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Jack Martin

Styling Professional based in California who specialises in grey hair. His clients include Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I swear by a microfibre towel, or even a gentle tee to towel-dry your locks. Many are unaware how much damage a standard towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the correct device.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the actual fact is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with uneven tones that are nearly impossible to correct. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often excessively strong for already fragile strands and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Some depend excessively on protein-rich treatments and end up with stiff, brittle hair. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. If you’re using styling appliances without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to stimulate circulation and promote root strength. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by addressing hormonal imbalances, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where a personalized serum is applied – can be successful. However, I consistently recommend getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

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Follicle Expert and leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home fortnightly to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also presently during some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, 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?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the best results. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It's ineffective. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can affect thyroid test results.

Which error is most frequent?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. Many individuals refrain from cleansing 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 break down and become inflammatory.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a balancing act. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, 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.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will improve spontaneously. Alternatively, endocrine issues or nutrient shortages may be the cause – 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