Caring for your hair is simple enough. All you need is shampoo and conditioner and—bam! Styling your hair, however, is an entirely different matter. From gluey pastes to stiff ’n’ slick waxes to velvety creams (not to mention hairsprays and gels, which are undergoing a bit of a renaissance), there is an overwhelming array of mane-related paraphernalia out there, enough to make you go numb in the grooming aisle of your local Walgreens.
All this while we’re living through a Golden Age of Men’s Hairstyles™: an era in which beachy waves and undone mops stand alongside foolproof coifs like the undercut—a development you can partly blame on actor Timothée Chalamet and his ridiculously tousled locks. This newfound embrace of varying styles requires varying types of products to corral them.
“Most guys have bad hair,” says celebrity stylist Christine Nelli, who handles the mops of men like Justin Timberlake, the Weeknd, and Lakeith Stanfield. When it comes to product, “either they don’t do anything or they do too much. So many men go hardcore with gel. Or they think they don’t have time” and bypass product altogether. The result? That 1980s wet look (too much product) or unkempt fuzzy hair (no product at all).
Hair is a gift, so what you put in it should work with, not against, what you’ve been given. “Embrace the texture of your hair,” says Mike Sposito, hairstylist and owner of the Brooklyn shop Sposito. If you have curly hair, don’t try to shellac it into a smooth and shiny pompadour. If you have fine hair, don’t weigh it down with heavy product.
While the longer, more natural look is becoming more popular, that doesn’t mean you should stop using product. “It’s longer hair with a purpose,” says Rodney Cutler of Cutler salons. “It’s not just disheveled bed head. There’s still a grooming element to it, a finish.”
So what should you finish it with?
“Think about what you want as your desired result,” Cutler says. “It’s about distributing the product evenly through your hair.” There’s no one-fit solution—the key is figuring out what complements your hair type and your particular hairstyle.
The New Standards
AXE HAIR AXE Urban Messy Look Flexible Hair Paste 2.64 oz
AXE HAIR AXE Urban Messy Look Flexible Hair Paste 2.64 oz
AXE HAIR AXE Urban Messy Look Flexible Hair Paste 2.64 oz
AXE HAIR AXE Urban Messy Look Flexible Hair Paste 2.64 oz
WAX
YOU’VE GOT: Longer, wavy hair
“I look at a wax as a shiny, polished product,” says Cutler. “Like beeswax, it’s very greasy and has thick viscosity with a lot of hold.” Nelli agrees: “It’s for someone looking for a sleeker look or a wet look.” Wax isn’t for the faint of heart but for a guy who wants to make a big, bold statement.
USE IT FOR: Visual punch and an incredibly strong hold
THE LOOK: High shine (as in see-your-reflection shiny), strong hold (as in your hand will get trapped if you try to run it through your hair)
POMADE
YOU’VE GOT: Dense, coarse hair that needs to be tamed
“Pomade has more of a matte finish,” says Cutler. “It’s more clay-based and will give you a drier, lived-in texture.”
USE IT FOR: Short to medium styles with a “done” look (think crispy as opposed to natural)
THE LOOK: Low to high shine (though our experts suggest going with matte and avoiding the Danny Zuko look of high-shine products), high hold
CREAM
YOU’VE GOT: Wavy, curly hair with some body
Nelli likes it for curly hair and employs curl creams on her African-American clients. “I’ll use it to set the curl without it getting frizzy, so it will look finished.”
USE IT FOR: A light, natural hold—that “I didn’t do anything to my hair, but it just happens to look effortlessly amazing” style
THE LOOK: Low shine, low hold
Dove Men+Care Sculpting Paste Hair Styling, 1.75 oz
Dove Men+Care Sculpting Paste Hair Styling, 1.75 oz
PASTE
YOU’VE GOT:Medium to thick hair
“A paste is a heavier cream,” says Sposito. “It should have a good amount of viscosity and some tack to it.”
USE IT FOR: A finished but natural look for short- to medium-length haircuts
THE LOOK: Medium shine, medium hold.
The Wild Cards
SALT SPRAY
YOU’VE GOT: Finer hair; longer, thick hair
All of our experts are big fans of salt spray, for adding texture and giving hair dimension without looking overly styled. “I like to use this as a base when it’s wet, and it gives it a sea-salt texture,” says Nelli. Cutler remembers when table salt would be mixed into water backstage at fashion shows. Luckily, you won’t have to do that.
USE IT FOR: Short, textured cuts and adding casual, “no style” body to hair
THE LOOK: Low shine, low hold
OIL
YOU’VE GOT: Dry, thick, coarse hair
This is very hard to use on guys unless you have outrageously dry, thick hair,” says Cutler. “Most heads can’t hold it. But you could apply it with a pomade or a cream to emulsify it.” Sposito recommends using oil when wearing your hair down in a “no style, long hair don’t care” (like Jason Momoa) look. Even Aquaman could use a paste or a cream to help step it up.
USE IT FOR: Healing dry hair, smoothing and finishing, a “no style” look
THE LOOK: Low shine, low hold
Garrett Markenson REVERIE Garrett Markenson Reverie RAKE Styling Balm, 2.5 oz
Garrett Markenson REVERIE Garrett Markenson Reverie RAKE Styling Balm, 2.5 oz
BALM
YOU’VE GOT: Fine Hair
“I’d put it somewhere between a cream and a paste,” says Sposito. “There’s not a ton of weight to it.”
USE IT FOR: A natural look
THE LOOK: Medium shine, low to medium hold
The Old Guard
Hairspray
YOU’VE GOT: Hair. Period.
“I like it a little drier but less tacky. Most guys today want to run their hands through their hair,” says Cutler. Fortunately, brands have created products with a low-key grip.
USE IT FOR: A finishing touch for just about any style to lock in your look
THE LOOK: Medium to high shine, medium to strong hold
...And yes, gel is still a thing
“The days of the Gordon Gekko look are gone,” says Cutler. “You don’t want to look like [Anthony] Scaramucci, where your hair doesn’t move.” Still, some die-hard gel users just can’t let it go, and others, Nelli notes, opt for a throwback old-Hollywood Mad Men style with lots of shine—which is fine when the product is used sparingly. The good news is that brands have made softer versions, with less alcohol and a lighter hold. Nelli recommends using a bit when your hair’s wet and then blow-drying it in to give you more volume without the hard-shell, touch-it-and-it’ll-break look.
