Want to change up your hairstyle, but don’t know how to achieve the particular look you saw on that one famous actor? Hair styling products for men can be the key to this dilemma–because, more often than not, there’s no point in investing in an incredible haircut without also investing in the products needed to bring it to life. We’ll show you how to choose products based on hold, shine, and texture, and how to combine them to achieve your ideal look.
What you can achieve with men’s styling products
First, let’s adjust our expectations regarding styling products. What can you change, and what can’t you change, when using styling products?
Let’s start with the negatives: a styling product can’t give you more hair than you already have, nor can it change the fundamental structure and texture of your hair. If you have curly hair, there’s only so much a styling product can do to make it straight. In fact, that’s going to be our number one rule for styling your hair: work with your hair, not against it! If you take this into account, everything will be easier, because you won’t be striving for hair you’ll never have, but you’ll be making the most of yours.
As for what styling products can do for your hair, it all comes down to three main features: hold, shine and texture. Let’s explore them one by one:
Hold
When we talk about hold, we’re talking about the ability to keep your hair in a certain configuration. This can be interpreted in a more extreme or more subdued way–consider for example, the difference between keeping a rock-solid mohawk all night long, or simply keeping your hair more or less as you styled it, with frizz at bay, all day long.
To meet these very different challenges, you’ll find styling products with varying levels of hold, from light to strong. Depending on the brand, what they consider to be light, medium or strong will vary; use their words as indications, but don’t count on one strong hold gel performing exactly like another.
Shine
Shine comes down to how your hair reflects the light when it hits. You can go for high-shine products for a classic look, or for matte products to provide a more modern, tousler, fuller look. You also have more natural options in between these two, that will guarantee your hair looks natural, even though it has been styled.
Men’s hair styling doesn’t have to revolve around shouting that you’ve done your hair; you can simply work your hair into get the best style you can achieve and keep things low-key. If you want to go for a natural look, a low-shine product is possibly the best approach.
Texture
Texture refers, quite simply, to the feel of your hair. Texture has a mostly tactile component, of course, but it’s also visual–does your hair look soft and bouncy, or does it look stiff and coarse? Different styling products produce different results, which differ both in feel and look.
If you have fine hair, you can use texturizing products to give your hair body and create a fuller look with extra movement and texture; if, on the other hand, you have curly or coily hair with lots of volume, you can use smoothing products to flatten flyaways and achieve a more defined look.
Different types of men’s hairstyling products
Now that we’ve looked into the ways styling products can change your hair, let’s see how you can actually do it. The key to mastering men’s styling is to look for the right styling product for your hair type and your styling goals–remember, always work with your hair, not against it.
By the way, this also applies to your haircut and your choice of shampoo and conditioner–hairstyling is a team effort and you’ll need to get things right at many different points in the process, from the haircut to the hair wash, to get the results you want.
Oil-based pomades (classic)
| Hold: | high to very high, but malleable |
| Finish: | high-shine |
| Pros: | add shine to medium-hold styles |
| Cons: | can build up in the hair and be very hard to remove, requiring extra cleaning effort |
| Best for: | sleek, structured styles like pompadour and rockabilly, side parts, or slicked-back looks |
Water-based pomades (modern)
| Hold: | low to medium, smooth |
| Finish: | high-shine |
| Pros: | add shine to low-hold styles, wash out easily |
| Cons: | may not offer enough hold, by themselves, to style the hair |
| Best for: | adding shine and combining with other products; thicker hair types |
Hair gels and glues
| Hold: | strong to very strong, typically not flexible |
| Finish: | high-shine with a wet look and hard texture |
| Pros: | provide a long-lasting hold; easy to apply and work well for almost any hair type |
| Cons: | can leave the hair feeling stiff or crunchy; may cause flaking |
| Best for: | slick, structured, or vertical styles that need to stay put; defining and maintaining curly and coily hair |
Hair waxes
| Hold: | medium to strong, somewhat stiff finish that is a bit crunchy |
| Finish: | natural to low shine |
| Pros: | keep hair in place without hardening; easy to restyle throughout the day; formulas that come in a stick can be applied directly to the hair for retouching |
| Cons: | may be difficult to wash out entirely; not ideal for finer hair as they can weigh it down, can be difficult to distribute evenly |
| Best for: | natural texture; short and textured styles, or styles with a lot of movement |
Hair clays
| Hold: | strong with a firm hold |
| Finish: | matte or low shine, giving a natural look |
| Pros: | build volume with a natural look |
| Cons: | can be hard to work with if not warmed up in the hands first; may feel heavy on fine hair |
| Best for: | adding volume and thickness to fine or thinning hair; textured, voluminous styles |
Hair fibers
| Hold: | very strong yet highly flexible |
| Finish: | matte or very low shine |
| Pros: | add thickness and texture; perfect for bedhead or messy styles |
| Cons: | can be tough to work with if not applied properly; may be too heavy for very fine hair |
| Best for: | short to medium-length hair, especially styles that need volume and texture |
Hair creams
| Hold: | low to medium, with light texture |
| Finish: | low to medium shine |
| Pros: | add subtle control and shine; ideal for a low-maintenance look; excellent for defining curly and wavy hair due to the nourishing properties |
| Cons: | light hold may not be suitable for very structured styles; can be ineffective in some hair types |
| Best for: | natural, loose styles; great for controlling frizz or flyaways; ideal for beginners, quick styling, curly and coily hair types (followed by a gel or mousse) |
Hair mousses
| Hold: | light to medium, with a lot of volume |
| Finish: | natural or slightly glossy |
| Pros: | lightweight formulas do not add weight to the hair; add volume |
| Cons: | don’t provide a strong hold |
| Best for: | creating volume, especially in fine or thin hair; ideal for long and/or wavy hair |
Sea salt sprays
| Hold: | light |
| Finish: | matte, with a “beachy waves” look |
| Pros: | add a natural, messy look with a bit of volume; easy to use |
| Cons: | can be drying to the hair if used frequently; not strong enough for very styled looks |
| Best for: | boosting volume; textured and beach-inspired looks |
Hairsprays
| Hold: | light to very strong |
| Finish: | varies from matte to shiny |
| Pros: | perfect to combine with lighter textures to finish the look and reduce flyaways |
| Cons: | can make the hair feel crunchy or sticky |
| Best for: | finishing and setting styles in place; taming flyaways |
Hair powders
| Hold: | none |
| Finish: | natural to matte |
| Pros: | lift the hair from the roots; boost hair volume without changing the hair finish |
| Cons: | don’t hold the style by themselves; need to be combined with other products |
| Best for: | boosting volume, adding texture |
As you can see, there are many hair styling products to choose from, with different holds and finishes. We’re sure you’ll be able to find the best product for you, but if you’re still curious about the rest of the available options, why not go and explore all the men’s hairstyling products we have available?
