The 10 Best Hair Thickening Sprays
This wiki has been updated 33 times since it was first published in January of 2017. "Fine" hair is anything but. Fortunately, you can add one of these thickening sprays to your daily regimen, each of which is formulated to bring you voluminous, plumped up tresses. Many promise the additional benefits of lustrous shine, strengthened locks, and enhanced texture, so they just might help you walk out the door every day feeling polished, confident, and looking your best. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish
2. Aveda Tonic
3. Oribe Maximista
Editor's Notes
August 20, 2020:
Whether you’ve always had fine, thin hair or your locks have thinned out over the years, these thickening sprays can help give you some extra volume and plump your strands. These spritzes are easy to apply and are often used in conjunction with a heated styling tool like a curling iron or a hair dryer. The ones on our list come in a range of prices to suit every budget, and some advertise added benefits that include healthier hair and protection from the sun’s harmful rays. A choice that promises thermal protection is the newly added Oribe Maximista, which performs well as a setting lotion for light-to-medium hold. It’s formulated without parabens or drying sodium chloride, requires just a few spritzes for results, and won’t leave an annoying sticky residue. For an extremely budget-friendly choice from a well-known name in hair care, we added in the Garnier Fructis Mega Full, which dries smoothly for a style that’s soft and natural looking. Just spray it onto damp hair that’s been combed through. It’s got a pleasant, mild fragrance and can provide an all-day shine. To make room for these two new additions, we removed the Thermafuse Boost and the Rusk Thickr Myst, both of which suffer from availability issues at this time.
If you prefer another option from an established hair products brand, look to Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage, which is known among its avid users for its fresh, crisp fragrance that’s made up of zesty bergamot, lemon, and white sage. It’s infused with a combination of panthenol and other ingredients, and it promises enhanced volume and control, as well as UV protection. Aveda Tonic boasts a host of plant-based ingredients, as well as a pleasant aroma that comes from a blend of rosemary, geranium, and cinnamon. It’s free of animal products and doesn’t contain any synthetic fragrances.
June 04, 2019:
Look to Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish for a fluffy mane that isn’t weighted down, and it even can give your hair an element of grip for easier styling. It can be applied before you brush through your locks, or before you carefully run your fingers through them for carefree, beachy waves. For smoothing out frizz and creating healthy shine, check out the Aveda Tonic, which will leave your tresses smelling great, thanks to its formula that incorporates flower-and fruit-based ingredients.
Joining the list is the Tigi Bed Head Superstar, from a well-known brand created by hairdressers. It’s designed to add volume and texture, while conditioning and providing a long-lasting hold. Its Berry Medley fragrance has a strong following of users who include it as part of their daily routine. Leaving the list is the Sally Hershberger Hair Plump Up, which creates a texture that’s too rough for some.
4. Boldify 60 Seconds
5. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage
6. Garnier Fructis Mega Full
7. Tigi Bed Head Superstar
8. Bumble And Bumble Eight-Ounce
9. Nioxin 3D Pro
10. Original Mineral Atonic Spritz
How Hair Thickening Sprays Work
Many powders work to absorb the excess oil that weighs your hair down, giving it extra lift when all is said and done.
Whether it be foam, liquid, or powder, thickening agents use a myriad of methods to give you the bounce you desire. Many powders work to absorb the excess oil that weighs your hair down, giving it extra lift when all is said and done. These types of sprays are also excellent for prolonging a blowout, plus they eliminate unwanted shine that can make your head look greasy.
Texturizing mists are a superb choice for those who require an extra boost every once in a while. Airy enough to feel just barely there, these lightweight solutions add dimension to your hair without any sticky residue, and are best for beach waves or slightly tousled styles. For even better coverage, many products are pigmented. They bind to your strands and create a light coating that effectively camouflages patchy spots and gives your roots a dense matte effect. Tinted formulas have the added benefit of masking gray areas, as well.
Depending on your particular needs, you’ll want to look for certain ingredients. Some products employ the use of organic or natural elements like lavender or lemongrass oil to aid follicle health. B vitamins can help regulate sebum production, and active components like caffeine work to strengthen strands. Rahua nut, rosemary, and fennel seed oil are excellent for promoting growth, while peppermint can help resolve dry scalp issues. Many treatments also use keratin, the fibrous protein that hair is actually made of. When applied, it creates a vibrant, natural look.
Who Is Hair Thickening Spray For?
Plenty of men and women suffer from thinning hair. In fact, nearly everyone experiences some form of hair loss over time, so try not to panic if it happens to you. As we age, our mops tend to lose density and the rate of growth begins to slow. The luscious locks you had in your teen years may not be the same once you hit 30 or so, and that’s when thickeners come to the rescue. It also helps to go easy on your tresses — try to protect them from too much heat or UV exposure, and shoot for all-natural products when you can. If you feel that other factors are at play, it might be that you have a vitamin deficiency. Working a few supplements into your regimen may help give you the boost you need.
Just like with coarse and medium types, having finer strands comes with its own pros and cons.
Postpartum hair loss is another culprit that can send new mothers flocking to beauty store shelves. During pregnancy, estrogen production soars, which in turn freezes the hair during its growth cycle and can result in ultra-thick looking locks. Once the little one is born, however, those levels decline, and hair can begin to fall out in large clumps. It seems a bit shocking, but it’s a natural hormonal phase that’s only temporary, so don’t be too alarmed. While you won’t be able to stop the process, volumizing mousses and sprays used in conjunction with a textured new hairstyle can make all the difference as you wait it out.
Then again, you might just have naturally fine hair. Just like with coarse and medium types, having finer strands comes with its own pros and cons. While you may require a little extra help achieving volume, it’s best not to weigh your mane down with copious amounts of product. Using a spray or foam that specifically targets the roots is your best bet, the upside being that a small amount will go a long way.
Hair Care Through The Ages
Despite its many biological functions, humans have prized healthy hair for millennia, mainly for aesthetic reasons. It has played an important social role within societies all over the world, where trends have usually favored abundant, thick tresses as a sign of health, fertility, and youth. Up until the 6th century, many ancient Grecian men wore their locks long in order to signify their wealth and power, with soldiers even showing off their styles in battle. Gods and heroes like Zeus, Poseidon, and Achilles boasted bountiful curls that cascaded to their shoulders, a helpful indication of their awesome power and skill. Women in these times wore their hair similarly, a sure signal of their freedom and well-intentioned behavior. In ancient Egypt, folks would use a blend of almond and castor oil to encourage growth by massaging the concoction into their scalps.
Despite its many biological functions, humans have prized healthy hair for millennia, mainly for aesthetic reasons.
In the Middle Ages, a shaved head or short hair was the marker of a slave or peasant. Women considered their hair to be their crowning glory, and despite the veils and hats that kept it modestly covered, its thickness and health was still important. In western Europe, they tackled tangled manes with a conditioning mix of bacon fat and other undesirable animal by-products, while washing was usually done sparingly with ashes and egg whites. And when your precious mop began to thin out, never fear — the ladies of the day simply made do with a dead woman’s hair. If none was to be found, lightly colored silk would do just fine — at least if you were blonde.
In the Americas, Native women used aloe vera gel to strengthen and protect their black tresses from sun damage and graying. To the far east, ladies of the imperial courts of Japan and China used fermented rice water as a shampoo, resulting in extra length and softness. And though elaborate powdered wigs were de rigeuer among Europeans in order to compensate for lost locks from the 16th to 18th centuries, they fell out of fashion in favor of the austerity championed by the Victorian era.
Your grandmother probably skipped a wash every so often in favor of brushing her hair 100 times before bed, and your mother might have sworn by the thick lather of Prell shampoo. As the decades wore on, bigger was always better. Volumizing products packed with protein were a prerequisite for any beehive or bouffant. This still holds true today, and it’s safe to say that hair thickeners aren’t going away any time soon.
Karen Bennett lives in Chicago with her family, and when she’s not writing, she can usually be found practicing yoga or cheering on her kids at soccer games. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s in English, and her writing has been published in various local newspapers, as well as “The Cheat Sheet,” “Illinois Legal Times,” and “USA Today.” She has also written search engine news page headlines and worked as a product manager for a digital marketing company. Her expertise is in literature, nonfiction, textbooks, home products, kids' games and toys, hardware, teaching accessories, and art materials.