🔗 Share this article

A Color Specialist

Styling Professional based in the Golden State who excels at silver hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much stress a standard towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use while conditioning. It shields your locks while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A high-quality styling iron – made with advanced materials, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the correct device.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. 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. I’ve seen people cause irreversible harm, experience breakage or end up with striped effects that are nearly impossible to correct. It's best to steer clear of chemical straightening processes on bleached or silver hair. These formulations 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?

People using the wrong products for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their blonde or grey strands looks flat and dull. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying styling appliances without a heat protectant, – particularly on bleached locks – 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 serums with caffeine or peptides to stimulate circulation and support follicle health. 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 positive outcomes. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and dietary insufficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where a personalized serum is applied – can be beneficial. However, I consistently recommend getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

---

A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Follicle Expert and brand president of Philip Kingsley centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will trim off splits at home bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

What affordable find is essential?

Toppik hair fibres are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it almost invisible. It was my go-to post-pregnancy 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 first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say medicated treatments. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the optimal outcomes. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It's ineffective. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Likewise, mega-doses of 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?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If natural oils stay on the head, they break down and become inflammatory.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

Which options help with shedding?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

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 sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will clear up naturally. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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