The 33 Best Volumising Hair Products for Thin Hair

Who What Wear UK's Beauty Editor Eleanor Vousden says: "Hair growth treatments are another avenue to add thickness and volume to your hair in the long run. I'm usually sceptical about hair growth serums, but this one is particularly impressive (just check out the before and after pictures) and has been clinically proven to aid hair regrowth and help prevent hair loss too. You'll need to use it consistently, but after three months you'll start to see great results."

Pros: Proven results

Cons: Takes time to see results

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Who What Wear UK's Beauty Editor Eleanor Vousden says: "I'm often asked how I get volume at the roots and at the lengths of my hair, and this is the answer. A round brush isn't just for creating bouncy blowouts, but a great tool for adding volume as you blowdry as well as polishing the hair for a shiny finish. Take a section on top of your head and, using the brush on the underside, blowdry at the roots for instant lift and bounce."

Pros: Adds volume throughout

Cons: Needs practice to get used to the technique

Although this isn’t sold as a volumising treatment, I do find that it adds next-level bounce to my naturally drab locks. It’s hardworking, sure, but it’s not a particularly heavy mask, so it doesn’t create unwanted weight. The thing I love most about it, though, is the way that it leaves my hair feeling super clean without stripping it of oil and leaving it dry. Truthfully, I can’t be without a tub.

Pros: Great for damaged hair

Cons: Not quick to use

Just hear me out. I know this is slightly (okay very) expensive for a hair dryer, but since I started using it, it’s upped my hair game tenfold. Getting my hair to hold any form of volume from a blow-dry was virtually impossible, and then the Airwrap came along. When I’ve got an extra half an hour on my hands, I go full out and use the curl barrels for the ultimate bouncy look. Surprisingly, though, my most-used attachment is the smoothing brush, which gives lift at the roots while minimising frizz.

Pros: Can be used for multiple styles

Cons: Takes time to master the technique

I recently got a cut at the Larry King Notting Hill salon, where the hairstylist ran this mousse through towel dried hair with their fingers ahead of blow-drying. I couldn't get over how big and bouncy the finished look was, without feeling weighed down or crunchy. 

Pros: Instant and lasting volume

Cons: Only works on damp hair

I find it’s quite difficult to go overboard with this stuff. If I want serious texture and lift in my roots, I apply it straight from the bottle, whereas if I want to just add some subtle volume through the body of my hair, I puff it into my hands first and run it through the lengths. I’ve used it for years and have no intention of ever giving it up.

Pros: Great for oily scalps

Cons: Takes time to get used to using

Davines is quite possibly my most-loved haircare brand. As someone who has spent a lot of time trying to stay away from all-natural products that rely on oils, as they can weigh down my hair, when I first tried this shampoo, I was left dumbstruck. My hair was so bouncy and fresh-looking that people were asking me if I’d had a blow-dry. While my obsession with Davines products continues, this shampoo holds a really special place in my heart.

Pros: A little goes a long way

Cons: Can feel stripping on dry hair

Above anything else, the main selling point for this particular conditioner is its unbelievable smell. It’s honestly so good I struggle to express my overwhelming, all-encompassing love for the fresh, citrusy aroma. It smells so wonderful that I quite literally had to prise it from my boyfriend’s hands when I found out he’d been secretly borrowing it. But besides the fact it smells out-of-this-world, it also gives my hair lightweight hydration and added bounce, which is a bonus, I suppose.

Pros: Smells incredible

Cons: Needs to be rinsed out thoroughly

The first time I laid eyes on this mask, I was sceptical that it would do anything good for my limp locks. It’s a very thick hair mask, and, given past experiences, these sorts of formulas make my hair look even flatter than it already does. In fact, even as I applied it, I still wasn’t sure. It wasn’t until I actually dried my hair that I realised just how great it is. My hair didn’t feel coated or heavy (it actually felt surprisingly light), my roots looked lifted, and my ends looked healthier. I’ve used it once a fortnight ever since.

Pros: Nourishes hair

Cons: Can be heavy if too much is used

This was the first product that really encouraged me to start experimenting with volumising hair products, and it has recently been reformulated. Before this, I really didn’t want anything to do with volumising products because I hated the weighty feeling they left behind. This dry spray, however, adds grit and lift to roots while absorbing grease and oil, making any style possible. If I could only keep one styling product, I think it would be this.

Pros: Multitasking benefits

Cons: Often sold out

Heavy mousses are best avoided if you have fine hair. Hair foams, on the other hand, have a lighter, frothy texture that lends all of the volume without any of the heaviness or stickiness. I love this buy from Hair by Sam McKnight.

Pros: Non-sticky

Cons: Expensive

If you have fine hair, it can quickly look limp after a couple of days, especially if you have an oily scalp. A good shampoo that you can use daily will help lift away product build-up and oils from the scalp, leaving roots lifted and weightless. This one from Temple Spa does the trick and leaves hair super shiny, too.

Pros: Gives a deep cleanse

Cons: Can be too much for a sensitive or dry scalp

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Sometimes hair can benefit from support from the inside out, as well as topically. This set from Beauty Pie includes the brand's popular Healthy Hair Capsules and the Renewed Density anti-hair loss treatment which work in tandem to reduce hair shedding while encouraging health hair growth from the root.

Pros: Works from the inside out

Cons: Takes time to see results

I like to keep a bottle of this somewhere in the house for the rare times that I fancy going full-on bouffant with my hair. It’s slightly weightier than other volumising products that I love, but it’s that grit and weight that make it ideal for updos. I just spray at the roots, rub it in and chuck my hair up for the perfect thick-looking messy ponytail.

Pros: Adds texture

Cons: Can weigh hair down

I try to stay away from styling products full of heavy silicones, and this heat-protection mist proves there’s no need. It’s lightweight, gives strands a subtle boost of moisture and uses soy protein to strengthen. I simply spritz it over my hair before I use the hair dryer, and it provides that extra bit of body my locks crave.

Pros: Hydrating

Cons: Only works on damp hair

This product isn’t specially formulated to create volume, but it was created specifically to offer weightless nourishment—and that’s all I ask for. While thick shampoos and conditioners make styling any volume into my hair near impossible, lightweight formulas like this one make adding lift easy, breezy.

Pros: Effortless results

Cons: Often sold out!

Unlike other volumising shampoos, this one really doesn’t leave a film over strands. In fact, I still get the squeaky-clean feeling that I love post-shampoo without any dryness. It transforms my hair into the perfect blank canvas before styling.

Pros: No sticky film

Cons: Too much can leave buildup

This tiny little bottle packs a serious volumising punch. It might seem surprising at first that a powder product has the ability to create next-level volume, but this powerful stuff really is transformative. What I love the most about powders is that the intensity of the result is really down to how much you use. Given how fine my hair is, I use the tiniest amount and rub it into the roots at the crown for added hold when backcombing.

Pros: A little goes a long way

Cons: Takes time to get used to using this formula

I’m not usually a fan of hair supplements. Yes, I believe that supplements can make your hair healthier. I’m just not sure how much they can make new hair grow. This supplement, however, comes in a very different form, as a thickening treatment that’s to be applied to the scalp. I’ve noticed a significant change in the lift and health of my roots since using it. My hair feels bouncier, thicker and more full of life.

Pros: Easy to use

Cons: Takes time to see results

This stuff is ideal if your hair is naturally tousled or curly. Despite the fact that my hair is more or less poker-straight, for days when I’ve tonged it or used the wand attachment on my Airwrap, this provides the ultimate hold.

Pros: Great for curly hair

Cons: Can feel a little crunchy

This thickening mousse is super buildable and gives hair a workable grit that keeps roots lifted all day long. And I use the word grit loosely. Yes, it delivers the same long-lasting hold as a traditional mousse, but it doesn’t have the sticky weight that usually comes with that.

Pros: Adds texture

Cons: Expensive

While it’s rare that I opt for a polished hair look, for days when I want my hair to look sleek and glossy, this is my go-to. It adds shine, sleekness and gloss while also helping boost volume and bounce.

Pros: Smooths frizz and flyaways

Cons: Too much can make hair look greasy

At first, it seems counter-intuitive to use a thick paste to cleanse your hair and add volume, but as soon as you have rinsed out this cleanser, everything makes perfect sense. Roots are left unexpectedly lifted and with added texture. Plus, the rose scent is heavenly.

Pros: Smells amazing

Cons: Adds an extra step to your routine

When I first saw the word primer, I was worried this would be a thick cream that would make my hair instantly greasy. Luckily for me, it’s actually formulated as a spray, making it much more lightweight than I anticipated. It kind of creates volume without the feeling of product in the hair, which is my dream.

Pros: Easy to use

Cons: Expensive, and runs out quickly

I absolutely despise the feeling of dry shampoo on my roots. Half of the time, I feel as though it does the opposite of what I want it to, leaving my hair clumpy and greasy-looking. However, this particular formula is so lightweight that actually, I’m not mad at it. Granted, I’m yet to find a dry shampoo that feels as though it actually cleans my hair, but it does give my roots a lifted refresh—and all for less than £5.

Pros: Affordable

Cons: Often sold out

First of all, this stuff smells incredible. It also looks great on the shelf. It helps then the formula itself is equally as stunning. For when you want hair to look lifted, beachy and tousled, this root styling spray makes for the ultimate reach-for.

Pros: Instant results

Cons: Can feel a bit crunchy

This stuff takes a little getting to used to, but I can assure you it’s worth it in the end. You apply the mousse-like foam onto dry roots and work it in with your fingers. At first, hair will feel wet and sticky. But after a few minutes, the product dries, leaving strands looking suitably bouncy and refreshed. 

Pros: Smells incredible

Cons: Too much can weigh hair down

One thing I have learned about my thin, flat hair is that if the roots are clean, the bounce and volume is 100% improved. This cooling scrub helps to remove any build-up and residue from the roots that could be weighing hair down. "When my hair is flat, it's usually from product build-up which weighs my lengths down. However, this scalp scrub detoxes the roots, leaving them not only feeling really clean but as a result leaves me with weightless lift at the roots and extra bounce through the lengths," says Who What Wear UK's Beauty Editor Eleanor Vousden.

Pros: Great for removing buildup

Cons: Can irritate sensitive scalps

If it's lift that you want, then you can't go wrong with Sam McKnight's Cool Girl Super Lift Root Boost, which delivers weightless volume to limp roots. Plus, it smells incredible.

Pros: Long-lasting results

Cons: Runs out quickly

So many volumising products leave build-up on the hair over time, making it feel limp and lifeless. All of Ouai's shampoos are incredible, but this one adds weightless volume, shine and bounce without any heaviness.

Pros: Smells amazing

Cons: Expensive

When you don't have time for multiple products or styling techniques, run this volumising mousse through your lengths after washing your hair. Add heat and it creates instant (and long lasting) volume.

Pros: Works for even thick hair

Cons: Always sells out

Sometimes the quick fixes aren't quite enough, and if you want to improve your hair thickness in the long-term, a focus on scalp care can be a great place to start. "By promoting a healthy scalp, this serum helps to increase hair growth and prevent hair loss," says contributing beauty editor Grace Day. "What I love about this serum is it doesn't leave hair greasy, nor does it need to be rinsed out."

Pros: Easy to use

Cons: Takes a while to see results

This is my favourite way to add instant volume to my hair," says contributing beauty editor Grace Day. "It works well in both my roots and throughout the lengths of my hair. Plus, it smells amazing."

Pros: Instant results

Cons: Expensive