Have you noticed more hair collecting near your shower drain? Has your hair started shedding on your clothes? If so, you’re not alone. Hair loss, whether it’s due to aging or something else, can really do a number on your self-confidence.
Fortunately, if you’re experiencing hair loss, there’s hope! Specialized shampoos can help reduce the amount of hair you lose while promoting new growth. Here are some of the best shampoos for hair loss in 2023.
Blu Atlas goes back to nature for some of the best anti-hair loss compounds. One of its star ingredients is saw palmetto, a plant extract that makes frequent appearances on the ingredient lists of shampoos that encourage hair growth. Some research indicates that saw palmetto extract helps to block the action of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), one of the main hormones that causes hair loss.
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Saw palmetto isn’t the only hardworking ingredient to be found here. Natural cleansing agents made from coconut clear away built-up oil, dirt and anything else that might be blocking your hair follicles and preventing new growth. Aloe vera juice helps keep your scalp healthy and conditioned. We love that a full 99% of the ingredients in Blu Atlas’s shampoo come from fruits, plants, minerals and other natural sources!
2. Botanical Green Care Hair Loss Therapy Thickening Shampoo
If you’re looking for a hair loss solution that relies entirely on natural ingredients, Botanical Green Care is the brand for you. Its Hair Loss Therapy Shampoo includes research-backed components including saw palmetto, niacin and biotin. Botanical Green Care also notes that this shampoo is especially effective for androgenic alopecia (hair loss due to testosterone and similar hormones) in both men and women.
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One of our favorite things about this shampoo is that each use feels like a spa day. While the ingredients are certainly functional when it comes to hair loss, they’re also wonderfully aromatic. As you let the shampoo sit on your scalp to take effect, you’ll get to breathe in the soothing smells of clary sage, rosemary, cedarwood, juniper berry, vetiver and more.
3. First Botany Cosmeceuticals Biotin Hair Loss Shampoo
Biotin is a common ingredient in shampoos designed to strengthen and repair hair. But it’s also useful in shampoos that promote the growth of new hair. Topical biotin (like the kind found in shampoos) may stimulate the production of keratin, one of the main proteins found in hair. When your body makes enough keratin, your tresses will grow in strong and healthy.
First Botany also includes a range of botanical ingredients, some of which block the effects of DHT on your scalp. Of course, shampoos usually can’t completely block the effects of DHT, but they can make a major difference.
4. LABO-H Hair Loss Relief Shampoo
When it comes to stopping hair loss, this shampoo from LABO-H means business. If you want your hair to grow optimally, you need a healthy scalp, and LABO-H’s unique probiotic blend helps you get there. This blend restores your scalp’s natural microbiome and strengthens the barrier that protects hair follicles from irritants and pollutants that might hamper hair growth.
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It’s also notable that this shampoo doesn’t contain any silicones. Some so-called “thickening” shampoos use silicones and similar compounds to coat each strand of hair. This may make your hair look thicker, but it can actually get in the way of new, healthy hair growth. When you overuse silicone-containing products, the hair follicles on your scalp can actually become plugged.
5. Luv Me Care Rice Water Hair Growth Shampoo
Despite the odd brand name, this shampoo actually works pretty well. One of its main ingredients is rice water, a nutrient-packed liquid full of amino acids, vitamin E and other compounds that support hair repair and the growth of healthy hair. Rice water is also a great moisturizer, and it can help stressed-out hair regain its suppleness and shine.
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This shampoo is free of parabens and potentially irritating artificial ingredients. When your scalp is irritated, your hair often won’t grow in as well as it could, so keeping your scalp in good shape is a must.
6. More Than 8 Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo
Right away, this artfully-designed bottle stands out, and also stands out in the ingredient department. More Than 8 is a brand specializing in Korean personal care products. In recent years, the rest of the world has begun to discover the benefits of traditional Korean haircare and skincare routines.
This shampoo’s main ingredient is matsutake mushroom extract, a potent antioxidant that strengthens and protects your scalp. Any time your scalp is inflamed or otherwise irritated, you might notice a decrease in hair growth—not a good thing if you’re already struggling with hair loss.
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This great product also doubles as a thickening shampoo. It works to restore damaged hair and increase elasticity, so your hair will look absolutely radiant.
7. Botanic Hearth Hair Loss Shampoo
With some shampoos, it can be tough to see exactly what their intended purpose is. Not so with this one. Hair Loss Shampoo primarily focuses on encouraging new hair growth by stimulating and nourishing your scalp. It also delivers valuable nourishment to your hair to help keep it healthy as you wait for new growth.
This shampoo primarily relies on three natural ingredients: tea tree oil, vitamin E, and jojoba oil. Tea tree oil is a great natural antimicrobial that helps cleanse your scalp of any harmful bacteria and fungi. Vitamin E is great for your hair and scalp: it boosts your hair’s strength and shine while supporting scalp health. And lastly, jojoba oil is a standout natural oil that’s very similar to natural skin oil. Especially if your scalp is naturally dry and/or flaky, jojoba oil will condition it without making it appear greasy.
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8. Shapiro MD DHT Fighting Shampoo
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading up on hair loss, you might already know that a significant portion of hair loss is due to DHT. This shampoo from Shapiro MD works to attack DHT from multiple angles. It includes several DHT-fighting ingredients, including saw palmetto, epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea extract), and pumpkin seed oil.
Many people just check the ingredients listed on a shampoo to see if they work, but it’s also important to verify that there’s enough of each ingredient for the shampoo to work properly. All of Shapiro MD’s products are backed by rigorous research, so there’s enough of each one to properly combat DHT.
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9. Ultrax Labs Hair Surge Shampoo
This gentle yet effective shampoo cleans your scalp and hair without stripping too much of your natural oils, nourishes hair follicles to encourage growth, strengthens your existing hair, and blocks DHT. It’s basically everything you want a hair loss shampoo to be.
It’s also engineered to help ensure that all active ingredients reach your hair follicles and stay there. Hair Surge is a little pricey, but Ultrax Labs stands by all of its products. Your purchase is risk-free—if you don’t like it, just send it back for a refund!
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10. Botanical Hair Growth Lab Thickening Shampoo
The appearance of the bottle is probably the least important decision factor in choosing a shampoo, but this one will sure look nice in your shower! Luckily, Botanical Hair Growth Lab Thickening Shampoo has effective ingredients to match its luxury aesthetic. A mixture of botanical ingredients blocks DHT, increases circulation to the scalp to energize hair follicles, and delivers proteins that your hair needs to help it grow.
We like that this shampoo targets DHT but works in other ways, too. That means it’s good for postpartum and menopausal hair loss and not just androgenic hair loss. With a clean scalp and restored follicles from this shampoo, you can rest assured that plenty of healthy hair is on the horizon!
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11. Nykaa Naturals Amla and Curry Leaves Shampoo
Here’s an ingredient combination you don’t see every day! Amla is another word for Indian gooseberry, a fruit whose extract might stimulate hair growth. Curry leaves aren’t your average leaves—they are full of antioxidants, iron, proteins and amino acids that sink into hair follicles to encourage hair growth.
Thanks to several types of fatty acids, Amla and Curry Leaves Shampoo can also add shine to your hair and help prevent further hair loss. We like that it’s free of parabens and has 100% natural active ingredients.
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12. Hair Science Formula 82S
This highly effective shampoo has an unusual and refreshing green apple scent, and doubles as a conditioner. We like that it both revitalizes your existing hair and stimulates new growth. Saw palmetto is its main anti-hair loss ingredient. Biotin, amino acids and other ingredients repair damaged strands and help your hair recover its shine and elasticity.
Formula 82S is powerful, but you’ll need to be patient when it comes to seeing results. After all, hair growth doesn’t just happen overnight! Hair Science says you’ll usually start seeing results in three to six months.
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13. ProBliva Hair Loss and Hair Re-Growth Shampoo
If you want a fuller head of hair as soon as possible, you need to both encourage hair growth and prevent hair loss. Fortunately, many of the best shampoos for hair loss take this dual approach. ProBliva’s Hair Loss and Hair Re-Growth Shampoo is primarily advertised as a DHT blocker, but it does a good bit to stimulate hair growth as well.
Green tea extract increases scalp circulation and cell metabolism, ensuring that all hair follicles receive the nourishment they need to grow hair. This shampoo also delivers some of those ingredients. It includes zinc, vitamin E, collagen amino acids, keratin, and jojoba oil in a stellar ingredient lineup.
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14. Nutrafol Root Purifier Scalp Microbiome Shampoo
This high-end shampoo might not have “hair loss” in the name, but it’s one of the best hair-loss shampoos out there. Why? Because having a healthy scalp microbiome is a prerequisite to voluminous, healthy hair growth. The microbiome is essentially an ecosystem of microbes living on your scalp. Nutrafol Root Purifier Scalp Microbiome Shampoo supports the growth of healthy microbes and helps create an optimal scalp pH.
This shampoo also includes a couple of natural ingredients to help boost the health of the hair you already have. Vegan proteins and Australian wild berries repair and protect each strand. The result is stronger, softer, healthier hair!
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15. Keeps Thickening Shampoo
An effective shampoo for hair loss starts with premium ingredients. That’s why the experts at Keeps only use ingredients backed by actual research. Biotin and saw palmetto are two of the main ingredients, and green tea improves scalp circulation to help stimulate hair growth.
Especially if you have sensitive skin, you’ll appreciate the fact that this shampoo is paraben-free. Parabens have been linked to health problems, but they also can irritate your scalp. And when your scalp gets irritated and flaky, your hair can start to shed.
16. SEGMINISMART Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo
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This brand uses an unusual marketing strategy—there’s a before and after photo comparison right on the bottle. Clearly, one of its main goals is hair regrowth, but this shampoo also works to balance oil production and strengthen existing hair to make it look thicker and fuller. It’s also an effective hair softener.
The ingredient profile is also a bit unusual. SEGMINISMART Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo uses ginger, ginseng, soapberry, and other botanicals to nourish and repair hair follicles. Ginger and ginseng are both excellent anti-inflammatories, and soapberry is full of vitamins to support hair health.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do hair loss shampoos work?
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Most hair loss shampoos work by suppressing dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is an androgen that promotes hair growth on your body, but it actually works against hair growth on your head. Saw palmetto is one of the main ingredients that inhibit the action of DHT, making you less likely to continue to experience hair loss.
Many of these shampoos also encourage new hair growth, although they do this in a few different ways. Some contain green tea extract or other sources of caffeine to stimulate blood flow to the scalp. Others include keratin and various other proteins to nourish hair follicles and help them grow new hair. And many include scalp-moisturizing and soothing ingredients like aloe vera juice. If your scalp is dry or inflamed, it becomes harder to grow new hair. In some cases, an inflamed scalp will even lead to shedding.
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What are some of the main active ingredients?
When you have a decent working knowledge of the typical active ingredients and how they work, choosing the best shampoo for hair loss gets a lot easier. Here are some of the compounds you’re likely to see on ingredient labels (and what they do):
Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto is one of the most popular ingredients in hair-loss shampoos, probably because it’s been more extensively researched than most other ingredients. It’s a plant native to much of the southeastern United States, and its sharp leaves grow in fan-like formations.
Some research suggests that saw palmetto berry extract blocks the action of an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. It might not stop hair loss altogether, but it often makes a significant difference.
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Rosemary
It turns out that rosemary is good for more than seasoning food. One study found that rosemary oil was actually more effective than the active ingredient in Rogaine when it comes to treating hair loss. Despite that fact, you won’t see it in many hair loss shampoos, but it’s definitely an ingredient to look for.
Aloe vera
There hasn’t been a whole lot of research into natural compounds and how they may stop hair loss. Aloe isn’t backed by research, but it’s traditionally been used as a treatment for hair loss. That might be because it’s rich in vitamins A, C and E. These vitamins help protect your scalp from free radicals and help your body create newer, healthier hair cells.
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Aloe vera is also an outstanding natural moisturizer. When used in shampoos, it both soothes and moisturizes your scalp. When you’re trying to grow more hair, it’s essential to keep your scalp in optimal health.
Biotin
Biotin (or vitamin B7) is the star ingredient of many thickening shampoos. It strengthens your hair follicles and boosts circulation, leading to better overall hair growth. However, as a shampoo ingredient, it seems to be more successful when it comes to thickening and volumizing your hair. Essentially, it’s not the most potent ingredient for hair growth, but it’s outstanding for improving your hair health.
Niacin
Niacin is another B vitamin—you may know it as vitamin B5 or nicotinic acid. This ingredient stimulates blood flow to your scalp, which is good news for your hair follicles. But perhaps most importantly, it stimulates keratin production.
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Your hair is approximately 90% keratin, so producing more of it is absolutely essential for hair growth! Topical niacin (like the niacin found in shampoos) can of course be helpful, but for best results, make sure you get enough niacin in your diet, too.
Indian gooseberry
Different parts of the world seem to emphasize different ingredients. Indian gooseberry is especially popular in Thailand. There’s some research suggesting that it inhibits DHT and therefore slows hair loss. Some evidence also suggests that it works against collagen breakdown, which is definitely a good thing when you’re trying to maintain or grow your hair.
Pumpkin seed oil
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Like saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil may reduce the amount of testosterone that converts to DHT. That said, there hasn’t been much research done on its benefits.
Are there any ingredients I should avoid?
When you’re trying to regrow hair, you’ll want to be very careful with the ingredients you put on your scalp. Even some common ingredients can be bad news when it comes to hair loss.
Sulfates
Sulfates can cause significant problems for just about anyone. That’s because they strip oil from your scalp and hair. Granted, lifting up some oil is good, as too much oil buildup can block the hair follicles and irritate your scalp. But when too much oil is eliminated, your hair can dry out and break, leading to even more hair loss.
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Of course, that’s not to say that you should select a shampoo that doesn’t adequately cleanse your scalp. If too much oil, dirt and hair product is built up, your scalp can become inflamed. An inflamed scalp is never comfortable, and it often causes further hair loss. Your best bet is to choose natural, sulfate-free cleansers that are gentle yet effective.
Guar gum and silicones
Some ingredients in thickening shampoos, like guar gum and silicones, can also cause issues. Thickening shampoos may use these compounds to create a thin coating over each strand of hair. That’s great for making your hair look instantly thicker, but if your goal is long-term growth, it can quickly cause problems. These ingredients also coat your scalp, blocking your hair follicles. When this happens, your scalp won’t get enough oxygen, and it becomes much harder for new hair to grow.
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Parabens
Parabens are also good to avoid. They are chemicals used to extend the shelf life of shampoos and similar products. However, scientists are beginning to understand that parabens have more adverse effects than we once thought. They can disrupt the endocrine system significantly, and they can inhibit hair growth by causing extensive scalp irritation.
Propylene glycol
If you can, avoid propylene glycol as well, especially if you have sensitive skin. This is a somewhat confusing ingredient: even though it’s a type of alcohol (and alcohols have drying effects), it can help to replace the natural oils removed by sulfates and similar ingredients. Still, propylene glycol is very likely to dry out and irritate your scalp, getting in the way of hair growth.
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Is hair loss shampoo the same as thickening shampoo?
Not necessarily, although many shampoos accomplish both goals. Hair thickening shampoos usually include keratin and other proteins to strengthen your hair. They may also include natural oils (like argan oil) for lasting hydration. These ingredients may help stimulate hair growth, and they often are found in shampoos targeted for hair loss.
However, silicones and similar ingredients in some thickening shampoos can clog hair follicles and ultimately make it more difficult to regrow your hair. When you’re selecting a shampoo, take a careful look at the ingredients and read about how the shampoo works before making your purchase.
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Tips for minimizing hair loss
Shampoos for hair loss are only part of the picture. If you want to maximize your results, do as much as you can to both encourage new hair growth and minimize hair loss:
Don’t vigorously brush your hair when it’s wet
Wet hair is especially prone to breakage. If you do brush or comb it right after washing, be very careful! When you brush your hair, a brush with soft bristles made from natural fibers is a good option. Softer bristles are less likely to pull out strands of hair, and they’re also great for evenly distributing oils from your scalp.
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Eat a nutritious diet
In some cases, hair loss can be caused by nutritional deficiencies—iron deficiencies are especially notorious for this. Eating a well-balanced diet can help minimize your risk of a nutrient deficiency. It’s also important to eat enough lean protein, as hair is made almost entirely of protein. It’s possible to have a nutrient deficiency without even knowing it, so it may be a good idea to ask your doctor for a blood panel.
Stay away from dyes and highlights
Especially if you are dyeing your hair a lighter color, hair dyes can be incredibly harsh. Dyes containing bleach can dry out your hair, make it brittle and lead to further hair loss.
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Minimize heat styling
Like dyes, heat styling tools can also wreak havoc on your hair. You probably already know that heat can damage your existing hair, but did you know that it can damage your hair follicles, too? Heat dries your hair follicles and makes serious damage more likely. And if your hair follicle is damaged enough, it may not continue to grow hair. Even hot oil treatments may cause damage if your hair is already brittle.
Do your best to manage stress
Hair loss is connected to a number of health conditions. But if you have a high stress load from day to day, you may start noticing hair loss as well. You can’t always avoid sources of stress, but you can discover healthy ways to manage your stress. Meditation, exercise and spending time with family or pets can be helpful.
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Stop smoking
Not everyone knows that smoking can have negative effects on your hair health, but it can damage your follicles and the hairs themselves. Some research has even linked smoking to premature hair loss.
Wash your hair regularly
Washing your hair too often might cause increased hair breakage, but not washing it enough has its own perils. When dirt and oil have too much time to build up on your scalp, your scalp can become inflamed and irritated, getting in the way of new hair growth. Try alternating between a regular shampoo for your hair type and one on our list of the best shampoos for hair loss in 2023.
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Stay away from tight hairstyles
If your hair is already prone to falling out, pulling it tight for prolonged periods of time will only make the problem worse. Avoid very tight braids, ponytails or other styles that pull your hair.
