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A Color Specialist

Styling Professional operating from California who excels at platinum tones. His clients include celebrated actors and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I swear by a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to remove moisture from your strands. It's often overlooked how much damage a regular bath towel can do, particularly for grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a large-gap comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the strands, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

What style or process should you always avoid?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the truth is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. Such treatments are often overly harsh for already fragile strands and can cause long-term damage or color changes.

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 blonde or grey strands looks drab and lacking shine. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with rigid, fragile strands. A further common mistake is thermal styling minus a barrier. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a heat protectant, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

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

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. My advice includes follicle treatments containing stimulants to stimulate circulation and support follicle health. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and lack of vital nutrients.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be beneficial. Still, my advice is to seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to identify the source rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and head of a renowned clinic centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to preserve strand health, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it almost invisible. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had significant shedding – and also presently during some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

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 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 balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It shows no real benefit. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

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 clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the opposite is true – especially if you have dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If natural oils stay on the head, 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. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

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 show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will clear up naturally. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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