This Is the $9 Shampoo Dermatologists Recommend for Hair Growth (2024)

Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in NYC, describes this as an “excellent nourishing shampoo for promoting hair growth.” The product contains rosemary oil, which provides anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties to soothe irritated scalps and guard locks against environmental pollution, UV radiation, and bacteria, Dr. Green explains. It also contains biotin, which may help fortify your strands and encourage thicker, denser hair to grow, she adds.

Expert tip: Honeydew suggests letting the product sit in your hair for 2 to 3 minutes before rinsing.

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben-free, vegan
• Smells like: Citrus
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 8 oz.
• Hair type: Best for thin/fine hair

As someone with curly hair herself (a hair type that can be dry and brittle), Jalia Pettis, a hairstylist and makeup artist based in Phoenix, appreciates how this shampoo clarifies strands, stripping them of buildup, and then moisturizes them with natural ingredients, like sea kelp and blue tansy flower oil. Moisturizing dry, frizz-prone hair helps with hair growth by combatting the impact of a flaky scalp and fortifying brittle follicles so they’re less prone to breakage, she explains.

Expert tip: Consider buying this shampoo in a set with a matching conditioner and hair oil. “What turned me on to [this brand] was actually the oil,” Pettis says. “I really like how it felt on the scalp without weighing it down.”

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben-free, vegan
• Smells like: Floral
• Safe for color-treated hair: yes
• Size: 14 oz.
• Hair type: Best for natural hair types (wavy, curly, kinky, coily)

Dr. Green praises this product, a great option for repairing thin, brittle, and damaged hair, for its powerful combination of ingredients. It contains argan oil, which helps moisture and soothe a dry scalp and strands; vitamin E, “a powerful antioxidant to protect the hair from free radical damage”; rosemary, which calms an irritated scalp; aloe vera, which revitalizes and strengthens hair; and saw palmetto, which can combat hair loss by decreasing the conversion of testosterone to DHT, she says.

Expert tip: Pick from three scent options: avocado, aloe vera, or rosemary.

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben-free, vegan
• Smells like: 3 options available: avocado, aloe vera, and rosemary
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 12 oz.
• Hair type: Best for all hair types

This product is free of parabens and phthalates, two preservatives known to interfere with your endocrine system, Dr. Del Campo explains. “There's a concern [these ingredients] might do more harm than actual good,” he says, which is why he recommends shampoos made without them. Formulated with just nine ingredients and dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance (an organization that independently reviews products for safety and efficacy), this product is “meant for basic stuff that does promote some hair growth,” Dr. Del Campo says.

Expert tip: For optimal results, use at least twice a week, per the brand.

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben- and phthalates-free
• Smells like: Aloe, orchid
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 13.5 oz.
• Hair type: Best for all hair types

If you’re looking to double down on your hair-growth efforts, consider this shampoo-conditioner set from Pura D’or. Dr. Del Campo often recommends this brand to patients as it’s widely available and incorporates a lot of what he looks for in a hair-growth shampoo, including ingredients like biotin and saw palmetto, a “natural plant extract that may potentially slow hair loss,” he says. Plus, it contains antioxidants like rosemary oil, which are good for calming an irritated scalp.

Expert tip: Both the shampoo and conditioner are formulated at 1.5x strength, so use a small amount to start.

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben-free
• Smells like: Natural scent
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 16 oz.
• Hair type: Best for all hair types

Dr. Davis finds that tar-based shampoos, like this one from Neutrogrena, often provide extra body to the hair, making it seem thicker. On top of that, the product is designed to combat dandruff, scaling, and itchy scalp (typically due to conditions like seborrhea and psoriasis that impact scalp health), so it may be a good bet if you’re plagued by those issues in addition to hair loss.

Expert tip: This product also comes in an extra-strength formulation, which may be appropriate if you’re dealing with severe scalp health issues.

• Ingredient highlights: Coal tar
• Smells like: Citrus
• Safe for color-treated hair: Unknown
• Size: 16 oz.
• Hair type: Best for dry hair and damaged hair

A favorite of Pettis, this product lathers well and contains ayurvedic botanicals, which can help promote hair growth, she says. She raves about how it feels “absolutely awesome” and how well it naturally moisturizes hair. Another plus: “You can use it on all textures of hair,” Pettis adds. Lastly, it packs a pleasant scent. “I am a sucker for something that smells good,” she says, describing the aroma as fresh and citrusy.

Expert tip: Consider buying this for the whole family. Pettis has used it on both herself and her kids.

• Ingredient highlights: Paraben-free
• Smells like: Fresh citrus
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 8 oz.
• Hair type: Best for all hair types

This professional-grade product is great if you’re looking to target and remove scalp flakiness and also balance the pH of your hair—the latter of which can improve the size of the hair follicle and promote thickness, Pettis says. Plus, it’s suitable for all types of hair textures, she adds.

Expert tip: This shampoo is another with a really good lather, says Pettis, so it suds up easily.

• Ingredient highlights: Silicone-free
• Smells like: Clean citrus
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 8.5 oz.
• Hair type: Best for all hair textures

Pettis recently started using this color-safe product on clients and has “quickly fallen in love with it.” Besides smelling really good (it has an earthy, perfume undertone, she says), it contains a peptides bonder and amino acids that repair the molecular structure of the hair, restoring its strength and elasticity, she explains. Pettis used this strengthening shampoo on a client with color-treated hair, who “just kept raving” about how soft it left her hair feeling.

Expert tip: This shampoo lathers really well, says Pettis, so start with a small amount. “A little goes a long way,” she says.

• Ingredient highlights: Peptides bonder and amino acids
• Smells like: Vanilla, floral
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 16.9 oz.
• Hair type: Best for extremely dry, damaged hair

Okay, so this one isn’t technically a shampoo, but Dr. Davis recommends this product, which you could use as part of your styling routine, to help conceal thinning hair. “Basically the idea is to colorize your scalp to match your hair color so that you don't see the scalp showing through,” she says. That may give the illusion of fuller hair.

Expert tip: The product comes in five different colors, so make sure to find the hue that matches your hair color.

• Ingredient highlights: N/A
• Smells like: N/A
• Safe for color-treated hair: Yes
• Size: 5.1 oz
• Hair type: Best for all hair types