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Jack Martin

Colourist located in the West Coast who specialises in silver hair. Among his clientele are Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I swear by a microfibre towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to towel-dry your locks. Many are unaware how much harm a typical terrycloth towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. A simple switch can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use while conditioning. It protects the hair while detangling and helps maintain the integrity of the individual hairs, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

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 proper tool.

What style or process should you always avoid?

DIY bleaching. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people melt their hair, break it off or end up with uneven tones that are incredibly challenging to remedy. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. These chemical systems are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or undesired tones.

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

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply toning shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. Others rely too much on protein-rich treatments and end up with rigid, fragile strands. A further common mistake is using hot tools sans safeguard. If you’re using hot tools or dryers without a heat protectant, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a personalized serum is applied – can be beneficial. However, I consistently recommend 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 Hair and Scalp Specialist

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

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

My trims are every couple of months, but will snip damaged ends myself fortnightly to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are remarkably effective if you have thinning spots. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it almost invisible. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had noticeable thinning – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, it’s the earliest indicator of health issues when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment 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's ineffective. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 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 provide similarly low results.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What blunder stands out often?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the primary purpose of washing is to rid your scalp of old oils, dead skin cells, sweat and environmental pollution. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the reverse is correct – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If oils are left on your scalp, they deteriorate and lead to inflammation.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a careful compromise. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it shouldn't harm your hair.

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

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 PRP or low-level laser therapy.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will improve spontaneously. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – 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