A head full of voluminous and shiny hair is often seen as the beauty ideal, but it’s not a reality for everyone. Some people are born with fine hair, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. But, those wanting fuller locks might find themselves wondering how to make their hair thicker and how to keep it from thinning even more. With the right products, proper methods, and a healthy diet, you can achieve thicker hair over time.

“The diameter of the hair shaft is what indicates whether you have thin or thick hair,” says Meena Singh, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at KMC Hair Center in Kansas City. “This is dictated by the size of your hair follicles which sits in the dermis layer of the skin (scalp),” she explains. So it is essential to take care of your scalp to grow thicker, healthier hair.

Your scalp is just the starting point. There are a few other ways to get thicker hair, some of which include altering your diet, adding specific hair products, and looking into nutritional supplements.

How to Get Thicker Hair: 6 excellent tips!

Thick hair is considered a visible marker of good health, but many people don’t know how to get thicker hair. Most of the time, the good news is that it may only require a few dietary changes or simple tricks to make your hair look and feel thicker than it currently is. Consider the following 6 hair thickening tricks to help you learn how to make hair thicker and fuller naturally.

1. Check your hormones

Many people experience hormonal imbalance starting around poverty due to stress, illness, menopause, pregnancy, or childbirth.

Elevated levels of androgens due to PCOS may cause hirsutism (unwanted male-pattern hair growth in women), deepening of the voice, and hormonal acne.

Thyroid hormones may be responsible for thin hair and excessive hair loss. Thyroid hormones also help regulate metabolism — in other words, they control how efficiently and quickly our cells work and produce energy. When the thyroid gland doesn’t have enough hormones, hypothyroidism. Thin hair and hair loss are symptoms of hypothyroidism, along with depressed mood, fatigue, cold intolerance, dry skin, weight gain, and constipation, among others.

Also referred to as androgenetic alopecia, excessive androgens cause male pattern baldness and hair loss. Getting hormone levels checked is imperative for those who want to know how to get thicker hair to take the correct action.

2. Rethink your diet

A balanced, nutritious diet high in nutrients stimulates hair growth. Because hair strands are made of a protein called keratin, making sure your diet has enough protein is essential for healthy hair, although nutrient-rich foods also help when you’re trying to thicken your hair.

Some of the best foods to consume throughout the day to promote thick healthy hair include:

Eggs: excellent source of biotin and protein.
Spinach: rich in vitamins C and A, as well as folates.
Berries: source of vitamin C.
Fish: rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Avocados: source of healthy fat.
Nuts and seeds: excellent source of vitamin E and a variety of B vitamins, selenium, and zinc.
Beans: source of plant-based protein.

3. Manage stress

Cortisol, also referred to as the stress hormone, affects the function of hair follicles by causing them to go into a resting phase. This means excessive levels of stress can cause you to lose hair. The good news is it’s possible to grow your hair back if the loss is due to stress. Once your stress levels return to normal, your hair follicles will return to their previous growth cycle.

Keep stress to a minimum with a few stress management techniques for luscious locks. It also helps to cut back on (or quit) caffeine and increase your physical activity levels. Other ways to reduce stress include getting enough sleep each night and learning relaxation techniques.

4. Treat your hair gently

Harsh chemicals and over-styling your hair can cause hair loss and make your hair look over-processed and brittle. Be gentle to your hair — increase volume by reducing shampooing to two to three times a week, avoid brushing your hair when it’s wet, and avoid high-heat tools like straighteners and curling irons. Instead, separate tangles with a large-tooth comb and avoid tight hairstyles like ponytails and buns.

Use professional shampoos, conditioners, masks, and oils made for your hair type to make your hair look healthier and thicker.

5. Massage your scalp

According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, a regular four-minute scalp massage per day can increase hair thickness in just 24 weeks. Massage stimulates blood circulation at the hair shaft and makes it easier to reach the hair follicles for nutrients and natural oils.

The good news is, you can massage your scalp in the shower while shampooing your hair or when you’re sitting in your chair. Use your fingertips for kneading the skin on your head. Start at the edges of the hairline and work your way slowly and gently to the crown.

6. Get enough vitamins

If you’re interested in making your hair thicker, it’s essential to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins. Several supplements on the market are explicitly targeted for hair and nail growth. While vitamin supplements are no substitute for a balanced diet, they can make a difference when looking for ways to help your hair grow.

Vitamin A: Found in carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and spinach, vitamin A is necessary for cell growth.
B Vitamins: Getting enough biotin, an essential B vitamin, is a must if you want to grow thicker hair. B vitamins help create red blood cells, which carry nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles and scalp.
Vitamin C: This antioxidant helps the body absorb the iron necessary to grow thicker hair. It also protects against damage from free radicals and plays a vital role in collagen synthesis.
Vitamin D: Found in cod liver oil and fatty fish, vitamin D helps create new hair follicles to encourage hair growth. A vitamin D deficiency is often linked with excessive hair loss. The best way to prevent this deficiency is to make sure you get exposed to sunlight every day (about 20 minutes, depending on your latitude). Checking the vitamin D level in your blood and discussing it with your healthcare provider is very important for your overall health.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is another antioxidant that prevents damage from free radicals in the body. Foods high in vitamin E include spinach, almonds, and avocados.
Zinc: Zinc deficiency can also cause thinning hair, so you should make sure you’re getting enough of this mineral through foods like oysters, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, and beef or by taking a supplement. Zinc is essential for hair growth, and it keeps the oil glands around the hair follicles functioning correctly.

Choose Effective Supplements

Taking a multivitamin along with a hair supplement can make a big difference, adding that specific vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids are necessary for healthy hair follicle function and growth.

Be patient: Results from pills can take three to six months and you’ll need to keep popping them to maintain your new hair growth.

When you take an oral supplement, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it nourishes all cells, including your hair follicles. “There are many nutraceutical supplements that work to decrease shedding hairs. They can also help strengthen some of the building blocks of the hair,” says Dr. Singh. She recommends looking for supplements that include amino acids, collagen, vitamins, and minerals.