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A Color Specialist

Styling Professional operating from the West Coast who specialises in platinum tones. He works with Hollywood stars and well-known figures.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a smooth cotton shirt to remove moisture from your strands. It's often overlooked how much stress a typical terrycloth towel can do, notably with grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use during washing. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, especially after lightening.

Which investment truly pays off?

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

What style or process should you always avoid?

DIY bleaching. Internet videos often simplify it, but the actual fact is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people cause irreversible harm, break it off or end up with bands of colour that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of long-term smoothing services on bleached or silver hair. These chemical systems are often overly harsh for delicate locks and can cause chronic issues or undesired tones.

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

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their specific hair needs. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their lightened locks looks lifeless and muted. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. A further common mistake is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying styling appliances without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

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

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest scalp formulas with active ingredients to enhance nutrient delivery and support follicle health. 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 support the body from the inside out by correcting endocrine issues, stress 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 successful. That said, I always suggest seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. 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 leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will remove split ends personally bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

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 almost invisible. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had a lot of hair fall – and also presently during some significant shedding after having a bad infection previously. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the initial area to show decline when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas 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?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. 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 genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, 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 main goal of cleansing is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is worsened by the presence of excess oils. When sebum remains on the skin, 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. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, 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 be most effective combined with additional ingredients. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you simply don’t want to or can’t use it, 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. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will improve spontaneously. 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