Update 3/9/20.Thicker, Fuller Hair is as the name suggests, a hair care regimen for thinning hair. Said to be created by an Ayurvedic chemist, Thicker Fuller Hair is said to repair hair from scalp to strand. Sounds great but does it really work? In this review, you'll see the ingredients in Thicker Fuller Hair along with what the research says about them.
Have you seen the shampoo called Thicker Fuller Hair? It's by Dr Hoting Thickening Solutions and contains caffeine which, the label eludes, will “energize” your hair. Dr Hoting Thickening Solutions appears to be a division of the which is owned by the Henkel company (Henkel.com). Can this shampoo grow hair or make your hair thicker? Let's take a look at the research and see.
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Thicker Fuller Hair Ingredients
Prominent ingredients mentioned on the shampoos website are:
- Quinoa (a source of protein)
- Vegan keratin (protein)
- Neem leaf
- VitaMineral boost
- Baobab (moisturizing agent)
- Biotin
- Pea sprout
- Caffeine
What is VitaMineral Boost?
As the name implies its a combination of vital minerals, specifically:
- copper
- magnesium
- zinc
together, these minerals are called Sepitonic M3. The idea is that the Sepitonic M3 mineral combination reduces free radicals and improves the mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells.
What Is Baobab?
Baoabab comes from the Baobab tree. The tree contains copious amounts of water as well as vitamins and minerals.
Caffeine And Hair Growth
This shampoo contains caffeine. The Thicker Fuller Hair website says caffeine helps build visible hair volume and can give a boost to your hair just as coffee does for you. Really? Can caffeine really wake up hair? Does caffeine make the hair on your head stand up or add fullness, thickness or body?
Let's look at the evidence.
It's well known that testosterone (DHT) can cause hair to fall out.
In one study, researchers treated hair follicles of 14 men with testosterone (which reduced hair growth) and then treated the follicles again with caffeine. The caffeine not only counteracted the effect of testosterone but also seemed to cause some hair follicle growth. Impressive but the hair growth was seen in a test tube -not on the head.
In another caffeine hair growth study, a shampoo containing caffeine was shown to penetrate hair follicles. The shampoo was left on for 2 minutes. This study did not test if the shampoo stopped hair from falling out.
Thicker Fuller Hair does not tell us how much caffeine is in the shampoo and I could not find any instructions about how long to leave the shampoo on the head.
In another investigation hair follicles from men and women were treated with testosterone or testosterone + caffeine. Researchers noted that caffeine improved the hair shaft length and prolonged the hair growth phase as well as stimulated the production of various proteins in hair.
In a more interesting study, researchers recruited women with androgenetic alopecia. For 6 months, the women used either a regular shampoo or a shampoo containing phyto caffeine (caffeine from plants). After 6 months of using the caffeine shampoo, fewer hairs could be pulled from the scalps. This appears to show caffeine strengthened the hair and made it less likely to fall out.
Studies like these appear to show that caffeine seems to have an effect on hair. That said, a more real-life test would be to see if it grows hair on the heads of people.
Did It Work For Me?
When I tried it, Cell-U-Plex was said to be the secret sauce in the shampoo that's supposed to make hair thicker and fuller. I got the impression that caffeine was added to Cell-U-Plex to make it work better.
I bought a bottle to try it out. I didn't feel any tingling in my scalp and I don't think my hair (what hair I have left) seemed any more energized or invigorated than when I used other shampoos. It's not a bad shampoo. It cleans your hair like it's supposed to. But I didn't notice any effect from the caffeine. Granted I did not use the shampoo for 6 months so I can't say if it grows hair or not.
Where Do You Buy It?
The shampoo is popular and not expensive and can be found at Walmart, CVS, Bed Bath and Beyond and Walgreens to name a few.
Thicker Fuller Hair Company
The company is High Ridge Brands (HighRidgeBrands.com). An older website name for the company was NewHallLabs.com although that site no longer seems to be in use. The company address is 333 Ludlow St Ste 2 Stamford, CT 06902-6991. High Ridge Brands is behind many popular products you may be familiar with such as:
- Alberto Vo5
- White Rain
- Reach toothbrushes
The main website for the shampoo and conditioner is ThickerFullerHair.com. While the website now talks about how the shampoo and conditioner were created by an Ayurvedic chemist and licensed trichologist (someone who studies hair), in the past the person behind the shampoo was called Dr. Hoting although his name is no longer mentioned.
The BBB gives High Ridge Brands an A+ rating. See the BBB file for more information.
Who Is Dr. Hoting?
The name Dr. Hoting used to be displayed on bottles of shampoo although this is no longer so. Dr. Edo Hoting is still mentioned on the German company, Schwarzkopf website (schwarzkopf.de). Bottles of Thicker Fuller Hair bearing his name can still be found online and maybe also at local stores.
According to the Schwarzkopf website, Dr. Edo Hoting is a dermatologist.
The company that makes Thicker Fuller Hair shampoo doesn't specifically claim its caffeine helps hair loss, the company used to discuss how caffeine invigorates and energizes the scalp.
As I said, my scalp felt no different when I use Thicker Fuller Hair. It's a fine shampoo but does it help hair loss any better than pouring Diet Coke on your head?
Does Thicker Fuller Hair Work?
Thicker Fuller Hair is a fine shampoo that will do a good job of cleaning the hair. The research on caffeine helping strengthen hair is interesting but I'd like to see more studies to know for sure. It may take a few months to see a difference if it works.
Here it is on Amazon if you want to see what others are saying
I am a 25 year old male, suffering from receding frontal hairline due to severe weight loss in the past and genetics. My hairs are thin and straight.
I have tried a conditioner (not a shampoo) with caffeine in it made from a company called Ultrax Labs. This conditioner incredibly worsened the hair loss problem. Every time I applied the conditioner more, hairs fell out. One may say that is just “an illusion,” but trust me, it’s not. I tried it a few times to see if my hypothesis was correct (conditioner makes more hair fall out) and every time I applied the conditioner, my hypothesis became more solid.
I am not saying any product with caffeine in it would do the same, but that was my experience with caffeine conditioner. I returned the product in panic and started using different product right away.
David, sorry to hear about that! Ive never heard of that company. instead of a shampoo or conditioner, Id just use monixidil. Its not expensive these days. Here is a 6 month supply of minoxidil on Amazon.
I’ve been using “Thicker Fuller Hair – Weightless Conditioner” with Caffeine energizer for several years and love the extra volume of my naturally straight hair. I’m happy to know that Walgreens sells it. I’m heading there tomorrow. I’ve tried many other products to enhance volume. This is the only one that works for me.
Sally, happy that Thicker Fuller Hair is working for you 🙂
if the caffeine needs to sit on the scalp for a while to work, why would you put it in a shampoo? any shampoo (even sulfate free) is designed to break down the same oils that condition hair to prevent the breakage that can make hair thinner and duller and slow visible growth. gentle shampoos just do it a bit slower to prevent over stripping, but if left to sit, you defeat the point.
to me, the logical path would be to add the caffeine to conditioner which works better when it has some time to sit on the hair anyway or as a final rinse. my hair is dark, so i can stir espresso in my leave in and spritz away, but blonds may want to look at white tea (low caffeine, not low caffeine) or the super charged blond coffee that brews up with tons more caffeine than Italian roast and looks golden in a shot glass.
there is also a way to make gel with flax and hot water, and may people with thin hair may spritz the roots with styling product for loft. when i tested the recipe, i added coffee, and despite being called gel, it dries like hair spray but without the drying alcohol that can also lead to breakage. I can’t promise it will make your hair grow faster, but it should cause no harm and is ridiculously cheap to make.
Join the Long Hair community boards. They have a lot of members talking about caffeine on the scalp. Most of us just brew and pour it on as a final rinse. Trouble is it can stain the hair. Some girls found it worked (a lot of maintenance) and others found no change. I personally wouldn’t buy it.
Although in laboratory circumstances caffeine may have an effect, in real life this is quite different. Caffeine in a shampoo can not penetrate the skin during a washing cycle. It will have no effect on hair growth whatsoever.
Do not get fooled. Products like this are fraudulent and companies that market them should be seized and their assets sold and their management should be put behind bars.
what about topical application and perhaps using a dermaroller first?
Bob, I have no idea of applying caffeine to the scalp like that would work or not. As far as I know, nobody has ever tested it.
I have very thin hair on the top and sides of my head I am trying thicker Fuller hair along with vitamin b supplements I already see some improvement I only hope it continues
I am so devastated !!!!!!!! After reading several entries about this shampoo , I too suffer from really fine, limp hair . I noticed my hair was thinning with age. I went into wal greens looking to find a solution and came across dr. Hotings shampoo and decided to give it a try , as I surely did NOT want to lose any more hair…….Well…….. forget that idea!
This shampoo completely dried my hair out so bad that it started breaking ….. all while I was using 2 conditioners….. not even a hotoil treatment seemed to help….. I am so devastated ! I would NOT , NOT, NOT, recommend this product to ANY living creature!!!
I do need to add that it is STILL breaking off and my shoulder length hair is now 4-5 inches on top of my head!
C dixon, try some biotin. It doesn’t grow hair but it may help it grow a little faster. Also look at what you are eating. sometimes a very low fat diet can have an effect on hair. Thyroid problems can also play a role.
Joe is right C Dixon. Diet can have a lot to do with hair and also the thyroid. I’ve had three friends that went with Weight Watchers and all three lost a LOT of hair along with weight. It stopped when they started adding some fat to their diet. I’m pushing 70 so mine is most likely old age.
I started using Thicker Fuller Hair about six months ago. I have not grown more hair but the falling out has stopped. I purchased the moisture shampoo and the cream rinse plus the root lifter and the hair spray all from Thicker Fuller Hair. My hair has actually come back to life and has so much more body even though it is much more thinner than it has ever been.
Bad product. Made my hair thin and stringy. Leaving shampoo on your head is bad news, has the same ingredients as paint stripper. Sodium Laurel Sulphate.
mets, good observation. sodium laurel sulfate is in a lot of shampoos and other products.
I’m a 23 year old female with extremely THICK hair. (My mama compares it to horse hair.) I never dye it. I seldom cut it. When it gets to… about… the top of my ass crack, I chop it off – up to my shoulders for Locks of Love. My hair donation usually makes at least one more wig then the average hair donation. I would love to find something to make my hair a little thicker, so I didn’t have to cut off so much length. I bought the Shampoo and Serum, haven’t tried it. But this forum poured down rain on my parade. (Only because of the reviews about the product.)
Im only 24 yrs old and i have really really thin hair on the side of my head where my temples are. It looks like i have a bald spot. Are there any ideas of what to use to fill in any hair thats missing?
April, have you told your doctor about your thinning hair? just want to rule out any possible medical issues. If you are “healthy” I’m not aware of anything but there are hair thickening gels and creams that might help. A hair stylist may have a better idea. Do talk to your doctor first though, just to cover all your bases.
how can i buy this shampoo no stores have them were i live i live in lake in the hills can u help me
Joey, you can always try Ebay or Amazon
I was devastated when the only shampoo that gave me volume and body no longer sold it. I was looking for a decent substitute with no success, until I tried Cell-U-Plex. Since using my first bottle, my hair has been more manageable, without having fly-away straggles around my ears, as all other shampoos did.
I couldn’t find it any longer in the store where I bought it, so looked online to see if I could find out where it was sold. Apparently Walgreens has it. If so, I am delighted to have found it!
My wife uses the Shielo Volume Shampoo to give her volume, and when I started using it and it has really thickened my hair and made it stronger. It has biotin in it which makes each follicle stronger so the hairs have really stopped falling out. It works much nicer than regular shampoo and doubles as a great face wash.
AJ-
There is a supplement called “Hair, Skin, and Nails” by Nature’s Bounty that can be found in any drugstore. They come in regular and extra strength (the extra strength contains more biotin, which is something the body makes naturally for hair, skin, and nail health, but an increased dosage increases the speed that hair and nails grow and makes skin “glow”) I’ve been taking these supplements for about 3 weeks and have noticed a slight increase in the rate that my fingernails grow, but that’s about it.
It usually takes months before any noticeable difference occurs when taking supplements anyway. Other reviewers, though, claim that it works wonders for growing thicker, longer hair, and the female reviewers say that they notice the difference most with leg hair and eyebrows, because the hair grows back faster than it did before taking supplements. Some even claim it lengthens and thickens eyelashes. So if that’s true, it would probably work for facial hair too.
Hope that helped a bit.
Joe
Have you heard of any supplements or treatments that help beard growth for an otherwise normal male?
AJ, I’m not sure of any supplements that will help beard growth. In theory Minoxidil might help some if you rubbed it on your face. A dermatologist would probably know the answer on this better than me though.
Dave, its an interesting idea. I wonder if pouring coffee on the head might work as well?
I’m giving Cell-U-Plex a try, Dave, altho it seems to makes more sense to just shampoo my hair with a cup of strong coffee! Ya think?
Rose
Rose, theoretically there might be something to it if we can keep the it on the hair long enough.
Sir i have just started using it .. Like its been 2 or 3 times only so far but it do seem to have a pretty prominent affect on my hair .. I lost my hair strength and volume since i recovered from cancer though i still believe that using this shampoo is not the complete solution ..
Uzair, what effects have you noticed? Glad to hear you have recovered from cancer!
I wonder if having a cup of coffee would be a cheaper and more effective way of getting caffeine to the hair follicles…
I read that you would need to drink about 50 cups of coffee a day for caffeine to have any impact on your hair follicles. This is because when ingested coffee must go through your digestive system and the amount of caffeine that actually makes it to your scalp is so minimal it would have no impact. That is why these companies are developing topical solutions.
Clyde, I never saw that statistic of 50 cups of coffee so I couldn’t comment on it but since caffeine can be toxic /deadly in super high doses (about 10 grams if I remember) its good people dont drink that much coffee. I’d like to see a study on caffeine shampoos to see if they really grow hair or not.
This is pretty interesting. I wonder if a simple mix of caffeine powder and regular shampoo would work just as well.