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A Color Specialist

Colourist located in the West Coast who excels at platinum tones. Among his clientele are celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

My top pick is a soft fabric towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with precise heat settings. Silver and light-coloured hair can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

What style or process should you always avoid?

DIY bleaching. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with uneven tones that are nearly impossible to correct. I would also avoid chemical straightening processes on color-treated or grey hair. These formulations are often too aggressive for delicate locks and can cause lasting harm or color changes.

What’s the most common mistake you see in your salon?

People using the wrong products for their specific hair needs. Some overuse toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. Others rely too much on strengthening conditioners and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

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

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They support the body from the inside out by balancing body chemistry, stress and lack of vital nutrients.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be beneficial. Still, my advice is to seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and head of a renowned clinic 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 snip damaged ends myself fortnightly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Building fibers are remarkably effective if you have areas of scalp visibility. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it virtually undetectable. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also presently during some considerable hair loss after having awful flu a few months ago. Since hair is non-vital, 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?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the optimal outcomes. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It doesn’t work. 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 hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the main goal of cleansing is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s harmful to their strands, 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.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

Which options help with shedding?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, 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. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will improve spontaneously. 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