We all know about the wonders of filler for the face. It can rewind the clock on our skin and plump up our complexion. Have you ever thought about filler for the hair? No, it doesn’t involve syringes like traditional filler—it’s actually much simpler. We’ve noticed a wave of hair filler launches, so we scoped out the trend with some experts.
Featured experts
- Dimitris Giannetos is a celebrity hairstylist
- Laura Polko is a celebrity hairstylist
What is hair filler?
“Hair filler is a product that repairs hair fibers from within and aims to make the hair healthier, fuller and shinier,” explains celebrity hairstylist and Garnier Fructis Stylist Ambassador Dimitri Giannetos. He notes that it generally contains many different peptides to target hair regrowth and overall hair care. The goal is essentially to plump up the hair. The formula generally works by adding components you need to have the appearance of fuller, healthier hair, says celebrity hairstylist and House of Frieda Ambassador Laura Polko.
Will hair filler actually make your hair fuller or just give it the appearance of fullness?
Whether it genuinely plumps hair or just gives it a fuller appearance is dependent on the formula. Giannetos says that while hair fillers can definitely make hair appear fuller, they don’t usually actually increase the volume of the hair. However, “there is a visible transformation occurring to your hair, making it appear smoother, stronger and healthy.” Polko says she’s seen cases where a product actually makes hair “fuller because it is adding extra elements to the hair.”
How does hair filler work?
A hair filler generally “works by providing bonding treatments that penetrate the hair to repair and strengthen damaged hair,” says Giannetos. Shampoo and conditioner treatments, like those from Garnier, “use small molecules to crosslink hair proteins, which can help restore nutrients and recreate protective bonds.” He adds that hair filler products “can also help exclude water that can cause frizz.”