These 7 Shampoos and Conditioners Make My Fine Hair Look Deceptively Thicker

I'll clue you in on one of the best hair-growth tips I ever learned from stylists and trichologists: Fuller hair starts in the shower. Slap it on a billboard, recite it nightly, or do whatever you can to commit the phrase to memory. Let's face it—you can collect all the scalp-stimulating serums and fancy tools you please, but if you don't start with a good, high-quality wash, you just won't see peak results. It's similar logic to washing your face. You can't expect all those juicy serums to penetrate your pores without a clean canvas!

Grab a shampoo and conditioner spiked with strengthening actives, such as biotin, and you can kick-start the hair-thickening process right under the spray. Supplementing with biotin is a bit murky, I'll admit, but experts generally agree that topical products like shampoo and conditioner are safe to use regularly. I personally find them to be a godsend.

My hair is dense, yet the individual strands are fine, which means I need lots of moisture that won't weigh down my locks. (It's a delicate dance.) Biotin shampoos and conditioners provide intense hydration and lift at the root, which makes my hair look shiny and full—I'm talking hair commercial–level thick. Ahead, find my personal favorite picks and hairstylist-backed formulas to add to your repertoire.

The Best Biotin Shampoos and Conditioners, Listed

1. Best for Hair Growth: Vegamour Gro+ Advanced Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner
2. Best Strengthening: Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
3. Best Natural: Briogeo Destined for Density Shampoo and Conditioner
4. Best Drugstore: Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner
5. Hairstylist Recommended: John Frieda UltraFiller+ Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner
6. Best Scent: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo and Conditioner
7. Best for Immediate Results: Amika Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner

Best for Hair Growth: Vegamour Gro+ Advanced Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Great for fine hair with breakage, formulated by dermatologists

Cons: Not the best scent, in my opinion

Key ingredients: GroActive+ Complex, Spanish microalgae, niacinamide, biotin

Vegamour's new advanced hair-growth collection uses AI screening techniques to identify the most effective hair-densifying ingredients from thousands of botanicals, and biotin made it on the list! Translation? It's pretty high-tech. The shampoo and conditioner were also co-formulated with board-certified dermatologists Neera Nathan, MD, and Afton Cobb, MD, and they have clinical trials to back up their hair-growth claims.

My only callout is that I don't love how the products smell. I love a sensorial experience in the shower, so I wish the products had more floral or fruity notes, but I understand that lots of fragrance can be a trigger for sensitive scalps. It's also a very small price to pay for the incredible hair-thickening abilities.

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Best Strengthening: Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner

Pros: Great for color-treated hair and detangling

Cons: Shampoo is a bit drying

Key ingredients: Glycerin, patented bond-building technology, biotin

If you ask any hairstylist their favorite products for damaged hair, there's a 99% chance they'll recommend more than a few Olaplex formulas. The brand has dominated the hair-strengthening market, and for a good reason. It works. I do find the shampoo to be just a bit drying, especially if you already have thirsty hair, but immediately following up with the conditioner makes that a non-issue. It makes my strands feel silkier than ever.

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Best Natural: Briogeo Destined for Density Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Sulfate-free, great for waves and curls

Cons: Some reviewers say the conditioner is too thick

Key ingredients: Caffeine, CoQ10, biotin, copper peptides, zinc

Cleaning and stimulating the scalp is crucial for healthy hair growth, which is why this shampoo includes an "energy complex" of caffeine, CoQ10, and green coffee oil to promote circulation and wake up hair follicles. Energized, perky follicles lead to faster hair growth. The shampoo and conditioner are 93 and 97% naturally derived, respectively, with botanicals known for moisturizing and strengthening strands. Some reviewers say the conditioner is a bit too thick for finer hair, but I find it to be just the right amount of richness.

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Best Drugstore: Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Makes hair look incredibly shiny, super-moisturizing formula

Cons: Strong minty smell

Key ingredients: Rosemary oil, peppermint oil, biotin

I'm certainly a fan of Mielle's cult-famous Rosemary Mint Scalp Oil, but I implore you not to ignore the brand's equally effective shampoo and conditioner from the same range. Its namesake ingredients, rosemary and peppermint, stimulate hair follicles for faster hair growth, while biotin strengthens your existing strands and provides immense shine. My scalp feels so refreshed and clean—yet not too tight and "squeaky"—every time I wash with this invigorating formula. It does have a strong minty scent, though, if that bothers you, but the shiny, silky results are unmatched.

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Hairstylist Recommended: John Frieda UltraFiller+ Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Silicone-free, smells great, delivers immediate salon-quality results

Cons: Cuticle-expanding technology can result in tangles

Key ingredients: Biotin, hyaluronic acid

Celebrity hairstylist and House of Frieda ambassador Laura Polko is quick to recommend the brand's UltraFiller+ Thickening Shampoo. It has biotin and hyaluronic acid to plump each visible strand, plus a special technology that expands your hair fibers as you wash, so your whole head of hair appears instantly fuller. I love that the shampoo and conditioner are silicone-free. While I don't avoid silicones entirely, I do prefer formulas that skip the ingredient, as it often leads to buildup and, as a result, limpness on my fine, wavy hair.

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Best Scent: Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Sulfate-free, results in the perfect balance of volume and moisture

Cons: Not the best for sensitive scalps that can't tolerate fragrance

Key ingredients: Biotin, chia-seed oil, hydrolyzed keratin

Ouai has the best-smelling hair products in the game—full stop. The brand's Fine Hair Shampoo and Conditioner feature its Mercer Street scent, which has notes of Italian lemon, jasmine, and white musk. I value a quality sensorial experience when it comes to haircare, and this set truly upgrades my shower routine. Fragrance aside, the formulas do deliver, leaving me with soft, bouncy, fuller-looking hair. The shampoo refreshes my scalp, and the conditioner provides just enough hydration to make my waves feel lightweight and impossibly silky.

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Best for Immediate Results: Amika Big Hit Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner

Pros: Makes hair feel soft, lightweight, and bouncy; smells amazing; a little conditioner goes a long way

Cons: Some reviewers say the floral scent is way too strong

Key ingredients: Caffeine, glycerin, sea buckthorn oil, biotin

WWW Beauty Director Erin Jahns's experience speaks for itself. "If you're someone who has fine hair, do yourself a favor and go buy this new volumizing shampoo and the matching conditioner from Amika," she writes. "Not only does my hair feel noticeably thicker and fluffier (but not in a frizzy, humid-weather type of way), but it also makes my hair so much shinier and softer. I also swear it recharges my red with more vibrancy. I'll never be able to go back to any other shampoo now."

Volumizing shampoos tend to sacrifice softness for bounce (fine hair often needs that "grittiness" to stay lifted), but this shampoo provides the perfect balance. With caffeine and rosemary extract, it also helps stimulate the follicles for faster hair growth long-term. The conditioner has just the right consistency to hydrate and revive parched, flat strands.

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FAQ

Are biotin shampoos and conditioners good for the hair?

Polko definitely gives them the green light and not just for hair-growth reasons. "It helps the hair follicles and adds more sebum, which basically will make dry hair have a little more shine to it but not be too oily," she says. "It also helps hair look denser because it helps with the hair follicle health. It's great for helping hair just overall look and feel thicker."

How does biotin help with hair growth?

The efficacy really varies from person to person. Some say it does next to nothing, while others consider it a godsend. In case you can't tell from the roundup above, I totally identify with the latter camp. Polko agrees, noting that it not only helps with hair growth but also makes hair look thicker after just one use.

"Biotin is thought to support the growth of hair, skin, and nails because it is involved in a variety of cellular functions and enzymatic reactions that help convert food into energy," double board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp, MD, says about the buzzy B vitamin. It's not a cure-all ingredient by any means, but plenty of people have experienced positive results by prioritizing it in their hair products.

I should note the biotin-infused shampoos and conditioners above also include other hair-thickening ingredients like peptides, vitamins, and amino acids, so you'll have a well-rounded formula for hair growth no matter which set you purchase.

How often should I wash my hair with biotin shampoo?

It ultimately depends on how often you wash your hair in general. Some subscribe to a once-a-week cadence, while others cleanse daily. Everyone's hair is different! That said, Polko assures you can use a biotin shampoo with every wash if you wanted to. "If you feel like your hair is thick enough and it's starting to get a little too oily, then I would cut back to every other shampoo and see how that feels," she notes.

The one thing to keep in mind is that biotin shampoos typically feature other protein-rich ingredients (hydrolyzed keratin, rice protein, etc.). Your hair needs a healthy balance of protein and moisture. Otherwise, your strands can take on a "gummy" quality and snap, but you're less likely to tip the balance with a shampoo. I'd just swap in a purely moisturizing conditioner or hair mask every other wash to ensure you don't run into protein overload.