🔗 Share this article

Jack Martin

Styling Professional located in the West Coast who specialises in platinum tones. He works with celebrated actors and renowned personalities.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

My top pick is a soft fabric towel, or even a gentle tee to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much harm a regular bath towel can do, notably with silver or chemically treated hair. This one small change can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use in the shower. It shields your locks while detangling and helps maintain the integrity of the strands, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A top-tier thermal appliance – featuring innovative technology, with adjustable temperature options. Lightened strands can become discolored or suffer heat stress without the proper tool.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

DIY bleaching. Internet videos often simplify it, but the truth is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. There are cases where individuals severely damage their locks, experience breakage or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid long-term smoothing services on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause chronic issues or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. A number of people misuse toning shampoo until their lightened locks looks drab and lacking shine. Some depend excessively on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. Another significant problem is heat styling without protection. When applying styling appliances without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – 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. My advice includes follicle treatments containing stimulants to boost blood flow and aid in hair growth. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps eliminate impurities and allows treatments to work more effectively. Oral aids like specialized formulas have also shown notable improvements. They work internally to benefit externally by correcting endocrine issues, tension and nutritional deficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, PRP therapy – where a personalized serum is applied – can be effective. However, I consistently recommend consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to identify the source rather than chasing surface-level fixes.

---

A Trichology Expert

Follicle Expert and leader in hair health centers and lines targeting thinning.

What’s your routine for trims and color?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home fortnightly to maintain tip integrity, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

Toppik hair fibres are absolutely amazing if you have areas of scalp visibility. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a range of colors, making it almost invisible. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had a lot of hair fall – and also now while experiencing some considerable hair loss after having a severe illness recently. Since hair is non-vital, 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?

In cases of hereditary hair loss in females, I’d say medicated treatments. Regarding increased shedding, or telogen effluvium, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need clinical interventions to see the optimal outcomes. From my perspective, minoxidil combined with additional ingredients – such as balancing elements, inhibitors and/or calming components – works best.

What should you always skip?

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 2% strength minoxidil isn’t enough to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they provide similarly low results.

Also, high-dose biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so taking it is unlikely to do your hair any good, and it can skew thyroid readings in blood tests.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

I think the term “hair washing” should be changed to “scalp cleansing” – because the real aim of shampooing your hair is to remove buildup, flakes, perspiration and dirt. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s harmful to their strands, when in fact the opposite is true – notably in cases of dandruff, which is aggravated by oil buildup. If natural oils stay on the head, they decompose and cause irritation.

Sadly, scalp requirements and hair preferences may conflict, 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's backed by strong research and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. Should you wish to enhance minoxidil's benefits, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps platelet-rich plasma or light treatments.

In shedding cases, root cause analysis is crucial. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. Sometimes, the cause is transient – 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