UrbanUpdate

The best hair products for volume serve an important role. There aren’t many people searching for a solution to their overly full, voluminous hair. (It’s a nice problem to have; the solution is a haircut.) However, many of the rest of us could use some amping up: Whether our hair is fine or thinning hair, or if we can’t seem to get any lift or texture from our current regimen, we want to know how to add volume and fullness.

Some guys have figured out a simple, perfect balance between shampoo, conditioner, and styler. Maybe their scalp isn’t as oily as yours, so their hair isn’t rendered lifeless, greasy, and limp by 2 p.m. Perhaps they’ve found the optimal match between their hair type and a styling product. It could be anything—probably dumb luck, honestly—but you’ve got to find the right solution that works for your hair and texture.

Below is a good place to start looking. They’re some of our favorite products that work fairly universally, or at least have outstanding feedback on the types of hair they seek to serve. Whether you’re trying to get back to your Jimmy Neutron era, or are desperate to salvage your thinning hair while it’s still possible, we hope there’s a solution for you here.

Below are the absolute best hair products for volume. And while you’re at it, check out our tips for preventing hair loss and getting thicker hair.

Best Dry Styler for Volume

Church hair clay$30

Church California

This 100% botanical blend not only builds volume and fullness by binding your hair together, but it's also extremely versatile: It can be applied wet or dry for different finishes and tactility. Our favorite approach is a dry application for maximum height, medium hold, and a matte but touchable finish.

Best Wet Styler for Volume

Sachajuan volumizing cream$35

Amazon

Not only does this styling cream give you lightweight, touchable hold, but it also coats hair strands and protects them from heat damage—so, if you're styling with a blow dryer (for added volume, no less), you won't parch or damage your hairs. It's a staple for high-end salons, but remains low-cost for professional-caliber results at home.

Best Volumizing Curl Cream

Kevin Murphy curl lotion$43

Walmart

Curls can easily have the wrong kind of excess volume—frizz and moisture loss are a major headache—but a proper cream can boost hydration (and lock it in) thus giving curls the bounce and lightweight fullness you actually want. Kevin Murphy's Motion Lotion adds nourishing oils into the hair for all day fullness and movement.

Best Dry Shampoo Spray

Living Proof dry shampoo$26

Sephora

A little dry shampoo goes a long way on the days between shampoo sessions (since you ought not shampoo every day). It soaks up excess oil at the scalp, and in turn allows hairs to lift themselves up and reach their full, unburdened potential. Living Proof's dry shampoo works for all hair textures and densities; be sure to target the roots of the hairs, and tousled it in with your fingers to distribute the oil-absorbing liquid powder.

Best Dry Shampoo Styler

Hanz de Fuko 'Quicksand' dry shampoo wax$26

Hanz de Fuko

This dry shampoo-wax combo gives hair the strangest texture, thanks to diatomaceous earth, a pulverized rock that gives your roots truly gritty texture. It lifts everything up, absorbs oil at the scalp, and also fortifies + soothes both follicles and scalp with castor seed oil, eucalyptus, and horsetail extract. It rinses clean in the evening, but allows for day-long volume and definition in short-to-medium styles.

Best Texturizing Spray

Billy Jealousy sea salt spray$16

Amazon

Sea salt spray has the same effect on hair as a quick dip in the ocean: It gives you definition, separation, and touchable texture, and also has conditioning benefits for each strand. While it's not as volumizing as, say, a dry shampoo or a blow-dried cream, it does give you extra body due to the uniform texture boost all around your dome.

Best Volumizing Conditioner

Aveda volumizing conditioner$26

Amazon

While you can find both volumizing shampoos and conditioners that promise to add height and fullness to hair, we think it's the conditioners that matter most. Yes, you need a hydrating shampoo that doesn't strip hairs dry, but the conditioner itself is the closer. It plumps hairs full of much-needed nourishment and thickens each strand, allowing fine hair to feel and look noticeably fuller. Aveda's conditioner, powered by kaolin clay and acacia gum, is the gold standard here.

Read MoreThese Are the Absolute Best Hair Products for Men

The best creams, pastes, waxes, pomades, and so much more. 

By Adam Hurly



Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQBathroom and ShowerHair