4 Essential Hairstyling Products for Men

May 12, 2010, By Jeffrey Weeks 0 comments

Men's hair products have come a long way since they became popular in the '70s, and we've gone way beyond John Travolta giving his disco locks a jolt of hairspray to stay alive. Yet four options remain the basic choices: mousse, pomade, hairspray and gel.

Each has their strengths; you need to experiment to find just the right product to keep you stylish throughout the long summer days and nights.

Mousse is hairstyling foam that performs pretty well without a lot of fuss. Originally brought to us by the French back in the '80s, mousse is popular because it works simply. It's like shaving cream that is combed through your hair, wet or dry. After blow-drying or hand-styling, you'll find that your hair looks fuller, sleeker and easier to manage than if you went with sprays, gels or lotions. Mousse helps your hair do what you want it to do, giving a man quick and easy control of his style. You can slick it back or go with a full and loose curly look. Either way, it shapes or holds like a dream without the stiffness that comes with spray. It also doesn't leave you feeling weighted down. Mousse is a great summertime hair product.

Pomades are made to add control and shine to a man's hair while giving him a pliable hold on his locks. You use a pomade to direct a strong hairline and to distinguish your style. Pomades are terrific for slicked-back hair; they also perform well for heavily textured hairstyles. Pomade will definitely add shine to your hair and smooth your look. But you want to avoid using pomade on fine hair. You also don't want to use too much pomade, which produces a greasy, limp look. When applying pomade, scoop a small amount out and rub it in your hands until it becomes warm. Apply quickly and evenly to your damp or dry hair. Pomades generally are used on short, textured styles but can also be used to give shine and separation to longer hair.

Hairspray was traditionally used to hold your hair style in place, and it did a fine job of that for many years. Eventually other products replaced hairspray for men due to problems with stiffness. Today, there are varying degrees of stiffness to suit your individual needs. You can use hair spray to keep your hair where you want it or get curl definition when scrunching. Hair spray can be used on all styles to give extra body, volume and control. The best hairspray can be used on any hair type to set hair in place without stickiness or flaking. It adds height to short cuts and gives body to longer hair.

Gel is probably the most efficient product for holding your hair in place. Gels are normally water based and they are advisable for men who want a somewhat wet, sleek look for their hair. Hair gels come in degrees: light, firm or strong holds. You want a lighter hold for fine hair so that it doesn't weigh you down. But if you have thicker, dense hair, you need a stronger hold. Gels cement your hair for many hours, even when you are active throughout the day. They are great for thick hair since a firm styling gel will give it a strong hold. You may need to use a large quantity for certain hairstyles, though, and reapply throughout the day. You dispense gel in one hand and use both hands to rub it into your wet, towel-dried hair. Then you style your hair to your preference. You can blow-dry with gel if you want maximum hold or let gel dry naturally for a shinier look.