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A Color Specialist

Styling Professional located in California who specialises in platinum tones. Among his clientele are Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

My top pick is a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much damage a typical terrycloth towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. A simple switch can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another affordable staple is a wide-tooth comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, especially after lightening.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can yellow or burn easily without the correct device.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Internet videos often simplify it, but the reality is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or color changes.

Which typical blunder stands out?

People using the wrong products for their hair type or colour. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple 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. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. If you’re using flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. My advice includes follicle treatments containing stimulants to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by correcting endocrine issues, stress and lack of vital nutrients.

For people looking for something more advanced, PRP therapy – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. Still, my advice is to seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and leader in hair health clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, 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 absolutely amazing if you have see-through sections. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it virtually undetectable. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had noticeable thinning – and also now while experiencing some significant shedding after having awful flu a few months ago. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the first part of you to suffer 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 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 most effective improvements. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It's ineffective. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Also, high-dose biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the primary purpose of washing 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 harmful to their strands, when in fact the reverse is correct – especially if you have dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If oils are left on your scalp, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a balancing act. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

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

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. 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 platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will resolve on its own. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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