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Jack Martin

Colourist operating from the Golden State who specialises in platinum tones. He works with Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a microfibre towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much harm a standard towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another affordable staple is a large-gap comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A high-quality styling iron – ceramic or tourmaline, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can yellow or burn easily without the correct device.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

At-home lightening. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often excessively strong for delicate locks and can cause chronic issues or undesired tones.

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

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks flat and dull. A few overdo on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and support follicle health. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps eliminate impurities and allows treatments to work more effectively. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by balancing body chemistry, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be successful. Still, my advice is to getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Scalp and Hair Scientist and leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will remove split ends personally fortnightly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Hair-thickening particles are truly impressive if you have areas of scalp visibility. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had a lot of hair fall – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an over-the-counter product 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 extracts for shedding. It shows no real benefit. This belief comes from a minor study from 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 male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

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 aggravated by oil buildup. If oils are left on your scalp, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it is unlikely to cause damage.

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

For genetic thinning in women, start with 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 micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will clear up naturally. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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