A Day Well Spent With... trichologist Anabel Kingsley

As the daughter of the renowned ‘hair doctor’ Philip Kingsley, who passed away in 2016, and a trained trichologist herself, Anabel Kingsley knows a thing or two about maintaining tip top strands.

Today the 35-year-old oversees not only the haircare brand but the busy Philip Kingsley clinics in London and New York.

We caught up with the recently married hair specialist to hear a bit about how she ensures her mind, body and hair stay healthy and happy.

The first thing I do in the morning is stretch to loosen my joints and muscles, check my emails and go through my schedule over a cup of strong black coffee.

After coffee, I drink a glass of grapefruit juice, a piece of fruit, oatmeal, and two medium-boiled eggs. Breakfast is the most important day for your hair, so I always make time.

I prefer the convenience of working out at home. I also do not like to be told what to do, which is inevitable in a gym-based class. Four times a week I follow a combination of exercise videos in my living room – usually for 20 to 40 minutes. I get home, throw on a tracksuit and do a combination of Pilates, light arm weights, planks and abdominal exercises. My favourite classes are by Peloton, Rebecca Louise and Mad Fit. In the summer, I play tennis and swim.

I’m generally an evening hair-washer, so I refresh my scalp in the morning with our One More Day dry shampoo – it has soothing scalp benefits and adds immediate volume to my roots. I’m a rather frantic sleeper, so often wake up with tangled bed-head, making a good spritz of detangling spray a must before combing. I use our PK Prep Perfecting Spray throughout my mid-lengths and ends, which nicely eradicates knots and adds lovely shine. On work days, I wear my hair up in a tidy bun as I don’t want my strands falling into my client’s face during consultation. Not too tight, mind you – tight up-do’s cause traction breakage! I tame fly-aways with our Preen Cream and set it with our Finishing Touch Hair Spray. I’m often testing new products we are looking into developing, so these are also frequently worked into my morning (and evening) routine!

If I have a particularly busy day ahead, or one that requires important final-decision making, I play-out in detail what needs to be done while I’m getting ready – thinking of various scenarios, questions people might ask, and questions I want to ask, and mentally bank a set of solutions to obstacles that may pop up. I also mind-map. I like to be as prepared as possible. If it’s a day I am giving consultations, I go through client case-notes so I am well-prepped to care for who I am seeing.

Lunch varies, but always a hefty dose of protein (what hair is made of!) and a portion of carbohydrates for energy. My usual go-to is a couscous salad mixed with grilled shrimp and veggies. Rule of thumb for your hair: the perfect hair healthy breakfast and lunch should always contain a palm sized amount of protein and a helping of a complex carb (think brown rice, whole-wheat toast, sweet potato etc.).

Snacking is very important for hair. Energy to your follicles drops four hours after eating. My favourite snacks are kale and quinoa crackers, rice cakes topped with smoked salmon, pears, popcorn, tortilla chips with guacamole, and honey oat granola bars.

When it comes to stress management, I’m very lucky in that I have an excellent support network in my husband, mother and sister, who are all involved in the business. Speaking to them every day keeps me calm! We have an excellent work dynamic as a family; we brainstorm and problem solve together and make sure to bounce any ideas off of each other.

I have a Cordon Bleu degree and love to cook, so I will often whip something up at home - usually fish or seafood with pasta, potatoes or rice and vegetables. Last night I made a linguine with pesto grilled salmon, heirloom tomatoes and sautéed finely sliced courgettes. My signature dish is miso black cod from the Nobu cookbook – it’s super easy to make, but looks impressive, making it an excellent dinner-party main course.