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Jack Martin

Styling Professional operating from California who focuses on grey hair. He works with Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

I swear by a soft fabric towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much stress a standard towel can do, especially to lightened or dyed strands. A simple switch can really minimize flyaways and damage. Another affordable staple is a broad-toothed comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while smoothing out tangles and helps maintain the integrity of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – ceramic or tourmaline, with smart temperature control. Silver and light-coloured hair can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

Which popular practice is a definite no-go?

At-home lightening. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the actual fact is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people severely damage their locks, break it off or end up with striped effects that are incredibly challenging to remedy. I also don’t recommend chemical straightening processes on bleached or silver hair. These formulations are often excessively strong for already fragile strands and can cause chronic issues or undesired tones.

What frequent error do you observe?

People using the wrong products for their particular strand characteristics. Certain clients overapply colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Some depend excessively on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. The other major issue is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a heat protectant, – notably with color-treated strands – you’re going to see brassiness, lack of moisture and splitting.

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

Shedding demands a multifaceted plan. Topically, minoxidil is still one of the most effective treatments. I often suggest scalp formulas with active ingredients to stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows treatments to work more effectively. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown positive outcomes. They support the body from the inside out by balancing body chemistry, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

For people looking for something more advanced, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – 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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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and leader in hair health clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home every two weeks to keep my ends healthy, and have color touches every two months.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are truly impressive if you have areas of scalp visibility. The fibres cling electrostatically to your own hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it almost invisible. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also currently as I’m going through some considerable hair loss 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 diet is lacking, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the most effective improvements. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as hormones, anti-androgens and/or anti-inflammatories – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Rosemary oil for hair loss. It shows no real benefit. This idea originated from a limited 2015 research that compared the effects of a mild minoxidil solution versus rosemary extract. A low concentration like 2% is insufficient to do much for genetic balding in men, so the study is basically saying they work as little as each other.

Also, high-dose biotin. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

Which error is most frequent?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – notably in cases of dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If oils are left on your scalp, they break down and become inflammatory.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. Scientific support is substantial and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you prefer not to use it or are unable, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. Excessive daily shedding occurs in response to an internal factor. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will clear up naturally. 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