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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert operating from the West Coast who focuses on silver hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to remove moisture from your strands. It's often overlooked how much stress a typical terrycloth towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, notably following coloring.

Which investment truly pays off?

A high-quality styling iron – ceramic or tourmaline, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the right iron.

Which popular practice is a definite no-go?

Self-applied color lifting. Internet videos often simplify it, but the reality is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients melt their hair, break it off or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of chemical straightening processes on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often too aggressive for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their hair type or colour. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying styling appliances without a heat protectant, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I also recommend scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to boost blood flow and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by correcting endocrine issues, stress and dietary insufficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a personalized serum is applied – can be effective. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Scalp and Hair Scientist and brand president of Philip Kingsley centers and lines targeting thinning.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

My trims are every couple of months, but will snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Hair-thickening particles are remarkably effective if you have areas of scalp visibility. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the initial area to show decline when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an retail solution 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?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It doesn’t work. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

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 clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, 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 balancing act. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It's backed by strong research 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 micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will clear up naturally. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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