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Jack Martin

Hair Color Expert located in the West Coast who focuses on grey hair. He works with Hollywood stars and renowned personalities.

Which budget-friendly product is a must-have?

My top pick is a gentle drying cloth, or even a soft cotton T-shirt to towel-dry your locks. It's often overlooked how much stress a typical terrycloth towel can do, particularly for lightened or dyed strands. This minor adjustment can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a wide-tooth comb, to use while conditioning. It shields your locks while detangling and helps preserve the strength of the hair shafts, especially after lightening.

What item or service justifies the extra cost?

A top-tier thermal appliance – featuring innovative technology, with adjustable temperature options. Grey and blonde hair can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the correct device.

Which popular practice is a definite no-go?

Self-applied color lifting. Social media makes it look easy, but the reality is it’s one of the riskiest things you can do to your hair. I’ve seen people melt their hair, break it off or end up with uneven tones that are extremely difficult to fix. I would also avoid keratin or permanent straightening treatments on pre-lightened strands. Such treatments are often overly harsh for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or undesired tones.

What frequent error do you observe?

Individuals choosing unsuitable formulas for their particular strand characteristics. Some overuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their blonde or grey strands looks flat and dull. Others rely too much on strengthening conditioners and end up with stiff, brittle hair. Another significant problem is thermal styling minus a barrier. When applying hot tools or dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – especially on pre-lightened hair – you’re going to see yellowing, dryness and breakage.

What would you suggest for thinning hair?

Thinning requires a comprehensive strategy. Externally, minoxidil remains a top choice. My advice includes scalp formulas with active ingredients to boost blood flow and promote root strength. Applying a cleansing scalp wash often helps clear out buildup and allows solutions to be more efficient. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They work internally to benefit externally by addressing hormonal imbalances, anxiety and dietary insufficiencies.

For those seeking higher-level solutions, platelet-rich plasma treatments – where a personalized serum is applied – can be successful. That said, I always suggest consulting a skin or hair specialist initially. Hair loss is often tied to underlying health issues, and it’s important to get to the root cause rather than seeking quick fixes.

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A Trichology Expert

Trichologist and leader in hair health services and items for shedding.

How often do you get your hair cut and coloured?

I get my hair cut every 10 to 12 weeks, but will trim off splits at home bi-weekly to keep my ends healthy, and have highlights done every eight weeks.

What affordable find is essential?

Building fibers are truly impressive if you have areas of scalp visibility. These particles bond to your existing hair, and it comes in a variety of shades, making it seamlessly blended. 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 initial area to show decline when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a healthy, varied eating plan.

Which premium option is truly valuable?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), I’d say medicated treatments. 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. 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?

Rosemary extracts for shedding. 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 mild formula such as 2% is inadequate to do much for male pattern hair loss, so the study is basically saying they are equally minimal in effect.

Additionally, excessive biotin. Hardly anyone is biotin deficient, so using it may not benefit your strands, and it can alter thyroid level measurements.

Which error is most frequent?

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 bad for their hair, when in fact the opposite is true – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

Regrettably, follicular health and strand desires can differ, so it’s a delicate equilibrium. But as long as you are gentle when you shampoo and handle wet hair with care, it shouldn't harm your hair.

What solutions do you suggest for thinning?

For genetic thinning in women, start with minoxidil. It's backed by strong research and tends to be most effective combined with additional ingredients. If you're interested in complementary therapies, 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. Increased hair loss often stems from an underlying issue. In some instances, the trigger is short-term – such as flu, Covid or a period of intense stress – and it will resolve on its own. 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