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A Color Specialist

Hair Color Expert based in California who specialises in silver hair. His clients include Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a soft fabric towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to remove moisture from your strands. Many are unaware how much damage a standard towel can do, particularly for silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another affordable staple is a wide-tooth comb, to use during washing. It safeguards your strands while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – featuring innovative technology, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the truth is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals melt their hair, break it off or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid long-term smoothing services on pre-lightened strands. These formulations are often overly harsh for already fragile strands and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. The other major issue is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying styling appliances without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

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

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and support follicle health. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by correcting endocrine issues, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be effective. Still, my advice is to getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

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

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are absolutely amazing if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. 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. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the initial area to show decline when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, 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 best results. 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 shows no real benefit. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can affect thyroid test results.

Which error is most frequent?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the opposite is true – notably in cases of dandruff, which is worsened by the presence of excess oils. If natural oils stay on the head, they decompose and cause irritation.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a careful compromise. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it shouldn't harm your hair.

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

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It's backed by strong research and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. 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 micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

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 flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will improve spontaneously. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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