Including shampoos, serums, and overnight hair masks
Scalp Expert-Recommended Hair Growth Products
- Helps with Hair Density: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum, $19 (orig. $24)
- Made by a Trichologist: Philip Kingsley Body Building Weightless Shampoo, $39
- Improves Elasticity: K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, $29
- Splurge-Worthy Scalp Nourishment: Highbrow Hippie Root Replenish Active Growth Serum, $88
- Promotes Thicker Hair: Zenagen Revolve Thickening Shampoo, $60
- Under-$40 Hair Routine: Keranique Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner Set, $31 (orig. $38)
- Noticeable Volume in a Pinch: Color Wow Raise the Root Spray, $26
Every hair expert I’ve talked to over the years has told me the same thing: Healthy hair starts with your scalp. Meaning, if you notice your hair thinning, you should hone in on your entire head as a whole, not just your strands.
There’s no lack of hair products out there, which is why we chatted with experts, including trichologists (medical experts who specialize in scalp and hair health), celebrity hair stylists, and a biochemist (the person behind the creation of shampoos, conditioners, and more) to discover what formulas actually help nourish your scalp and promote hair growth.
Below, they told us what to stop using and the products they love recommending instead. You can find everything in Amazon’s beauty department starting at $19.
Related: Emma Stone’s Hairstylist Gave Me the Most Voluminous Blowout Ever — and Changed My Mind About Mousse
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum
$24 $19 at Amazon
For anyone who doesn’t want to use topical minoxidil, trichologist and medical hair loss and transplant specialist at Hollywood Hair Institute, Dr. Ashley Zsaton, loves The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum, which she deems a “fan favorite” for helping with hair density. It’s made with an alcohol-free formula that soothes and nourishes skin, and it only needs to be applied once a day.
Ingredients to Look for, According to Experts
- Master hair colorist and scalp expert Kadi Lee, who has worked with Julia Roberts, Meghan Markle, and Gwyneth Paltrow (to name a few), recommends shoppers “read the back of the bottle the same way [you’d] read a food label.”
- Celebrity hairstylist Mia Santiago — who has worked with Mariska Hargitay and Martha Stewart — always tells clients to look for ingredients that “help support scalp health and stronger-looking hair,” including:
- Peptides
- Niacinamide
- Caffeine
- Amino acids
- Rosemary extract
Philip Kingsley Body Building Weightless Shampoo
$39 at Amazon
Kerry Yates, a Trichologist and founder of Colour Collective, wants you to be patient throughout the process. “Don’t expect immediate results,” she says. As you refresh your hair care routine, she suggests grabbing this lightweight shampoo created by a trichologist that won’t leave hair feeling heavy. She says it “delivers instant body and volume and [the] added keratin supports fragile, thin strands.”
What Experts Say to Avoid
Some habits and products should be avoided, according to experts.
- “As estrogen declines, hair often becomes finer, drier, and more fragile,” Dr. Christine McMillan, a board-certified trichologist and master cosmetologist at Scalp Garden, tells PEOPLE. She adds that things that may not have mattered before “start adding up.” Anything with “unnecessary friction” such as “aggressively” towel drying hair, tight hairstyles, constant teasing, and repeated rubbing against clothing, headrests, and pillows “can contribute to breakage over time.”
- Santiago recommends steering clear of heavy oils, harsh treatments, and “anything that causes irritation,” like alcohol or silicone-heavy formulas, which can “create an unhealthy scalp environment.”
- Jared Reynolds, a biochemist for the hair care brand Zenagen, says another mistake he sees is over-washing, aggressive scrubbing, and using very hot water, which leads to “stripping the scalp’s barrier and natural oils.”
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
$29 at Amazon
Dr. Zsaton personally loves this K18 leave-in hair mask, especially for those who love using hot tools or regularly color their hair. She says it acts as a “strength boost” and “can help improve elasticity, promoting less breakage, which allows the hair to grow stronger and longer.”
Highbrow Hippie Root Replenish Active Growth Serum
$88 at Amazon
“Scalp care is skincare,” says Lee, which is why she founded Highbrow Hippie to create formulas that promote scalp health. She loves this serum in particular for its incorporation of natural ingredients like green tea extract, saw palmetto, and prickly pear that “support a healthier follicle environment and a balanced scalp microbiome.” You only need to apply a thin layer, which means it’ll last.
Zenagen Revolve Thickening Shampoo
$60 at Amazon
When you start to notice increased shedding or reduced hair density, Reynolds says it’s time to shift your focus from “the hair itself to the scalp.” He designed this shampoo with a scalp-first mentality that cleans without stripping and supports a “balanced scalp environment over time.”
Keranique Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner Set
$38 $31 at Amazon
A sulfate-free option that board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra prefers is the Keranique shampoo and conditioner set. Not only is it formulated to gently cleanse the scalp, but she adds that it contains panthenol, zinc, panax ginseng root extract, and soy protein that help to “reduce buildup and support thinning hair.”
Color Wow Raise the Root Spray
$26 at Amazon
While this won’t cure hair loss, celebrity hairstylist Marc Ballance suggests Color Wow’s Raise the Root spray to instantly create the “appearance of more density and body.” He notes that it’s especially helpful for those figuring out treatment for any underlying hair-loss causes, as its lightweight formula won’t weigh hair down.
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