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Jack Martin

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

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a gentle drying cloth, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much damage a typical terrycloth towel can do, particularly for grey or color-processed hair. A simple switch can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the strands, especially after lightening.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A high-quality styling iron – made with advanced materials, with precise heat settings. Silver and light-coloured hair can yellow or burn easily without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

At-home lightening. Social media makes it look easy, but the actual fact is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, snap their strands or end up with bands of colour that are nearly impossible to correct. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for delicate locks and can cause long-term damage or undesired tones.

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

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. A few overdo on protein-rich treatments and end up with rigid, fragile strands. A further common mistake is heat styling without protection. When applying 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. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and promote root strength. Incorporating a clarifying shampoo regularly helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They work internally to benefit externally by correcting endocrine issues, tension and dietary insufficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, PRP therapy – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. However, I consistently recommend getting a professional diagnosis beforehand. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Trichologist and leader in hair health centers and lines targeting thinning.

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home bi-weekly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Toppik hair fibres are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had a lot of hair fall – 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 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 non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the best results. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

What should you always skip?

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 hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – 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 damaging to their locks, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If natural oils stay on the head, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a careful compromise. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it shouldn't harm your hair.

Which options help with shedding?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It's backed by strong research 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 simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. 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. 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