5 Best Hair Thickening Products For Men in 2024

Whether you’re starting to notice more hair in your sink or less hair on your head, hair loss can be stressful. 

But it doesn’t have to be so bad — pairing over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription hair thickening products for men can help your hair look healthier and fuller, even if you’re genetically prone to male pattern baldness. 

Below, we explain what you can do if you’re noticing the early signs of hair loss and outline the best hair-thickening products for men to help you maintain your hair density as you age.

Before we get into specific product recommendations for strengthening your hair strands and getting fuller hair, let’s briefly go over what hair-thickening products are.

Hair thickeners are exactly what they sound like — products that stimulate growth and thicken the hair on your scalp. They include:

• Medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that stimulate growth and protect your hair from hormonal damage

• Shampoos and conditioners that thicken hair

• Hair-friendly supplements

Some of these products can treat androgenetic alopecia (AKA male pattern baldness), while others are all-purpose agents that improve hair growth and strengthen your hair to reduce breakage.

There is a lot of reliable scientific evidence to back FDA-approved medications for treating hair thinning. Other hair-thickening products seem promising but they don’t have quite the same amount of research to support their use just yet.

But let’s dive into our list of best hair thickeners and explore some of the scientific evidence behind them. 

So, let’s get down to it. Which products are worth using to thicken your hair, and which aren’t quite worth the price tag?

Currently, the most reliable products for healthy hair growth are minoxidil and finasteride, both approved by the FDA for treating male pattern hair loss. These medications should form the basis of your growth-promoting toolkit if you’re starting to develop hair loss.

Other products that can deliver hair health benefits include shampoos, conditioners and thickening sprays. These can help promote optimal hair thickness and, in some cases, make your hair appear fuller.

Here are the pros and cons of all these treatments.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a topical hair loss medication that moves your hair into the anagen or growth phase of the hair growth cycle. It also stimulates blood flow to your scalp, ensuring your hair follicles can access the nutrients they need for optimal hair health.

It’s available over the counter as a liquid solution or foam, making it convenient to add to your hair care toolkit. 

You apply it to the areas of your scalp affected by hair loss, usually twice a day. Most people who use minoxidil notice its effects after two to four months of consistent use, so it’s important to use it regularly for optimal results.

As an FDA-approved medication, minoxidil is backed up by a large amount of research showing that it’s safe and effective for promoting hair fullness.

For example, one 2004 study of minoxidil published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that more than 84 percent of men affected by hair loss rated it as very effective, effective or moderately effective for stimulating hair regrowth.

Minoxidil can cause side effects, but these are typically mild and rarely cause folks to stop using it as a hair loss treatment. 

Pros:

• FDA-approved

• Proven effective for treating male pattern baldness

• Available without a prescription

Cons:

• Takes time to work

Finasteride

Finasteride is a prescription oral medication for thinning hair. Unlike minoxidil, which stimulates hair growth at the scalp level, finasteride stops your body from converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that plays a role in male pattern baldness.

If you’re genetically predisposed to baldness, DHT can cause your hair follicles to slowly shrink in diameter, a process known as hair miniaturization. This affects your ability to grow thick, healthy hair. 

Our guide to DHT and male hair loss explains the relationship between DHT and damaged hair in more detail. 

Enter finasteride. 

Finasteride shields your hair from the effects of DHT, preventing genetic hair loss from worsening. It can also stimulate regrowth, giving you some extra thickness while protecting you from further baldness. 

Like minoxidil, finasteride is backed up by a lot of scientific research.

One study published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy found that over 80 percent of balding men treated with finasteride showed improvements after one year.

The same study also found that finasteride works even better when used with minoxidil, with 94.1 percent of men who used both medications showing improvements during the same period. 

Finasteride can cause side effects, including issues like erectile dysfunction (ED). But these only occur in a small percentage of men, with the vast majority reporting positive results with few problems.

We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. We also offer a hair loss spray that combines finasteride and minoxidil in a potent once-a-day formula. 

Pros:

• FDA-approved

• Proven effective for treating male pattern baldness

• Easy to use 

Cons:

• Requires a prescription

• Can take time to see visible results

Hair Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

When you’re looking to grow a thicker head of hair, it’s important to promote scalp health with the right kind of shampoo, conditioner and other hair products for your hair type. 

Many shampoos contain ingredients that target damage at the scalp level, helping to slow down or prevent hair loss. For example, our hair thickening shampoo contains key ingredients like saw palmetto to reduce DHT-related damage. Saw palmetto also moisturizes and provides weightless volume.

Similarly, our thickening conditioner is formulated by dermatologists and contains niacinamide to promote healthy hair and add hydration to dull, flat hair. 

Different types of hair, especially artificially colored or chemically treated hair, need different thickening shampoo and conditioner formulations, so be sure to read product labels carefully.

Volumizing shampoo and conditioner, which cleanse your strands and provide lift to make your hair appear thicker, are other options. These hair products help remove excess build-up from ingredients like sulfates and parabens that can weigh down your strands and even contribute to further hair loss. 

Another option? Our dandruff detox shampoo contains pyrithione zinc and salicylic acid to help treat dandruff-related irritation and hair fall. 

Our guide to what to look for in a men’s hair loss shampoo highlights active ingredients worth your attention, from saw palmetto to ketoconazole, salicylic acid and more. 

Pros:

• Readily available over the counter

• Can help make hair look thicker

• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Doesn’t directly treat hair loss

Hair Oils

If you’ve ever searched for natural hair thickening products, you’ve likely seen various hair oils recommended for stimulating growth, providing UV protection and helping your hair stay dense, thick and healthy.

Popular oils used in hair care products include tea tree oil, peppermint oil, argan oil, jojoba seed oil, castor oil and pumpkin seed oil. Many of these ingredients have a high fatty acid content, which may help to protect hair and prevent issues such as a dry scalp.

Currently, the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of hair oils in treating hair loss is limited, and most studies have been small in size.

However, some hair care products containing oils and other natural ingredients may be a helpful addition to your general hair care routine, especially if you use them alongside science-based hair thickening products such as minoxidil and finasteride.

Our list of natural oils for hair growth covers the latest scientific research on using natural oils to improve your hair health and explains which ingredients are worth looking for. 

Pros:

• Easy to find in OTC products

• Can help with issues like dryness

Cons:

• Limited research on benefits

Dry Shampoo and Hair Thickening Sprays

Dry shampoo is a multi-purpose hair styling product that can eliminate excess scalp oil and help you freshen up between washes. You apply it directly to dry hair — no H2O required.

While dry shampoo doesn’t physically make your hair thicker, it can give fine hair a fuller look by improving its texture and volume.

Similarly, hair thickening sprays can create the appearance of thicker hair by coating the hair shaft and providing additional volume. 

For the best results, try using these products as needed while promoting stronger, better hair growth using minoxidil and finasteride. 

Pros:

• Available over the counter

• Helps improve hair volume

• Refreshes hair between washes 

Cons:

• Doesn’t directly treat hair loss

When it comes to stimulating growth, preventing hair loss and maximizing your hair’s potential, minoxidil and finasteride are the best hair-thickening products on the market. Both are easy to use and, most importantly, highly effective at promoting thicker, healthier hair growth.

Other products, such as a good quality thickening shampoo and conditioner, can also enhance your hair’s appearance and keep it in an optimal state for sustained growth.

We offer a range of men’s hair loss treatments online that you can use to grow thicker, healthier hair, including those FDA-approved medications. 

When used effectively, these products can keep your hair healthy and looking its best, all while limiting DHT-related damage.

If you’re still looking to learn more about how to get thicker hair, our guide on how to get thicker hair for men will tell you everything you need to know.

Not sure where or how to get started with reversing hair loss? Get an online hair loss consultation or learn more about your options for promoting hair growth and thickness using our detailed guide to the most effective treatments for thinning hair.