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Jack Martin

Colourist operating from the Golden State who specialises in platinum tones. His clients include Hollywood stars and well-known figures.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a gentle drying cloth, or even a smooth cotton shirt to remove moisture from your strands. It's often overlooked how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, especially to grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use in the shower. It protects the hair while smoothing out tangles and helps keep the health of the individual hairs, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A top-tier thermal appliance – ceramic or tourmaline, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the right iron.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality 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 incredibly challenging to remedy. I would also avoid long-term smoothing services on bleached or silver hair. Such treatments are often too aggressive for delicate locks and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

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

People using the wrong products for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on strengthening conditioners and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is thermal styling minus a barrier. In cases where you employ hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

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

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I also recommend scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, anxiety and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where a concentration from your blood is administered – 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 determine the origin rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert 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 snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

What affordable find is essential?

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 assortment of tones, making it seamlessly blended. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had significant shedding – and also currently as I’m going through some significant shedding after having awful flu a few months ago. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

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 hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

What should you always skip?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It doesn’t work. 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 genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

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

Which error is most frequent?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the opposite is true – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a careful compromise. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. Scientific support is substantial and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. 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 microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will resolve on its own. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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