Perfect Hair, Right Now: Top Stylists Reveal Favorite Items – Plus Pitfalls to Steer Clear Of

A Color Specialist

Colourist based in the Golden State who excels at platinum tones. Among his clientele are Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to remove moisture from your strands. It's often overlooked how much stress a typical terrycloth towel can do, notably with grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use in the shower. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, notably following coloring.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A high-quality styling iron – featuring innovative technology, with precise heat settings. Grey and blonde hair can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, but the truth is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, experience breakage or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I also don’t recommend long-term smoothing services on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or color changes.

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

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their lightened locks looks drab and lacking shine. A few overdo on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. If you’re using styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps remove residue and allows solutions to be more efficient. Oral aids like specialized formulas 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, PRP therapy – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be successful. Still, my advice is to getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

What’s your routine for trims and color?

My trims are every couple of months, but will trim off splits at home bi-weekly to maintain tip integrity, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Hair-thickening particles are truly impressive if you have areas of scalp visibility. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a range of colors, 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. Because locks are secondary, it’s the initial area to show decline when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the most effective improvements. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

What should you always skip?

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 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What blunder stands out often?

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 see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If natural oils stay on the head, they decompose and cause irritation.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. 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 FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will improve spontaneously. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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