🔗 Share this article

Jack Martin

Styling Professional operating from the West Coast who focuses on silver hair. His clients include celebrated actors and well-known figures.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much damage a regular bath towel can do, especially to silver or chemically treated hair. This minor adjustment can really minimize flyaways and damage. A second budget-friendly essential is a wide-tooth comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the strands, especially after lightening.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A top-tier thermal appliance – featuring innovative technology, with precise heat settings. Lightened strands can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the correct device.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

At-home lightening. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the most hazardous actions you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients cause irreversible harm, snap their strands or end up with striped effects that are nearly impossible to correct. I also don’t recommend keratin or permanent straightening treatments on color-treated or grey hair. These chemical systems are often too aggressive for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or undesired tones.

What frequent error do you observe?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their hair type or colour. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their lightened locks looks drab and lacking shine. A few overdo on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. The other major issue is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – 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 follicle treatments containing stimulants to boost blood flow and support follicle health. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps remove residue and allows solutions to be more efficient. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown notable improvements. They support the body from the inside out by balancing body chemistry, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be successful. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than pursuing temporary solutions.

---

A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and head of a renowned clinic services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will remove split ends personally bi-weekly to maintain tip integrity, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

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 variety of shades, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a severe illness recently. Because locks are secondary, it’s the initial area to show decline when your intake is insufficient, 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 doctor-recommended solutions. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the best results. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

Which popular remedy is ineffective?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It's ineffective. This belief comes from a minor study from 2015 that compared the effects of 2% minoxidil to 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.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What blunder stands out often?

In my view, we should rename "hair washing" to "scalp cleaning" – because the primary purpose of washing 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 damaging to their locks, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, 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 balancing act. Provided you wash delicately and manage wet locks gently, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

Which options help with shedding?

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you simply don’t want to or can’t use it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Noticeable thinning usually relates to a health trigger. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – such as illness, infection or high stress – and it will improve spontaneously. Sometimes, hormonal problems or dietary gaps are responsible – 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