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A Color Specialist

Styling Professional located in the Golden State who excels at grey hair. His clients include celebrated actors and well-known figures.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to dry your hair. Most people don’t realise how much damage a regular bath towel can do, particularly for grey or color-processed hair. This one small change can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a wide-tooth comb, to use during washing. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps keep the health of the strands, particularly post-bleaching.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with precise heat settings. Grey and blonde hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Internet videos often simplify it, but the actual fact is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients melt their hair, break it off or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for already fragile strands 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 particular strand characteristics. A number of people misuse toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. Another significant problem is using hot tools sans safeguard. When applying hot tools or dryers without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – 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. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and promote root strength. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps remove residue and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, tension and lack of vital nutrients.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be beneficial. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Trichologist and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I schedule cuts every ten to twelve weeks, but will snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to preserve strand health, and have color touches every two months.

What affordable find is essential?

Toppik hair fibres are remarkably effective if you have thinning spots. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it almost invisible. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had noticeable thinning – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having awful flu a few months ago. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the optimal outcomes. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It shows no real benefit. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – 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 – notably in cases of dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. When sebum remains on the skin, they decompose and cause irritation.

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 is unlikely to cause damage.

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

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It's backed by strong research and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you're interested in complementary therapies, 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. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will resolve on its own. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – the frequent culprits include iron stores, B12 and D insufficiency – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus