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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert based in the West Coast who excels at grey hair. Among his clientele are celebrated actors and well-known figures.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I swear by a microfibre towel, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much damage a regular bath towel can do, notably with grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another affordable staple is a broad-toothed comb, to use in the shower. It safeguards your strands while smoothing out tangles and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A high-quality styling iron – featuring innovative technology, with precise heat settings. 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 melt their hair, snap their strands or end up with bands of colour that are incredibly challenging to remedy. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on pre-lightened strands. These formulations are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause chronic issues or color changes.

Which typical blunder stands out?

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 drab and lacking shine. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. When applying styling appliances without a protective product, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. My advice includes scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown positive outcomes. They work internally to benefit externally by balancing body chemistry, anxiety and lack of vital nutrients.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, PRP therapy – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be successful. That said, I always suggest consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Follicle Expert and leader in hair health 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 fortnightly to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Building fibers are absolutely amazing if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a range of colors, making it almost invisible. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had a lot of hair fall – and also presently during some considerable hair loss after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say medicated treatments. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the optimal outcomes. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It shows no real benefit. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with rosemary oil. A mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What blunder stands out often?

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 notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the reverse is correct – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. 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 careful compromise. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it is unlikely to cause damage.

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

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it 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 choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try collagen induction therapy (with a specialist), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – 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