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An Expert Colorist

Colourist based in the West Coast who focuses on silver hair. Among his clientele are celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. Most people don’t realise how much stress a standard towel can do, particularly for grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps maintain the integrity of the hair shafts, notably following coloring.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A high-quality styling iron – made with advanced materials, with precise heat settings. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Self-applied color lifting. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients cause irreversible harm, experience breakage or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on pre-lightened strands. These formulations are often excessively strong for already fragile strands and can cause long-term damage or undesired tones.

Which typical blunder stands out?

People using the wrong products for their hair type or colour. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks flat and dull. A few overdo on protein-rich treatments and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. When applying flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

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

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and support follicle health. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, tension and lack of vital nutrients.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be beneficial. That said, I always suggest seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

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

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home fortnightly to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are absolutely amazing if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had a lot of hair fall – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), 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 medicated treatment to see the most effective improvements. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which popular remedy is ineffective?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It's ineffective. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 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 are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, 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 real aim of shampooing your hair is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it is unlikely to cause damage.

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

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. 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 injections or laser devices.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will clear up naturally. 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