Healthy Hair, Today: Top Stylists Reveal Preferred Choices – Plus Pitfalls to Steer Clear Of

A Color Specialist

Colourist based in the West Coast who excels at 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 remove moisture from your strands. Most people don’t realise how much damage a typical terrycloth 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 broad-toothed comb, to use in the shower. It shields your locks while detangling and helps keep the health of the hair shafts, especially after lightening.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

What style or process should you always avoid?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, 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, experience breakage or end up with bands of colour that are nearly impossible to correct. It's best to steer clear of chemical straightening processes on bleached or silver hair. These formulations are often too aggressive for delicate locks and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. A number of people misuse violet-based cleansers until their lightened locks looks lifeless and muted. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with rigid, fragile strands. A further common mistake is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to boost blood flow and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, anxiety and lack of vital nutrients.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. That said, I always suggest seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

Anabel Kingsley

Trichologist and head of a renowned clinic centers and lines targeting thinning.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

My trims are every couple of months, but will snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it seamlessly blended. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had a lot of hair fall – and also now while experiencing some considerable hair loss after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say medicated treatments. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the most effective improvements. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which popular remedy is ineffective?

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 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough 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 using it may not benefit your strands, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

Which error is most frequent?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If oils are left on your scalp, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a careful compromise. 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?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – 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 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