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An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional located in California who focuses on platinum tones. Among his clientele are celebrated actors and Andie MacDowell.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I swear by a microfibre towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Many are unaware how much stress a typical terrycloth towel can do, especially to lightened or dyed strands. This one small change can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while detangling and helps keep the health of the strands, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with smart temperature control. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

What style or process should you always avoid?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the truth is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people melt their hair, break it off or end up with striped effects that are nearly impossible to correct. It's best to steer clear of long-term smoothing services on pre-lightened strands. These formulations are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

What’s the most common mistake you see in your salon?

People using the wrong products for their specific hair needs. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their lightened locks looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which product, treatment or supplement would you recommend for hair loss?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, anxiety and lack of vital nutrients.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be beneficial. However, I consistently recommend consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Trichologist and head of a renowned clinic centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I schedule cuts every ten to twelve weeks, but will snip damaged ends myself every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Hair-thickening particles are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also presently during some marked thinning after having awful flu a few months ago. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the best results. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It shows no real benefit. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Also, high-dose biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What blunder stands out often?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If natural oils stay on the head, they break down and become inflammatory.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a balancing act. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it is unlikely to cause damage.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will resolve on its own. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – the frequent culprits include iron stores, B12 and D insufficiency – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus