Kérastase has four ranges that matter for fine or thinning hair, and they do different jobs. Densifique is for hair that has lost density, Genesis is for hair fall from breakage, Spécifique is for the scalp, and Volumifique is for fine hair that is simply flat.
Buying the wrong one is the most common mistake. Below is what each range is for, what its claims rest on, and the one product from each that is worth the salon price.
a row of salon shampoo bottles and a box of scalp vials on a marble shelf, soft daylight
This guide is independent and unpaid. Range names, sizes, ingredients and study figures were checked on Kérastase's own site in October 2026. US prices vary by retailer, so we give ranges rather than exact figures.
From the editor
Clients often arrive with a Genesis bottle when their problem is density, or a Densifique bottle when their hair is just fine and flat. The packaging is similar, and the names do not help.
Start from what your hair is doing, not from the range name, and Kérastase becomes much easier to buy.
MH
— Megan Holloway, Editor-in-Chief
The short verdict
For thinning hair that feels limp and sparse, Densifique Bain Densité is the shampoo to buy. For fine hair that is flat but not thinning, Bain Volumifique is lighter and cheaper to justify.
For hair that snaps and sheds in the brush, Genesis Bain Hydra-Fortifiant, which Kérastase labels for fine hair, is the better match. None of these is a medical hair-loss treatment.
Which Kérastase range for your hair
What your hair is doing
Range
Start with
Less of it, limp and see-through
Densifique
Bain Densité shampoo
Breaking and shedding in the brush
Genesis
Bain Hydra-Fortifiant
Oily or unbalanced scalp, early thinning
Spécifique
Bain Prévention
Fine and flat, not thinning
Volumifique
Bain Volumifique
Men, thinning and weak
Genesis Homme
Bain de Masse Épaississant
Kérastase Densifique: for thinning hair
Densifique is Kérastase's range for "limp, devitalized hair", and it is the one most people mean by Kérastase for thinning hair. The collection is built around hyaluronic acid, a gluco-peptide and ceramides, aimed at making each strand feel fuller and the root lift more.
That is a cosmetic effect: fuller-feeling hair, not more hairs. One reviewer on the LookFantastic blog described hair that felt healthier but not visibly denser, which is a fair expectation to set.
Kerastase Densifique Bain Densite shampoo bottle, product packshot on white
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Kérastase Densifique Bain Densité
A strengthening shampoo for thinning hair, 250 ml, also sold in 500 ml and a refill pouch. Kérastase lists hyaluronic acid, a gluco-peptide and ceramides, and claims fullness and root lift.
Best for: fine hair that has become sparse. Fine-haired reviewers mostly say it does not weigh hair down. Honest limitation: price, and the effect lasts only while you use it.
Kerastase Cure Densifique scalp treatment vials in a box, product packshot on white
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Kérastase Cure Densifique
An intensive scalp treatment: 30 vials of 6 ml, one a day for three months, with Stemoxydine, a glycan complex and B vitamins. Kérastase reports "more than 1,000 new hairs" at three months in a study of 101 people against placebo.
Honest limitation: that is a brand-run study we could not read in full, and the treatment is the priciest way into the range. It is not an approved hair-loss drug.
Genesis is labelled "anti-hair fall", but its own copy frames the problem mainly as hair that breaks. That matters: hair snapping mid-length looks like shedding in the brush, and a strengthening routine can genuinely reduce it.
The range uses Aminexil, edelweiss native cells and ginger root. Bain Hydra-Fortifiant is the one Genesis shampoo Kérastase describes as for fine hair; Bain Nutri-Fortifiant is the dry-hair version. The leave-in Sérum Anti-Chute Fortifiant is applied to the scalp daily.
If your hair is breaking rather than thinning at the root, read hair breakage in fine hair as well; the fix is usually as much about brushing and heat as about shampoo.
Kérastase Spécifique: for the scalp
Spécifique is the scalp range. Bain Prévention is a frequent-use shampoo that Kérastase positions against the "risk" of thinning, and Cure Anti-Chute is a six-week course of daily vials for hair fall.
It suits an oily or unbalanced scalp with early, light thinning. If your scalp itches or flakes, sort that first; dandruff and thinning hair explains why.
Kérastase Volumifique: for fine hair that is not thinning
If your hair is fine but you have plenty of it, Densifique is more than you need. Bain Volumifique, "Volumizing Shampoo for Fine Hair", is now its own range and the only product in it.
It is the straightforward choice for flat, fine hair. Pair it with any light conditioner; the old "Masquintense for fine hair" no longer exists, and the current Nutritive masks are for dry and very dry hair. Our best shampoo for fine hair compares Volumifique-style formulas at lower prices.
Kérastase Genesis Homme: for men
Genesis Homme is the men's version, aimed at weakened hair prone to thinning. Bain de Masse Épaississant is the thickening shampoo and Bain de Force Quotidien the daily one, with a fortifying scalp serum alongside.
As with the women's ranges, it makes hair look and feel thicker. For what actually slows male pattern thinning, see thinning hair treatments by cause.
Does Kérastase work for thinning hair?
The shampoos and conditioners work cosmetically: hair feels fuller, lifts more and breaks less. That is useful, and it is what most of the range claims.
The vial treatments go further, claiming new hairs and less hair fall, but those claims rest on Kérastase's own studies, and Stemoxydine and Aminexil are not approved hair-loss drugs. Minoxidil, by contrast, is approved and costs less. A Kérastase routine can sit alongside it.
Is Kérastase worth the price?
Kérastase shampoos typically sell for around $35 to $55 in the US, and the vial programmes cost considerably more. A little goes a long way, which is the most common defence in reviews, and price is the most common complaint.
It is worth it for the shampoo if you like the feel and can afford it. It is not worth it if you are buying it to treat hair loss; for that, spend the money on a diagnosis first. Our best shampoo for thinning hair includes cheaper formulas with tested ingredients.
FAQ
Densifique, starting with Bain Densité shampoo and Fondant Densité conditioner. It is designed for limp, sparse hair and makes it feel fuller. Skip the Densifique mask on fine hair; Kérastase says it is for medium-to-coarse thinning hair.
If your hair is fine but not thinning, Bain Volumifique, which Kérastase labels a volumizing shampoo for fine hair. If it is fine and breaking, Genesis Bain Hydra-Fortifiant, the Genesis shampoo labelled for fine hair.
Densifique is for hair that has lost density and looks see-through. Genesis is for hair fall, which its own copy frames mainly as breakage. If your hair snaps mid-length, choose Genesis; if there is simply less of it, choose Densifique.
The shampoo and conditioner do not; they make hair feel fuller. Kérastase claims its Cure Densifique vial treatment produced more than 1,000 new hairs at three months in a brand study of 101 people, but it is not an approved hair-loss drug.
The shampoo and conditioner are light enough for fine hair, and fine-haired reviewers mostly say they do not weigh it down. The Densifique mask is the exception, as Kérastase positions it for medium-to-coarse hair.
Yes, Genesis Homme, with a thickening shampoo (Bain de Masse Épaississant), a daily shampoo and a fortifying scalp serum. It makes hair look and feel thicker; it does not treat male pattern hair loss.
The shampoos work from the first wash, cosmetically. Kérastase’s vial treatments run for six weeks (Cure Anti-Chute) to three months (Cure Densifique) before the brand measures results.
Range names, ingredients and study figures were checked on Kérastase’s official site in October 2026; products and prices change, so check the label before you buy. This guide is independent; Kérastase did not see it or pay for it. It is general information, not medical advice.
Images in this article are AI-generated illustrations, not photos of real clients or results. See our image policy.
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