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Behind every great hairstyle is a great product
Lots of men use hair products. Ward Cleaver used them, Will Smith uses them. Somewhere between James Dean's slick and the Sid Vicious spiked 'do is the hairstyle you want. No matter what you want to do with your hair, there's a gel, spray, mousse, pomade, or spritz to help you do it. The trick -- for sculpting, hold, or just control -- is to get the product that's right for your hair and the look you want.
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Have the Hair You Want
With all the different products out there, how do you know which one to choose? It depends on your hair type and the style you want. Here's what to keep in mind when selecting a styling aid:
- Look for a water-based product; alcohol will dry out your hair.
- Make sure the product will rinse out well.
- There are various holding strengths; find one that's right for you:
- Light hold: used for soft styles
- Medium hold: keeps hair in place
- Strong hold: helps create dramatic styles
- Maximum hold: used for sculptured looks (spikes, pompadours)
- Use strong hold for straight hair
- Curly or dry hair requires the product to be used sparingly, in just the areas you need it.
Helpful Hair Hints
- Starting with clean hair.
- Keep gels and mousse products away from hairline and scalp to avoid clogging pores.
- Use only the amount you need to get the style you want.
- You can get more control by putting product all over your hair.
- To get lift, use gel or mousse closer to the roots.
- Gel works best by applying to towel dried hair, styling, then blow-drying.
- To get a smooth, slicked back look, gel works the best.
A Sticky Situation
- Balm: a thick gel that can help you manage and control difficult hair. To use balm, rub a bit between your palms, then finger it through sections of wet hair.
- Gel: a versatile product that comes in spray, potted, tubed, and liquid form. It will help shape hair, add shine and structure, and manage frizzies. Put a little in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, then massage the gel evenly through your hair. You can use it on wet hair for shape or dry hair for volume. Be careful not to use too much or you will end up with a stiff, unnatural look.
- Hair spray: the old standby gives final hold to any style. Spray it lightly on either a specific area or all over. It is available in either aerosol spray or pump spray, with many different levels of holding power.
- Mousse: a light, airy product that offers good, overall body-building capabilities for thin, fine hair. Spray into palms, rub hands together, and apply to the roots of the hair.
- Pomade: a specialty product that usually comes in a jar or tin. Its greasiness makes it a poor choice for most hair types, but used sparingly on the ends, it can tame curly hair.
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Emollients
Emollients work by forming a protective layer over your hair, keeping in the moisture. They are all oily or oil-like chemicals. In fact, olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients. Mineral or silicone oils are also great emollients. They can be very water-repellent like petrolatum and lanolin, which is good because they keep moisture in your hair.
Humectants
Humectants are novel chemicals that are added in soaps, hair care products, and lotions. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in your hair, humectants actually attract water towards your hair. However, they can be washed off very easily, and therefore do not have the lasting power of emollients. Your best bet is to get a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Proteins
Proteins are polymers (long chains) of amino acids. Some long proteins can coat the hair, giving it a soft and full-bodied feel, but small amino acids do not penetrate the hair or rebuild damaged hair.
Preservatives
Hair products contain many preservatives, but they all work in one of two ways:- By preventing the growth of microorganisms.
- By preventing the breakdown or degradation of other chemicals.
Preservatives are often (but not always) the culprit when you have an allergic reaction to a product.
Silicone-based oils
Silicone based products are actually emollients. The difference is that they are synthetic. They help condition hair in the same way as other emollients, by coating hair and helping prevent water loss.
Styling polymers
What keeps a soda bottle sturdy also holds your hair in the latest style. Hair styling polymers have much in common with the plastics that make up soda bottles. They are both long chains of organic molecules. These polymers wrap around hair and give it extra support to keep it in place.
Vitamins
Vitamins are often a component of cosmetic products in the hopes that they have magical restorative effects. They do not, but some have other less magical benefits.
Surfactants
Surfactants allow you to combine oil and water. They are used in shaving lotions to keep all the various chemicals mixed. Surfactants also act as cleaning agents at higher concentrations.
Quaternary ammonium compounds
They are incorporated into cosmetic products for a variety of purposes and in various concentrations. Quaternary ammonium compounds have properties of surfactants, disinfectants, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
| Emollients | Ingredient | Description |
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| Calendula extract | ? | Moisturizes, heals, cools, and soothes inflamed skin. It also prevents irritation and itching. | | Mineral oils | ? | Derived from crude petroleum, they help prevent dehydration, soften hair, retain water in hair, and add shine to hair. They tend to attract dirt and increase the chance of styling product buildup. They can leave an undesirable, tacky feeling and must be washed out thoroughly, as they are hard to remove. | | Petrolatum | ? | A petroleum-derived product that helps soften and smooth the skin, prevent loss of moisture, and protect against irritation. | | Beeswax | ? | It forms a protective layer over the hair and scalp, and rarely causes allergies and irritation. | | Panthenol | ? | Moisturizes and protects the hair. It is safe and effective. | | Paraffin | ? | Forms a protective layer over the hair and scalp. It can clog hair follicles and cause acne, however. | | Plant oils | ? | Coming from various plants (olives, corn, sunflower), they help prevent dehydration, soften hair, retain water, and add shine. They tend to attract dirt and increase the chance of styling product buildup. Oils may leave an undesirable, tacky feeling and must be washed out thoroughly, as they are hard to remove. | | Humectants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Glycerin | ? | One of the most effective moisturizers, giving hair bounce and fullness by attracting and holding water in hair. It allows products to spread out better. There are no allergic reactions associated with this compound. | | Sorbitol | ? | One of the most effective ingredients in attracting and retaining water in the hair shaft, giving hair bounce and fullness. An ingested overdose may lead to diarrhea, but this product is generally safe. | | Butylene glycol | ? | Attracts and retains water in the hair shaft, giving hair bounce and fullness. | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | ? | Moisturizes hair, giving hair bounce and fullness. It can also cause skin irritation and may be a problem for the scalp. | | Mucopolysaccarides | ? | Also referred to as glycosaminoglycans, these compounds are a combination of protein and polysaccharide. They are excellent humectants. | | Sodium PCA | ? | Derived from proteins and a natural component of skin, it's an excellent humectant. | | Proteins | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed collagen and elastin | ? | Condition the hair by protectively coating the hair and improving its texture. Although they won't repair hair, they fill in the gaps of damaged cuticles. | | Glycoproteins | ? | Condition the hair by protectively coating the hair and improving its texture. Although they won't repair hair, they fill the gaps of damaged cuticles. | | Soy and wheat protein | ? | Condition the hair by improving hair texture and repairing damaged cuticles. | | Amino acids | ? | Too small to effectively coat and cover hair without being washed off, they do not condition as well as proteins. They also do not penetrate the hair to repair damage. | | Preservatives | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Sorbic acid | ? | Used to inhibit the growth of fungi (mold and yeast), which is dependent on pH. | | Chlorhexidine | ? | A strong, basic antiseptic that exists as a powder, it also has the potential to be very irritating. | | Polyquaternium-32 | ? | Also a quaternary ammonium compound that has antimicrobial activity. | | Benzoic acid | ? | Effective against microbes, it may cause scalp irritations. | | Methylparaben | ? | Widely used with good antimicrobial properties, it is capable of causing allergic reactions. | | Propylparaben | ? | Effective against bacteria and fungi, it can be used in all types of solutions. It is not as toxic as benzoic acid. | | Silicone-Based Oils | Ingredient | Description |
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| Cyclomethicone | ? | Helps condition and protect hair. | | Dimethicones | ? | Help condition and protect hair. | | Styling Polymers | Ingredient | Description |
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| Polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP) | ? | A type of plastic found in many cosmetic products, it helps keep hair in place. | | Polyvinylpyrrolidine/vinyl acetate (PVP/VA) | ? | Found in leave-in conditioners, it can give hair form by holding it in place after styling. | | Vitamins | Ingredient | Description |
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| Vitamin E | ? | Does not help protect hair from free radical damage, but it's a good emollient as it can help soften hair. | | Panthenol | ? | Also known as vitamin B-5, it can coat hair to condition it. It is safe and effective. | | Surfactants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Cocamide (DEA, MEA) | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Cocamidopropyl betaine | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Cococamphodiacetate | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Sodium cocoglyceryl ether sulfonate | ? | A very fatty cleaning agent that is often used as an emulsifier and foam builder. | | Quaternary Ammonium Compounds | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Dicetydimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behentrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Behenalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Benzalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Quaternium-18 | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Stearalkonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. | | Cetrimonium chloride | ? | Helps combine all the various chemicals and acts as a preservative. |
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Appropriate Uses
Hair and scalp conditioner/treatment
Adds softness, silkiness, and shine to hair. Also hydrates dry hair and makes hair more manageable.
Balm
Adds shine, holds styled hair in place, and makes curly hair more manageable.
Detangler
Helps comb through knots in wet or dry hair.
Gel
Adds shine and holds styled hair in place.
Hair spray
Holds styled hair in place.
Molding mud
Gives body and style to specific areas of hair.
Mousse
Holds styled hair in place and gives thin or fine hair more volume.
Shiner
Makes hair shiny and reflective and makes curly hair more manageable.
Volumizer
Adds thickness and volume to flat hair.
How the 'Do Gets Done
After shampooing, towel dry hair and apply a small amount of product to hair. Style and blow-dry as desired.
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The Possibility of a Bad Hair Day
- May contain alcohol, which can dry and damage hair.
- May contain resins such as vinyl acetate, vinyldimethicone, and polyvinyl acetate, which can leave a film on your hair.
- Pomades or greases can build up on the hair and weigh it down, especially if you have fine or limp hair.
- Overapplication of hair spray can cause visible white flaking.
Use Your Head When Holding Hair in Place
- Do not use if you are allergic to any ingredient in the product.
- Keep away from heat or flames.
- Avoid contact with eyes, nose, and mouth.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Scali-Sheahan, MT. Milady's Standard Textbook of Professional Barber Styling. Milady Publishing Company, Albany, NY, 1984.
- 2. Begoun, P. Don't Go Shopping For Hair Care Products Without Me. Beginning Press, Seattle, WA, 1995.
- 3. Winter, R. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Random House, Ince. New York 1994.
- 4. Michalun, N and MV Michalun. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. Milday Pub. Co. Albany, NY 1994.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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