Healthy Hair, Instantly: Leading Experts Discuss Preferred Choices – Plus Pitfalls to Steer Clear Of

A Color Specialist

Colourist based in California who specialises in silver hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I swear by a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to remove moisture from your strands. Many are unaware how much harm a regular bath towel can do, notably with lightened or dyed strands. This one small change can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a wide-tooth comb, to use in the shower. It shields your locks while removing knots and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A top-tier thermal appliance – featuring innovative technology, with smart temperature control. Lightened strands can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the right iron.

What style or process should you always avoid?

At-home lightening. Social media makes it look easy, but the truth is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people cause irreversible harm, break it off or end up with bands of colour that are extremely difficult to fix. 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.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their lightened locks looks drab and lacking shine. Some depend excessively on protein-rich treatments and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. In cases where you employ hot tools or dryers without a protective product, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by balancing body chemistry, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, PRP therapy – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be successful. Still, my advice is to 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

Follicle Expert and head of a renowned clinic services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to maintain tip integrity, 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. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some considerable hair loss after having awful flu a few months ago. Because locks are secondary, it’s the initial area to show decline when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an non-prescription item 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 doesn’t work. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, 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 alter thyroid level measurements.

Which error is most frequent?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the reverse is correct – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If natural oils stay on the head, they decompose and cause irritation.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a balancing act. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It's backed by strong research 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 prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Sometimes, the cause is transient – 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 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