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Jack Martin

Colourist located in the West Coast who excels at grey hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a gentle tee to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, notably with lightened or dyed strands. This one small change can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use in the shower. It shields your locks while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, especially after lightening.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with smart temperature control. Lightened strands can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the truth is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, break it off or end up with bands of colour that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or discoloration.

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

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks lifeless and muted. Some depend excessively on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. In cases where you employ flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a protective product, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

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

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and lack of vital nutrients.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be beneficial. That said, I always suggest consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and head of a renowned clinic services and items for shedding.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will trim off splits at home bi-weekly to preserve strand health, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Hair-thickening particles are remarkably effective if you have areas of scalp visibility. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it seamlessly blended. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had noticeable thinning – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the initial area to show decline when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

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 over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions 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 popular remedy is ineffective?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. 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 mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Also, high-dose biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the real aim of shampooing your hair 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 harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If natural oils stay on the head, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. 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?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It's backed by strong research and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try collagen induction therapy (with a specialist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense 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