Right Hair, Instantly: Professional Hairstylists Share Favorite Items – And What to Avoid

An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional located in the West Coast who focuses on grey hair. His clients include celebrated actors and well-known figures.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much damage a standard towel can do, notably with grey or color-processed hair. A simple switch can really minimize flyaways and damage. A second budget-friendly essential is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with adjustable temperature options. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, snap their strands or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I also don’t recommend long-term smoothing services on bleached or silver hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for delicate locks and can cause lasting harm or color changes.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their hair type or colour. Some overuse violet-based cleansers until their lightened locks looks lifeless and muted. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. Another significant problem is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – 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 serums with caffeine or peptides to boost blood flow and support follicle health. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They work internally to benefit externally by balancing body chemistry, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. However, I consistently recommend getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

Anabel Kingsley

Trichologist and leader in hair health 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 trim off splits at home bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Toppik hair fibres are truly impressive if you have areas of scalp visibility. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also presently during some significant shedding after having a bad infection previously. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the optimal outcomes. 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 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 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.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is worsened by the presence of excess oils. If oils are left on your scalp, they break down and become inflammatory.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It's backed by strong research and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. 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 injections or laser devices.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as illness, infection or high 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