Today, I am continuing my Hair Loss series, if you wish to see the first part/background of this series, you can find the first post here, and the second part here. Again, please make sure to seek guidance from professionals/doctors before any self-treatment.  

Today I wanted to touch on some of the products that I have used and still currently use on my hair to at least give the illusion of thicker, fuller hair.  I used the word “illusion” because I don’t fully believe in hair products that are “guaranteed” to regrow hair nor have I tried them.  I have actually been cautioned against trying them by my doctor, so I’m not overly interested.  As always, if you’re having a similar issue and want to try something like this; you do you (with your doctor’s/professional’s blessing), I’ve just never used done it.

One of the best things I’ve done in this journey is finding an amazing hair stylist who understands hair loss and was willing to not only style my hair in a way that would make me feel less self-conscious, but also recommend ways for me to style it on my own as well as products to help give my hair volume (especially since the hair loss was around part of the crown area), some texture, and some thickness.

Shampoo/Conditioner

I have a tendency to switch shampoos pretty often just because I feel like it; no huge reason, I just like trying different things, so I’ve used a few different shampoo/conditioner combos that are designed to thicken or add volume to your hair.  I will preface by saying, I don’t use any of these now, because I have color-treated hair now and use shampoo specifically for it.

I loved this duo.  I haven’t used it in awhile, but it really added a lot of volume to my hair but still made it soft.  Sometimes volumizing shampoos/conditioners can strip some of the moisture out of your hair, but this managed to keep it healthy while giving some lift and life.  You can find it on Amazon or any drug store.

I love Bumble & Bumble products, they’re just super expensive, which is the only reason why I didn’t buy this duo a second time.  It really worked well at making my hair feel thicker.  It didn’t do a lot for volume but it’s not really supposed to, it’s just designed to make your hair appear and feel thicker.  My stylist recommended this to me initially because it’s a favorite of hers; it took me awhile to try it because it’s about $30 per bottle. I was feeling kind of hopeless and desperate at one point when I felt my hair was just horrible so I broke down and bought the set.  It really made my hair feel thicker, I just couldn’t keep justifying the price of it.  You can buy this set directly from Bumble and Bumble but sometimes Amazon has it for slightly less, if you’re looking to get a good price on it.

I know people have a lot of strong opinions about Tresemme products; some good, some bad.  Out of all the shampoos I tried, I probably grabbed this Tresemme Healthy Volume one most frequently.  It’s not expensive, at all, and it really gave a lot of volume to my hair.  It also did what it claimed, at least for me, that the hair felt healthy.  It was bright and shiny and soft; my hair felt great and looked great.  I know Tresemme has a new full body/volume shampoo duo, which I think might eventually be replacing this one, if the rumors I hear are true, but I haven’t tried it to say if it’s any better than this or not.

Styling Products

I know what I just said up there!  Bumble and Bumble stuff is a bit on the expensive side and this spray is no different.  However, I don’t think I can survive without this thickening spray. This spray is amazing, it has been a game changer for me and my hair issues.  My stylist uses this to style my hair every time I’m in her chair and I use it at home, more often than not.  You don’t feel it in your hair, at all, so if you hate the feel of product in your hair, you’ll love this.  You can spray it all over your hair, but I usually just concentrate it around the crown and where my hair loss issues are because the majority of my hair is pretty thick these days from working out some of the internal issues I had going on. so I don’t feel like I need it all over.  While, yes, it’s expensive, it lasts a really long time, I think I’ve had the same bottle in my bathroom since….August, maybe? And I think I had the bottle before it pretty close to a year, so it’s a great investment.

Yes, I’ve mentioned this stuff before, but it’s SO GOOD!  This is Aquage Uplifting Foam, it’s a mousse that gives a ton of volume to your hair.  Like the Bumble and Bumble spray, I pretty much only use it at the top of my head, to around the tops of my ears, but that’s the lowest I go.  It has a nozzle that you can direct the product right onto your scalp and then you work it in with your fingers.  You will feel some residue with this in your hair, which I don’t mind, because it gives INTENSE volume and it’s a mousse, so you pretty much always feel those in your hair.  When I use this, I don’t use the Bumble and Bumble spray because I don’t need both of them together, I don’t want to know how big my hair would be with both.  This line of products is so hard to find, so it’s best to just try Amazon or you can see if a local salon carries it.

This Bed Head Foam is similar to the Aquage Foam, but I like the Aquage better, even though this is usually a little easier to find.  I used it the same as the Aquage, just directing it to my roots and rubbing it in.  It also leaves the feeling of product in your hair because it’s a foam, but I think the Aquage is a bit better at volume that lasts longer. I typically don’t wash my hair daily and this one had a little bit of a tendency to make my hair flop on day two, so I personally prefer the Aquage, but it’s a good product to try.

I’ve never actually found a volumizing hair spray that actually adds volume or at least enough that I’m willing to use it regularly.  However, this Garnier Full Control Spray is fantastic at holding the volume in and the style you create with it.  I have pretty much only exclusively used this spray for about 4 years now and it holds so well.  It’s super inexpensive, smells great, and holds all day, even in wind and rain.  And it’s true to it’s claim of anti-humidity; my hair doesn’t frizz with this on it.  So, not technically a volumizing product, but it holds the volume you’ve created all day, so definitely worth a mention.

 

There are tons of products that help add thickness and volume to hair and I don’t claim I have tried even remotely close to all of them, nor will I.  These are just the products that I have the most experience with and that have worked the best for me and my situation. Similarly to what I said about consulting a doctor before doing anything medical or holistic, I also strongly suggest talking to your hair stylist before you start trying 20 different things that could do more damage than good to your hair.  None of these products are harmful and never hurt me, but your stylist may have better suggestions that work better for your hair than I do.

As always you are welcome to leave any questions/comments/suggestions in the comments below.  And you’re welcome to suggest products to me that you’ve used and found effective, I’m always open to trying new things!

I will be finishing up with a Part 4 of this series next week, so stay tuned!