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An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional operating from the Golden State who specialises in grey hair. Among his clientele are Hollywood stars and well-known figures.

What affordable item can't you live without?

My top pick is a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to remove moisture from your strands. Most people don’t realise how much harm a standard 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 smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, notably following coloring.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with smart temperature control. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the right iron.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, but the actual fact 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. It's best to steer clear of long-term smoothing services on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often overly harsh for delicate locks and can cause long-term damage or discoloration.

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

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse violet-based cleansers until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to boost blood flow and aid in hair growth. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps remove residue and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They support the body from the inside out by addressing hormonal imbalances, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be successful. However, I consistently recommend seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Scalp and Hair Scientist and brand president of Philip Kingsley centers and lines targeting thinning.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will snip damaged ends myself every two weeks to maintain tip integrity, and have color touches every two months.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Toppik hair fibres are absolutely amazing if you have thinning spots. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also currently as I’m going through some marked thinning after having awful flu a few months ago. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

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 non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the optimal outcomes. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It's ineffective. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, 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 remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – especially if you have dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

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 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 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