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Best Pomade for Thin Hair: Matte, Volumizing, Thickening, Strong Hold (2024)

Best Pomade for Thin Hair: Matte, Volumizing, Thickening, Strong Hold (2024)

Thin-haired friends, unite — no more letting your hair-do frizz at the slightest breeze. The best pomade for thin hair will keep your look firmly in place, all day long. Best of all, these products won’t make your hair look greasy or stiff (unless, of course, that’s what you’re after.) Instead, these products offer light and shiny matte, stiff, medium, and strong hold, with most being water-soluble and easy to wash out in the shower. To add volume, thicken your hair, or to just add a little shine on a special occasion, try the best pomade for thin hair. You won’t believe the results.

Our Top Picks

When it comes to these six pomades, a little-dab-will-do-ya. Here’s a summary of our choices:

Reuzel Fiber PomadeBest Overall: Reuzel Fiber Pomade.
Use REUZEL Fiber Pomade for great hold and shine. Best of all, you can still run your hands through your hair!
Bona Fide Pomade MatteBest Matte Finish: Bona Fide Pomade Matte.
We like Bona Fide Pomade for a natural look, zero shine, and a hold lasting all day long.
Slick Gorilla Texturizing PowderBest Lightweight: Slick Gorilla Texturizing Powder.
Slick Gorilla adds volume to your hair with a nice matte finish; the perfect choice for a light, dry look.
TIGI Bed Head for Men, Workable WaxBest Volumizing: TIGI Bed Head for Men, Workable Wax.
For volume, TIGI Bed Head smells great, working all day long without leaving a trace.
Cremo Premium Barber Grade Hair PasteBest Thickening: Cremo Premium Barber Grade Hair Paste.
Cremo Premium is high hold and low shine: the perfect choice to thicken-up your thin hair.
Imperial Barber PomadeBest Strong Hold: Imperial Barber Pomade.
If the absolute strongest hold is what you’re after,  Imperial Barber has a very strong hold, a nice scent, and it never feels greasy or sticks to your hands.
 

A Closer Look: Best Pomades for Thin Hair

For a heavier coating, our in-depth reviews of pomade for thin hair are coming up next. 

1. Reuzel Fiber Pomade

The best pomade for thin hair overall.

Reuzel Fiber Pomade

Brand: Reuzel | Size: 4 oz | Strength: Firm Hold | Features: Low Shine |  Ingredients: Beeswax, Nettle, Witch Hazel | Price: 💰 1.50/oz

With simple ingredients including lanolin wax, beeswax, and water, among many others, REUZEL fiber pomade is up first in our ranking of the best pomades for thin hair. With a vanilla mint scent, Reuzel is a great choice for all hair types, with firm and pliable hold, and it washes out easily in the shower. It’s also a great choice for texturizing and fullness, and it’s easy to apply to hair that’s both dry and wet.

During application Reuzel feels much like a cream, we learned, providing a lightweight look that’s nice and flexible once it dries. The scent is especially popular, with some describing it as woodsy, but also chocolate-y, with a hint of vanilla and mint. Overall, the finish is neither matte or glossy, and overall, it makes your hair look healthy and hydrated, providing a strong, voluminous hold without ever getting flakey or crispy, based on feedback.

  • Can’t beat the price
  • Neutral shine, no residue
  • Strength varies based on amount used
  • Not as good as it used to be, some say
  • Fiber pomade? “That’s questionable”

2. Bona Fide Pomade Matte

The best matte pomade for thin hair.

Bona Fide Pomade Matte

Brand: Bona Fide | Size: 4 oz | Strength: Strong Hold | Features: Clay Form |  Ingredients: Water, Castor Oil | Price: 💰 3.75/oz

Looking for a pomade for your thin hair that won’t also make it look too shiny? Your best choice is the matte pomade from Bona Fide. Made in America with simple ingredients including water, beeswax, and castor oil, this pomade does it’s job well, and just because the product offers a matte finish,  it doesn’t mean the hold is any less strong. Use Bona Fide, and your thin hair still stays pliable all throughout the day, offering a citrus-y baby powder scent. with very little crispness or flaking.

Also according to feedback, this pomade goes on smoothly, especially in dry hair, spreading nicely for an even coating. With a nice matte finish, it holds all day, but also lets you restyle your look as needed. It also won’t dry your hair or scalp, with a nice dry texture. Some do warn, however, if you live in a rainy climate this pomade may wash right out. But overall, there’s very little residue left behind, regardless of the weather.

  • Subtle finish
  • Won’t dry hard
  • Great for short, thin hair
  • Strong smell
  • Sweat a lot? Maybe reconsider.
  • Still too sticky and stiff, some say

3. Slick Gorilla Hair Styling Texturizing Powder

The best lightweight pomade for thin hair.

Slick Gorilla Texturizing Powder

Brand: Slick Gorilla | Size: 0.7 oz | Strength: Strong Hold | Features: Powdered Formula |  Ingredients: Glycerin, Silica | Price: 💰 25.71/oz

With no scent at all, the most lightweight pomade for thin hair in our list is the Slick Gorilla hair styling and texturizing powder. Helping provide good volume and hold, with a matte finish, Slick Gorilla offers all the benefits of a pomade while also keeping your hair looking as natural as possible. And according to feedback, it lasts all day, providing great volume, standing up well to frequent restyling. And all without ever giving you that greasy look that some other pomades, hairsprays, and gels can sometimes create.

Otherwise, the powdery consistency of the product goes on a lot like baby powder, we learned, offering volume and the freedom to style and restyle your look all throughout the day. It works especially well on thinner hair, we learned, and Slick Gorilla is an especially good choice for anyone whose hair tends to attract oil over time. According to reports, this texturizing powder is light enough to add volume with a nice matte finish, and it never gets greasy.

  • Lasts a long time
  • Similar to “second day hair
  • Good choice for fine hair, no cowlick
  • Best used on very clean and dry hair
  • Powdery substance not for everyone
  • Better than baby powder? Debatable.

4. TIGI Bed Head for Men- Matte Workable Wax

The best volumizing pomade for thin hair.

TIGI Bed Head for Men, Workable Wax

Brand: TIGI | Size: 3 oz | Strength: Firm Hold | Features: Fresh “Green” Scent |  Ingredients: Beeswax | Price: 💰 3.33/oz

If you have thin hair, creating volume can be a challenge. TIGI Bed Head is a great place to start. With a matte finish and no flakes, TIGI is made from water and beeswax, among other ingredients, with an aroma that’s described as “fresh,” “green,” and “aromatic.” It also remains pliable, standing up well in humid conditions, leaving no white traces, and only a pea-sized amount lasts all day, based on feedback.

The smell of the product is also very pleasant, we learned, with no flaking and a nice matte finish. One consumer reported good results, even after a workout. With just a pinch, it lathers well, and it does work best when applied to somewhat damp hair, we learned. Each individual hair is coated, but your hair remains manageable, according to reports. It may look a little dark and wet at first, but after drying, it won’t look wet or greasy, even with blonde, thin hair, we found out.

  • Handles strong wind
  • Lasts more than 12 hours
  • Great choice for post-cut styling
  • Too rubbery, some say
  • High shine, low hold, according to reports
  • Frequently counterfeit, based on feedback

5. Cremo Premium Barber Grade Thickening Paste

The best thickening pomade for thin hair overall.

Cremo Premium Barber Grade Hair Paste

Brand: Cremo | Size: 4 oz | Strength: High Hold | Features: Low Shine |  Ingredients: Clay | Price: 💰 2.50/oz

To thicken up the look of your hair without too much shine, Cremo Premium is a thickening paste that’s surprisingly good for this purpose, we learned. Using just a little bit of the creamy, clay-like substance and your hair remains touchable. It dries matte and won’t weigh down super fine hair, with a wonderful scent, we learned. Best of all, it won’t get flakey or gunky, based on feedback, and it washes off easily in the shower.

Also notable, the scent is very subtle, smelling a bit like warm bread, we learned. If you’re looking for some extreme styling power, this may not be the best choice, but if you’re after something to create a look with just a little bit of hold, Cremo is your best bet. According to reports, it really does make your hair look thicker, holding everything in place throughout a workday, for a barely-there look.

  • Good for thin, fine hair
  • Light hold, matte finish
  • Keeps your part in place
  • Too weak, some say
  • Stay away if sensitive to perfume
  • “Just average,” according to some

6. Imperial Barber Pomade

The best strong pomade for thin hair.

Imperial Barber Pomade

Brand: Imperial | Size: 6 oz | Strength: Strongest Hold | Features: Reactivate w/Water |  Ingredients: Water Based | Price: 💰 3.67/oz

And just because your hair is thin doesn’t mean you don’t need a strong hold pomade. For this reason, we conclude with the Imperial Barber Pomade, offering adjustable hold and shine, depending on how wet or dry your hair is when it’s applied. Also notable, it’s reactivated with just a little bit of water, meaning ducking into the restroom to freshen up your look while you’re working is easier than ever. And with ingredients like water and castor oil, among others, the pomade rinses out easily.

Some describe the consistency of the pomade as something more like a gel than a cream, but it’s without a doubt strong enough to hold very fine and thin hair without feeling like cement. One consumer with thin hair that gets wavy once it dries says Imperial performs flawlessly, with a nice watermelon scent when first applied that lessens over time.

  • Holds up all day
  • Easy to work into hair
  • Zero issues for thin hair
  • Bit pricey
  • Feels a bit like a leave-in conditioner
  • OK for “thin” hair but not for “thinning” hair

Our Process

Why trust Shelf? We have mastered the process of online shopping and return the benefits of our research to you. To find the best hair pomades for thin hair, our author spent hours researching the top brands and manufacturers from around the web. Then they compared prices, quality, ingredients, and user reviews to narrow down our options. This list of the 6 best pomades for thin hair was curated for you! If we missed your favorite brand, drop a comment below.