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An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional operating from the Golden State who focuses on platinum tones. He works with Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much stress a standard towel can do, especially to grey or color-processed hair. This one small change can really minimize flyaways and damage. A second budget-friendly essential is a broad-toothed comb, to use in the shower. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps keep the health of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A high-quality styling iron – featuring innovative technology, with precise heat settings. Grey and blonde hair can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the proper tool.

Which popular practice is a definite no-go?

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 severely damage their locks, snap their strands or end up with bands of colour that are nearly impossible to correct. I also don’t recommend long-term smoothing services on bleached or silver hair. Such treatments are often overly harsh for delicate locks and can cause long-term damage or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply colour-correcting purple shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks drab and lacking shine. Some depend excessively 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 flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to boost blood flow and support follicle health. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown positive outcomes. They work internally to benefit externally by correcting endocrine issues, tension 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 beneficial. However, I consistently recommend getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Trichologist and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I schedule cuts every ten to twelve weeks, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to preserve strand health, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are absolutely amazing if you have see-through sections. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had significant shedding – and also presently during some considerable hair loss after having a bad infection previously. Since hair is non-vital, 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?

For those with genetic thinning in women, 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 prescription-strength formulas to see the best results. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It's ineffective. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the primary purpose of washing 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 contrary is accurate – especially if you have dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If oils are left on your scalp, they break down and become inflammatory.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a balancing act. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. Scientific support is substantial and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. 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 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