Perfect Hair, Instantly: Top Stylists Reveal Their Go-To Products – Along With Items to Bypass

An Expert Colorist

Styling Professional operating from California who excels at grey hair. He works with Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much harm a standard towel can do, particularly for silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another affordable staple is a wide-tooth comb, to use in the shower. It protects the hair while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, notably following coloring.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Silver and light-coloured hair can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

What style or process should you always avoid?

DIY bleaching. Internet videos often simplify it, but the truth is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals melt their hair, experience breakage or end up with bands of colour that are nearly impossible to correct. I would also avoid chemical straightening processes on pre-lightened strands. These formulations 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 hair type or colour. Certain clients overapply colour-correcting purple shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks lifeless and muted. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. Another significant problem is using hot tools sans safeguard. In cases where you employ styling appliances without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and support follicle health. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and nutritional deficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a personalized serum is applied – can be successful. Still, my advice is to seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than seeking quick fixes.

Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and brand president of Philip Kingsley services and items for shedding.

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 preserve strand health, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Toppik hair fibres are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it almost invisible. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had noticeable thinning – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a bad infection previously. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

What justifies a higher investment?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, 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.

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 a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What blunder stands out often?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, 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 is unlikely to cause damage.

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

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. 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 prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will clear up naturally. 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