Thin is Not Always In

While it’s said you can never be too thin, your hair certainly can. Many women experience thinning hair as they age. Although I have plenty of hair (or so my hairdresser tells me) it is limp and baby fine and drives me cr-a-zy! I am always trying the latest volumizer-- be it root lifters, gels, thickening sprays, anything to pump up the volume!


Thank goodness for Good Housekeeping Magazine. The GHRI (Good Housekeeping Research Institute) tested a dozen thickening shampoo/conditioner pairs for me.  Volunteers with fine hair used them in place of their regular shampoo and conditioner at least four times, and then filled out a questionnaire. Don’t worry, there is some science involved too—lab experts actually measured the diameter of individual strands of hair with a microscope before and after.

Pantene Pro V Full & Thick Shampoo and Conditioner was a clear winner. Lab findings found that strand diameter was expanded by 9% and consumers gave it the highest marks for adding volume, making hair look thicker and adding softness. Nexxus Diametress Luscious Volumizing Shampoo and Shampoo Luscious Volumizing Conditioner came in second. Consumers weren’t quite as excited in their comments, but it did an especially good job in the lab on gray hair, increasing diameter by 10%.

Pantene Pro V Full & Thick Shampoo and Conditioner is available for about $4-5 at drug and grocery stores everywhere. Nexxus Diametress Luscious Volumizing Shampoo and Sublime Volume Luscious Volumizing Conditioner is available at drugstores for about $13-15.

After spending $48 on Oscar Blandi Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner and getting virtually no noticeable results I’m getting my butt to Walmart! See ya later.