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Jack Martin

Colourist operating from California who focuses on silver hair. He works with celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I swear by a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to towel-dry your locks. Most people don’t realise how much stress a regular bath 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 safeguards your strands while removing knots and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – featuring innovative technology, with smart temperature control. Grey and blonde hair can yellow or burn easily without the correct device.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

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 cause irreversible harm, experience breakage or end up with uneven tones that are nearly impossible to correct. I also don’t recommend long-term smoothing services on pre-lightened strands. Such treatments are often too aggressive for already fragile strands and can cause long-term damage or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their lightened locks looks flat and dull. A few overdo on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. If you’re using flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

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 serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and aid in hair growth. 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 notable improvements. They work internally to benefit externally by addressing hormonal imbalances, tension and lack of vital nutrients.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a personalized serum is applied – can be successful. 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 Trichology Expert

Trichologist 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 every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have lightening sessions every eight weeks.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are remarkably effective if you have thinning spots. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it virtually undetectable. I personally applied it after childbirth when I had noticeable thinning – and also presently during some significant shedding after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your nutrition is inadequate, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

What justifies a higher investment?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. For excessive daily hair shedding, AKA telogen effluvium (TE), buying an retail solution is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the best results. In my opinion, minoxidil compounded with other hair-supportive actives – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

Which popular remedy is ineffective?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. It shows no real benefit. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Likewise, mega-doses of biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

Which error is most frequent?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the main goal of cleansing is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s damaging to their locks, when in fact the reverse is correct – notably in cases of dandruff, which is worsened by the presence of excess oils. If oils are left on your scalp, 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. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

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

For FPHL, your core treatment should be minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it 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.

For TE, you need to do some detective work. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Sometimes, the cause is transient – such as sickness, virus or emotional strain – 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