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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert based in the Golden State who focuses on grey hair. He works with celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a gentle drying cloth, or even a gentle tee to remove moisture from your strands. Most people don’t realise how much damage a regular bath towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really minimize flyaways and damage. A second budget-friendly essential is a wide-tooth comb, to use while conditioning. It safeguards your strands while detangling and helps keep the health of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

Which investment truly pays off?

A top-tier thermal appliance – made with advanced materials, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can yellow or burn easily without the proper tool.

What style or process should you always avoid?

Self-applied color lifting. Online tutorials can be misleading, but the reality is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals melt their hair, experience breakage or end up with uneven tones that are nearly impossible to correct. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on bleached or silver hair. These chemical systems are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or undesired tones.

What frequent error do you observe?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks drab and lacking shine. Others rely too much on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. The other major issue is heat styling without protection. If you’re using styling appliances without a heat protectant, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I also recommend follicle treatments containing stimulants to boost blood flow and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows treatments to work more effectively. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, stress and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a concentration from your blood is administered – can be effective. Still, my advice is to consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Thinning can be linked to medical conditions, and it’s important to determine the origin rather than seeking quick fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Scalp and Hair Scientist and leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

My trims are every couple of months, but will remove split ends personally every two weeks to preserve strand health, and have color touches every two months.

Which low-cost item is a game-changer?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have thinning spots. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it almost invisible. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had a lot of hair fall – and also now while experiencing some marked thinning after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, 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 premium option is truly valuable?

For those with genetic thinning in women, I’d say prescription hair-loss topicals. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an non-prescription item is fine, but for FPHL you really do need medicated treatment to see the best results. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It doesn’t work. 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 hereditary thinning in males, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Rarely do people lack biotin, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the main goal of cleansing is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I notice clients skipping washes as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

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 won’t be damaging to your strands.

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

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It's backed by strong research and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, 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. Occasionally, the reason is temporary – 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 most common being ferritin (stored iron), vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus