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Jack Martin

Colourist located in California who focuses on silver hair. He works with Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Many are unaware how much harm a standard towel can do, especially to grey or color-processed hair. A simple switch can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while smoothing out tangles and helps preserve the strength of the hair shafts, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A high-quality styling iron – ceramic or tourmaline, with adjustable temperature options. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the proper tool.

What style or process should you always avoid?

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 witnessed clients melt their hair, experience breakage or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often overly harsh for already fragile strands and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse violet-based cleansers until their blonde or grey strands looks lifeless and muted. 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 flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a protective product, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to enhance nutrient delivery and promote root strength. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by correcting endocrine issues, tension and lack of vital nutrients.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be effective. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

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

What’s your routine for trims and color?

My trims are every couple of months, but will trim off splits at home every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Hair-thickening particles are absolutely amazing if you have see-through sections. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also presently during some significant shedding after having awful flu a few months ago. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say medicated treatments. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the most effective improvements. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It's ineffective. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. When sebum remains on the skin, they decompose and cause irritation.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a balancing act. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you're interested in complementary therapies, 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 resolve on its own. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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