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A Color Specialist

Colourist located in California who specialises in grey hair. Among his clientele are Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I swear by a soft fabric towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much harm a regular bath towel can do, notably with lightened or dyed strands. A simple switch can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use during washing. It protects the hair while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the strands, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A high-quality styling iron – ceramic or tourmaline, with smart temperature control. Grey and blonde hair can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the proper tool.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the truth is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients severely damage their locks, experience breakage or end up with striped effects that are incredibly challenging to remedy. It's best to steer clear of chemical straightening processes on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or undesired tones.

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

People using the wrong products for their particular strand characteristics. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Others rely too much on protein-rich treatments and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue 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 yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and promote root strength. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They support the body from the inside out by correcting endocrine issues, stress and nutritional deficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be successful. However, I consistently recommend seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to identify the source rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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Anabel Kingsley

Follicle Expert and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to preserve strand health, and have color touches every two months.

What affordable find is essential?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say medicated treatments. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the optimal outcomes. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It shows no real benefit. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What blunder stands out often?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, 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 deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a balancing act. 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 genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try collagen induction therapy (with a specialist), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will improve spontaneously. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – the typical deficiencies involve iron, B12 and vitamin D – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus