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An Expert Colorist

Colourist based in California who focuses on platinum tones. Among his clientele are celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

My top pick is a gentle drying cloth, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much stress a standard towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really lessen brittleness and splitting. A second budget-friendly essential is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, notably following coloring.

Which investment truly pays off?

A high-quality styling iron – made with advanced materials, with smart temperature control. 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. 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, experience breakage or end up with bands of colour that are incredibly challenging to remedy. I also don’t recommend keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their hair type or colour. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a protective product, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I also recommend follicle treatments containing stimulants to boost blood flow and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by balancing body chemistry, anxiety and dietary insufficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be beneficial. However, I consistently recommend consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Scalp and Hair Scientist and leader in hair health centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I schedule cuts every ten to twelve weeks, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it virtually undetectable. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also presently during some considerable hair loss after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the initial area to show decline when your nutrition is inadequate, 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 doctor-recommended solutions. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the best results. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It's ineffective. 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 male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

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 remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, 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 balancing act. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

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 show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will improve spontaneously. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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