|
 Only hairdressers driving convertibles have any real grasp on the myriad of hair styling products available to men. We try to break it down into something easier to understand.
There are four main types of products - Paste, Wax, Gum and Gels. Paste - Warm on palms. Doesn't really dry out. Work in with fingertips. Can leave hair shiny. Reworkable paste is just that - reworkable. Meaning you can go to the bathroom with a sleek look and come out with the caveman look. Gum - Applied to dry hair. Natural effect. Long lasting and used to create wild styles without feeling like you have a bucket of gel on your hair. Wax - Used in small amounts. Can give a gloss look. Long lasting. Strong hold. Gel - For complete or partial styling. Gel's normally contain alcohol (do NOT drink...) and when the alcohol evaporates give a firm strong hold. Use fingertips or comb through wet hair to give a bond look. Good for longer hair. Each styling brand (e.g. Bryllcream, Shockwaves, L'Oreal) normally has all, or variations of the above products. Which you use (and which you should use) really comes down to the look you are trying to achieve. Let’s narrow it down. Wax is best suited to small areas of hair that need controlling or styling. E.g. the fringe. Apply it between your palms, rub it to warm it up and apply with your fingertips. Wax is most suited to those with short to medium hair. If you're looking to style all your hair, best stick with Gel, Gum or paste. Gel can be applied anyway you want. Best apply it in small amounts and build up. Wet look gels give you the ‘just out of the shower look' throughout the day. Suitable for medium and long hair. Gum / Creams / Pastes - Best for short or medium hair. Can also add weight and texture to hair. Best used for that 'I just got out of bed looking stylish' hairdo. Though we're generally averse to reading instructions on anything, we do advise you read the instructions on your chosen product. If it says apply to wet hair - then do exactly that. There's a world of difference in the grip and hold your product will have when applied to damp or dry hair. If the instructions insist on applying it to towel dry hair then do not use a hairdryer!. Using a hairdryer may dry out the moisture in the air and an ingredient (Panthenol) may require moisture - which means your hairstyle may turn out more floppy than spikey.  The Ruffled look can be achieved with any of the above products. For medium lenght hair we would recommend using Gels or Pastes. Apply to fingers and target specific areas of hair to ruffle up. Shades and cigarette are optional.
 The Tangled mess is just about the same as the ruffled look above - but shorter hair, and less standing up. Use pastes, creams or wax. To achieve a natural look avoid wet look pastes and use 'natural' ones. Gums are ideal for this look.
 The sleek bond haired look can be achieved by using gel.Do not use wet look gel. Apply to hair and comb through. Again, the gun is optional, but not recommeded for dinner dates.
 To achieve the wild look with long hair use every product you can get your hands on. Mix together and rub into hair frantically. Or you may just use gel and wax. Apply wax to specific areas, gel to the remainder. Use a comb or brush to aid styling.
 Short, neat hair style. Apply wax only. Either natural looking or wet style.
|
