Right Hair, Instantly: Leading Experts Discuss Favorite Items – Along With Items to Bypass
An Expert Colorist
Colourist located in the West Coast who excels at grey hair. His clients include celebrated actors and Andie MacDowell.
What affordable item can't you live without?
I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. Many are unaware how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, particularly for lightened or dyed strands. A simple switch can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use in the shower. It shields your locks while removing knots and helps maintain the integrity of the hair shafts, especially after lightening.
What item or service justifies the extra cost?
A top-tier thermal appliance – ceramic or tourmaline, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the proper tool.
Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?
Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, 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 striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I also don’t recommend keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. Such treatments are often too aggressive for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or color changes.
What frequent error do you observe?
Clients selecting inappropriate items for their hair type or colour. A number of people misuse violet-based cleansers until their blonde or grey strands looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with stiff, brittle hair. A further common mistake is using hot tools sans safeguard. If you’re using flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a protective product, – particularly on bleached locks – 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. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps eliminate impurities and allows products to perform better. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, anxiety 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 beneficial. That said, I always suggest getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than pursuing temporary solutions.
Anabel Kingsley
Follicle Expert and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.
What’s your routine for trims and color?
My trims are every couple of months, but will trim off splits at home every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have highlights done every eight weeks.
Which bargain product do you swear by?
Hair-thickening particles are truly impressive if you have see-through sections. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had significant shedding – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.
What justifies a higher investment?
In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the best results. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.
What should you always skip?
Rosemary oil for hair loss. It shows no real benefit. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.
Additionally, excessive biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.
What blunder stands out often?
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 opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is worsened by the presence of excess oils. If oils are left on your scalp, they decompose and cause irritation.
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 shouldn't harm your hair.
Which product, treatment or supplement would you recommend for hair loss?
With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. Scientific support is substantial and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.
In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will resolve on its own. 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
