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Jack Martin

Styling Professional operating from California who excels at grey hair. His clients include Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell.

Which bargain product do you swear by?

I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to dry your hair. Many are unaware how much harm a standard towel can do, especially to grey or color-processed hair. This minor adjustment can really reduce frizz and breakage. Another inexpensive must-have is a large-gap comb, to use during washing. It shields your locks while smoothing out tangles and helps keep the health of the hair shafts, notably following coloring.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A professional-grade heat styling tool – made with advanced materials, with smart temperature control. 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. Internet videos often simplify it, but the reality is it’s one of the biggest gambles you can do to your hair. I’ve witnessed clients cause irreversible harm, break it off or end up with striped effects that are incredibly challenging to remedy. I would also avoid chemical straightening processes on bleached or silver hair. Such treatments are often too aggressive for weakened hair and can cause long-term damage or discoloration.

Which typical blunder stands out?

Clients selecting inappropriate items for their specific hair needs. Certain clients overapply violet-based cleansers until their blonde or grey strands looks flat and dull. A few overdo on high-protein masks and end up with unmanageable, weak locks. A further common mistake is heat styling without protection. When applying flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers 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. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest follicle treatments containing stimulants to stimulate circulation and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps remove residue and allows products to perform better. Internal support including clinical supplements have also shown notable improvements. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by balancing body chemistry, stress and dietary insufficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, platelet-rich plasma treatments – 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. Shedding may relate to internal factors, and it’s important to identify the source rather than seeking quick fixes.

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Anabel Kingsley

Trichologist and leader in hair health clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

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 maintain tip integrity, and have color touches every two months.

What affordable find is essential?

Toppik hair fibres are remarkably effective if you have see-through sections. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a range of colors, making it seamlessly blended. I used it myself in the postpartum period when I had a lot of hair fall – and also presently during 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 product or treatment is worth splurging on?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say doctor-recommended solutions. When dealing with temporary hair loss, known as TE, buying an over-the-counter product is fine, but for FPHL you really do need prescription-strength formulas to see the optimal outcomes. I believe minoxidil mixed with supporting compounds – such as endocrine regulators, blockers and/or soothing agents – works best.

What should you always skip?

Using rosemary essential oil for thinning. It's ineffective. The whole thing stems from one small study done in 2015 that compared the effects of a low-dose minoxidil with 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. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

What blunder stands out often?

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. Many individuals refrain from cleansing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – notably in cases of dandruff, which is intensified by sebum accumulation. If natural oils stay on the head, they break down and become inflammatory.

Unfortunately, what your scalp needs and what your hair likes don’t always align, so it’s a careful compromise. However, if you cleanse softly and treat damp strands kindly, it won’t be damaging to your strands.

Which options help with shedding?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It has the most robust evidence behind it and tends to show optimal results when mixed with supporting compounds. 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. Alternatively, endocrine issues or nutrient shortages may be the cause – 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