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An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional operating from California who focuses on silver hair. Among his clientele are Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

My top pick is a microfibre towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to remove moisture from your strands. Many are unaware how much harm a regular bath towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a wide-tooth comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps keep the health of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A high-quality styling iron – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Lightened strands can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

What style or process should you always avoid?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the actual fact is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people melt their hair, snap their strands or end up with striped effects that are incredibly challenging to remedy. I would also avoid long-term smoothing services on pre-lightened strands. These formulations are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

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

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. Some depend excessively on protein-rich treatments and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. If you’re using styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to boost blood flow and support follicle health. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by balancing body chemistry, stress and lack of vital nutrients.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be successful. That said, I always suggest getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

My trims are every couple of months, but will remove split ends personally fortnightly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Building fibers are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it seamlessly blended. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some significant shedding after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the best results. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It doesn’t work. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 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 provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a balancing act. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will improve spontaneously. 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