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Jack Martin

Colourist based in the Golden State who focuses on grey hair. His clients include celebrated actors and well-known figures.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to remove moisture from your strands. Most people don’t realise how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, especially to lightened or dyed strands. A simple switch can really reduce frizz and breakage. A second budget-friendly essential is a large-gap comb, to use in the shower. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the hair shafts, notably following coloring.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

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

Which popular practice is a definite no-go?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the actual fact is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals cause irreversible harm, break it off or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I also don’t recommend keratin or permanent straightening treatments on pre-lightened strands. Such treatments are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or color changes.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their lightened locks looks flat and dull. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. A further common mistake is heat styling without protection. In cases where you employ styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to boost blood flow and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and dietary insufficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, PRP therapy – where a personalized serum is applied – can be successful. That said, I always suggest 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 pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Trichologist and brand president of Philip Kingsley clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

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

What affordable find is essential?

Hair-thickening particles are truly impressive 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 currently as I’m going through some considerable hair loss after having a bad infection previously. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, it’s the initial area to show decline when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the most effective improvements. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It's ineffective. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, 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 remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If oils are left on your scalp, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it is unlikely to cause damage.

Which options help with shedding?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will resolve on its own. Alternatively, endocrine issues or nutrient shortages may be the cause – the frequent culprits include iron stores, B12 and D insufficiency – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus