The 5 Holy Grail Products for Thicker, Healthier Hair, According to Editors

Postpartum left one editor's hair fine and lacking volume. Here are the products that brought her hair back to life I like to think I've approached the aesthetic changes of postpartum with neutrality: I wear my C-section scar proudly without massaging it monthly or slathering it in oil, while the softer parts of my body get the same scented body oil I used before. Nothing that promises to firm skin or fade stretch marks has made it through my door. However, there's one symptom of hormonal turbulence that I'll admit has been trickier to embrace. My hair started falling out 14 months ago, and now, with sparse patches giving way to unruly tufts of regrowth, I've been scouring the product aisles for something that'll help my hair look a little fuller as I wait out these awkward in-between months. Of course, the default postpartum hair hack is to opt for the chop. The 'mom bob' makes fine and fragile hair easier to style, but I've learned the hard way that ear-skimming lengths aren't right for me. Instead, I opted for a full fringe: an instant fix that disguises my sparse temples and the baby hairs that twist around my forehead. 'When clients come to me with postpartum hair loss, I always advise a good cut as the first port of call,' says. 'But if they don't want to lose length, there are still things we can do at the styling stage to help blend in new growth and create the illusion of thickness. ' 'I always recommend avoiding heavy masks, oils, and styling products, which can make finer hair look flatter,' she adds. 'At home, I'd advise using a lightweight shampoo to cleanse the scalp and add strength and volume, and try some styling products designed to thicken. '. 'The key is really in creating the illusion of thickness while being gentle with fragile new strands,' she continues. 'Postpartum regrowth can be short and fluffy around the hairline, so a soft root lift and strategic styling can make a huge difference without having to take away lots of length. ' Following Todisco's advice, I commenced a product renovation. Previously blessed with the kind of wild, curly hair that meant I spent my childhood marinating in John Frieda's Frizz Ease, being met with fine and fragile strands for the first time in my life was a sharp U-turn, requiring a full overhaul of my product lineup. Gone were my butter-thick hair masks, lamellar liquids, and shine-imparting oils, and in came a lineup of innovative formulas that promised to plump up my struggling hair, adding shine and softness without a powdery residue or crunch . Below, see the postpartum hair products I'll be sticking with:I've historically steered clear of products that promise to plump or volumize, as I find most make my hair feel sticky and crunchy. But Sam McKnight's latest launch is a total departure from the formulas of old: It's a cream, so it makes hair feel soft and silky, rather than stiff with product. Inside, there are clever conditioning polymers that wrap around each hair fiber, delivering instant density and heat protection . And the results aren't only short-term either: McKnight tells me that loyal use will reward me with fuller hair after a year of use—and he has not been wrong yet. If you try just one thing, make it this. I've been using this growth-boosting scalp serum for many years now and do think it's helped fill in my fine hairline with flyaways. Combining haritaki extract with red clover, caffeine, and peptides, it works to stimulate hair follicles, keep the scalp balanced, and regulate production of DHT, the hair loss hormone. It doesn't feel sticky or oily and is easy to use .. But now I'm working with approximately half the hair I'm used to, and my old favorites don't quite deliver. Designed for fine hair, this Champo mask leaves lengths supremely soft without leaving any residue. In fact, I swear it's helped me go longer in between washes. A thickening foam is the obvious choice when you're hoping to create artificial volume in fine, flat hair, but so many I tried left my lengths feeling claggy and stiff. Per Todisco's recommendation, I tried this one from Aveda and can confirm it's excellent. Think airy, voluminous hair with plenty of bounce, yet none of the associated stickiness. Work it through your whole head for major density, or stick to your roots for a more natural lift.to this one, which promises to stimulate hair growth. Whether it's done that or not, I can't quite say, but I do know the herbal, circulation-boosting formula feels heavenly on sluggish mornings and leaves my hair lifted and full of movement after drying, which helps add to the illusion of density I'm trying to conjure. This one isn't strictly for fine or thinning hair, but I love it on days when I want to reduce frizz and add just a touch of structure and lift. It's a dense cream that delivers a whole host of benefits: heat protection, frizz control, and a light hold that keeps my heat-styled waves bouncy all day. Plus, as with all Virtue products, it's formulated with a vegan keratin that binds to and repairs the cracks in each hair fiber, leading to stronger strands over time. I apply just a pea-sized amount to my long hair, so the tube is destined to last forever.