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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert located in the Golden State who excels at grey hair. He works with Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I swear by a soft fabric towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much harm a standard towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while detangling and helps keep the health of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – featuring innovative technology, with adjustable temperature options. Silver and light-coloured hair can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

At-home lightening. Internet videos often simplify it, but the truth is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people melt their hair, snap their strands or end up with uneven tones that are nearly impossible to correct. I also don’t recommend chemical straightening processes on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often excessively strong for already fragile strands and can cause long-term damage or color changes.

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

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks lifeless and muted. Some depend excessively on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ styling appliances without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and support follicle health. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. Still, my advice is to seeing a dermatologist or trichologist first. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than seeking quick fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and head of a renowned clinic services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home every two weeks 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 see-through sections. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it seamlessly blended. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had noticeable thinning – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the initial area to show decline when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the most effective improvements. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It's ineffective. This belief comes from a minor study from 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 male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. 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 delicate equilibrium. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it is unlikely to cause damage.

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

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. Scientific support is substantial and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. 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 PRP or low-level laser therapy.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will resolve on its own. 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