Perfect Hair, Today: Leading Experts Discuss Favorite Items – Plus Pitfalls to Steer Clear Of

Jack Martin

Styling Professional based in California who excels at silver hair. Among his clientele are Hollywood stars and Andie MacDowell.

What affordable item can't you live without?

I highly recommend a microfibre towel, or even a smooth cotton shirt to dry your hair. It's often overlooked how much damage a standard towel can do, particularly for grey or color-processed hair. This one small change can really lessen brittleness and splitting. Another inexpensive must-have is a broad-toothed comb, to use in the shower. It safeguards your strands while smoothing out tangles and helps preserve the strength of the individual hairs, particularly post-bleaching.

Which product or treatment is worth splurging on?

A high-quality styling iron – ceramic or tourmaline, with smart temperature control. Silver and light-coloured hair can develop brassy tones or get damaged without the right iron.

Which hair trend or treatment would you never recommend?

At-home lightening. 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 melt their hair, break it off or end up with bands of colour that are extremely difficult to fix. It's best to steer clear of long-term smoothing services on color-treated or grey hair. Such treatments are often excessively strong for weakened hair and can cause lasting harm or discoloration.

What frequent error do you observe?

People using the wrong products for their hair type or colour. A number of people misuse colour-correcting purple shampoo until their silver or blond hair looks flat and dull. Some depend excessively on protein-rich treatments and end up with stiff, brittle hair. The other major issue is using hot tools sans safeguard. When applying flat irons, curling irons or blow dryers without a defensive spray or cream, – particularly on bleached locks – you’re going to see discoloration, dehydration and damage.

Which solutions help with shedding?

Hair loss needs a multilayered approach. For direct application, minoxidil is highly proven. I often suggest scalp serums with caffeine or peptides to enhance nutrient delivery and promote root strength. Using a scalp detox shampoo weekly helps clear out buildup and allows products to perform better. Supplements such as Nutrafol or Viviscal Pro have also shown great results. They enhance overall health for hair benefits by correcting endocrine issues, tension and dietary insufficiencies.

In cases requiring advanced options, blood-derived therapies – where your own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp – can be effective. 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.

A Hair and Scalp Specialist

Scalp and Hair Scientist and brand president of Philip Kingsley clinics and product ranges for hair loss.

How frequently do you schedule salon visits?

I schedule cuts every ten to twelve weeks, 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?

Hair-thickening particles are remarkably effective if you have thinning spots. They attach using static to your strands, and it comes in a assortment of tones, making it almost invisible. It was my go-to post-pregnancy when I had significant shedding – and also now while experiencing some considerable hair loss after having a bad infection previously. Because locks are secondary, it’s the first part of you to suffer when your intake is insufficient, so I would also recommend a balanced, nutritious diet.

What justifies a higher investment?

If you have female pattern hair loss (FPHL), 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 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 popular remedy is ineffective?

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 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. Few individuals have biotin insufficiency, so consuming it probably won't help your locks, and it can affect thyroid test results.

What’s the most common mistake you see?

Personally, I prefer "scalp cleansing" over "hair washing" – because the primary purpose of washing is to clear away sebum, debris, sweat and pollutants. I see people avoiding shampooing as they think it’s bad for their hair, when in fact the contrary is accurate – particularly with flaky scalp, which is aggravated by oil buildup. When sebum remains on the skin, they break down and become inflammatory.

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

Which options help with shedding?

With female pattern loss, minoxidil is essential. It's backed by strong research and tends to work best when compounded with other hair-supportive actives. If you then want to try other things to support minoxidil’s effect, or you choose to avoid it or cannot tolerate it, you could try microneedling (see a dermatologist), and perhaps PRP or low-level laser therapy.

With telogen effluvium, investigation is key. 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. In other cases, thyroid imbalances or vitamin/mineral deficiencies are the driving factor – the typical deficiencies involve iron, B12 and vitamin D – and to {treat the hair loss you need to treat the cause|address shedding, target the underlying issue|combat thinning, focus