents actually protects your hair from breakage.

Look for a shampoo with a slightly acidic level. Somewhere between four to six pH level is the best option for volumizing effects.

When using a scented shampoo, make sure they use natural fragrances. You can also choose shampoos with no added fragrances to ensure no reactions.

Products to Prevent Hair Loss

When fighting hair loss and thinning, sometimes you need something more than the best volumizing shampoo. Depending on the amount of hair loss you experience, diet changes and other natural options may decrease the problem.

For significant hair loss, other treatment options may prove necessary. For more information about the options available to prevent hair thinning, check out the hair loss products we have available. Our products are dermatologist recommended, so you know your getting products proven to help.