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A Color Specialist

Colourist based in California who focuses on platinum tones. He works with Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. Many are unaware how much damage a regular bath towel can do, notably with lightened or dyed strands. A simple switch can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another affordable staple is a large-gap comb, to use in the shower. It safeguards your strands while detangling and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, especially after lightening.

Which investment truly pays off?

A high-quality styling iron – featuring innovative technology, with smart temperature control. Grey and blonde hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people severely damage their locks, break it off or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of long-term smoothing services on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or color changes.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their hair type or colour. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their blonde or grey strands looks lifeless and muted. A few overdo on protein-rich treatments and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is heat styling without protection. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a protective product, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

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

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to boost blood flow and support follicle health. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by correcting endocrine issues, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. That said, I always suggest seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and head of a renowned clinic clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

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

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Hair-thickening particles are absolutely amazing if you have thinning spots. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

What justifies a higher investment?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the most effective improvements. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It doesn’t work. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

Which error is most frequent?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – especially if you have dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it 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 simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try collagen induction therapy (with a specialist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will improve spontaneously. Alternatively, endocrine issues or nutrient shortages may be the cause – the most common being ferritin (stored iron), vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus