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A Color Specialist

Styling Professional operating from the Golden State who excels at silver hair. His clients include Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I swear by a gentle drying cloth, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. Most people don’t realise how much damage a regular bath towel can do, especially to lightened or dyed strands. This one small change can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another affordable staple is a large-gap comb, to use while conditioning. It protects the hair while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the strands, especially after lightening.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with precise heat settings. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

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 biggest gambles you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, experience breakage or end up with uneven tones that are incredibly challenging to remedy. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These formulations are often too aggressive for already fragile strands and can cause chronic issues or undesired tones.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. A further common mistake is using hot tools sans safeguard. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a protective product, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

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

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. My advice includes follicle treatments containing stimulants to boost blood flow and promote root strength. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps remove residue and allows treatments to work more effectively. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by addressing hormonal imbalances, tension and dietary insufficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, PRP therapy – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be successful. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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Anabel Kingsley

Trichologist and head of a renowned clinic centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, 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 currently as I’m going through some considerable hair loss after having a bad infection previously. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the best results. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – 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 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 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What blunder stands out often?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If natural oils stay on the head, they break down and become inflammatory.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a balancing act. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

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 work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. 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.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will resolve on its own. 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