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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert located in California who focuses on silver hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. Most people don’t realise how much harm a standard towel can do, particularly for silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another affordable staple is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It shields your locks while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the individual hairs, notably following coloring.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A top-tier thermal appliance – ceramic or tourmaline, with smart temperature control. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the reality is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals melt their hair, snap their strands or end up with striped effects that are extremely difficult to fix. I also don’t recommend chemical straightening processes on pre-lightened strands. Such treatments are often overly harsh for delicate locks and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse violet-based cleansers until their silver or blond hair looks lifeless and muted. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. When applying styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

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

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest follicle treatments containing stimulants to stimulate circulation and promote root strength. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps clear out buildup and allows treatments to work more effectively. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, stress and nutritional deficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where a personalized serum is applied – can be beneficial. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

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A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and brand president of Philip Kingsley centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will remove split ends personally fortnightly to preserve strand health, and have color touches every two months.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Building fibers are absolutely amazing if you have thinning spots. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it virtually undetectable. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also currently as I’m going through some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the optimal outcomes. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It doesn’t work. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Also, high-dose biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

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 rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If oils are left on your scalp, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It's backed by strong research and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. If you're interested in complementary therapies, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try micro-needling (under professional care), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will resolve on its own. 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