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Jack Martin

Colourist operating from the West Coast who focuses on silver hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

My top pick is a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much damage a standard towel can do, notably with lightened or dyed strands. This minor adjustment can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use during washing. It safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Lightened strands can yellow or burn easily without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals cause irreversible harm, experience breakage or end up with striped effects that are incredibly challenging to remedy. It's best to steer clear of keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often excessively strong for delicate locks and can cause long-term damage or color changes.

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

People using the wrong products for their hair type or colour. Some overuse toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Some depend excessively on high-protein masks and end up with rigid, fragile strands. Another significant problem is using hot tools sans safeguard. When applying flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

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

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I also recommend scalp formulas with active ingredients to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps eliminate impurities and allows solutions to be more efficient. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by addressing hormonal imbalances, anxiety and dietary insufficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be beneficial. That said, I always suggest consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and head of a renowned clinic centers and lines targeting thinning.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will snip damaged ends myself bi-weekly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it almost invisible. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some significant shedding after having awful flu a few months ago. As hair isn’t an essential tissue, 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 product or treatment is worth splurging on?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say medicated treatments. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution 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?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It's ineffective. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to rosemary oil. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What blunder stands out often?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the contrary is accurate – especially if you have dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they decompose and cause irritation.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, so it’s a balancing act. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

Which options help with shedding?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It's backed by strong research 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 collagen induction therapy (with a specialist), and perhaps injections or laser devices.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – and it will improve spontaneously. Alternatively, endocrine issues or nutrient shortages may be the cause – the typical deficiencies involve iron, B12 and vitamin D – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus