Hair "gel"? Specific shampoo? Facial sweat? 3 questions

[Badgers]

3 questions guys.

1) I need a new hair "gel" and I use that term "gel" loosely. The old ones I've been using haven't been bad but if i were to describe them, they seem like "water-based gels" meaning they make my hair look a BIT wet (but it does get better after a while). Its not too bad of a problem but I asked a friend of mine and he told me to look into things like polmade. After looking up what that is, it seems exactly like wax/vasoline.

What I'm looking for is a hair "gel" that won't make my hair look too wet or greasy, has a strong mold to hold my hair (which is about average length), and doesn't permeate any female fragrance nor an extremely strong one... I've heard a lot of good things about Crew Fiber (specifically from these threads: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=169694 and another one).

Are there any other ones you gentlemen would recommend that possibly fits the bill any better?


2) my second question is about shampoo. As i mentioned, my hair is about average length. pressing down on it, it probably is just short of covering my forehead. The minor problem I am having is that i would prefer to shampoo everyday. However, whenever i do, and dry my hair, its just too light and has no density to it to stay in a single spot. Thus, I have to wait about 2 or 3 days before I can really bend and move my hair. Is there any kind of shampoo that takes this into consideration so that it removes all the filth but also leaves some sort of "mineral" that gives hair density?


3) my final question is about facial sweat. during the day, after a couple of hours from washing, my face becomes sweaty and shiny. now, its not that big of a problem but is there any kind of non-female substance that can take care of this? whether it be controlling the sweat problem or masking it (with soap or anything)? again, i don't mind going to the bathroom to wash up, so if the only solution is to use some kind of mascara (or w/e the females use), then i'll pass due to the preservation of my pride haha. but if there is some kind of well-known product that is specifically tailored for men and that i'm not aware of, i'd love to know it.


I am writing this at 2 am so if there are any blatant errors in grammar or posterity, please excuse me.

Also, I reside in New York, so if there are any retail stores I can find this stuff at, that would be great!!!

OH and one last thing, lets try to keep these items fairly cheap please.


Thank you VERY much,
Matthew

 

[RF1963]

I can't help on points 1 and 2 but on point 3 have a look at this

http://www.hyperhidrosisweb.com/facial-sweating.html

This is a recognised medical condition and you may be better having a chat with your doctor about it.

 

[Terry Awhile]

1. I swear by bedhead Manipulator. I learned about it from a hairdresser who stole my heart away. It is pricey, but smells like candy, lasts a VERY long time, and....leads into the question about shampooing....the less you shampoo, the less hold you will need.

Basically, don't do it! Wash the hair a couple times a week, and you'll use less product. When you do shampoo, use quality stuff---Redken Men is awesome,but then again, so is the Trader Joes Tea Tree Oil shampoo (2.99!). You can also use Dr. Bronners.

Essentially, your "product" is to accentuate your hair's natural oils, if that is what you want. When cleaning hair, that is what you should be doing----cleaning hair, not bullying your scalp. I actually read something about Fredric Fekkai suggesting that one use a small amount of shampoo, sudsing only the hair, not any where near the scalp, and rinsing with cold water and a (wire) brush to get rid of the suds. (he has his own shampoos now, so he may feel differently)

It takes some getting used to, but you'll definitely get compliments, as your hair will look more "natural". Nothing tackier than hair that LOOKS gelled or sprayed, like a high school kid, know what I mean? And don't worry, you will only look like Uncle Jesse if you actually use a hair drier and purposely coiffure it out.

And don't use a comb or brush to finish, use your fingers. Comb and brush move large pieces of hair, your fingers are best for the finishing touch.
As far as the sweating/face oil....check in with the doc.

I find oil blotting sheets useful, too, but get rice paper or linen ones. And, if anyone at work catches you and gives your crap, just remember the same dude has buffalo sauce on his tie and his face is a simmering pool under those fluorescents, which don't do his 3-blade daily hack job ANY justice.

 

[Terry Awhile]

PS---a small spray bottle with witch hazel or hydrosol is an awesome skin toner/refresher throughout the day.

Think about the women you throughout the day who always look great and "fresh"...we have bathrooms we can do "DL" maintenance in too, dawg! (that is their secret, BTW----that, and probably drinking craploads of H2o)

When you think about it dudes at work have no issue dropping the deuce and having a conversation with you...why should you care about taking pride in looking refreshed, cool, and put together?

 

[Badgers]

I can't help on points 1 and 2 but on point 3 have a look at this

http://www.hyperhidrosisweb.com/facial-sweating.html

This is a recognised medical condition and you may be better having a chat with your doctor about it.

Thank you very much for that link. I actually did have a chat with my doctor about it and she said its not a big deal at all. Surgery is certainly going over the top for me. And she prescribed me some drysol. When I looked that up on the internet, there were two specific brands. A stronger solution for the hands and feet and a weaker solution for the face. You need a perscription for anything having more than 15 ml of that hydroxide (or w/e the ingredient is called); the stronger solution has 15 ml i think or 20, the weaker has like 7.5. So when I went to the drug store (happens to be walgreens), they got me a generic brand that has the same concentration as the drysol thats meant to go on your feet. When I asked about the weaker solution one, they told me that I wouldn't need a perscription for that? but he didn't sound confident... and I couldn't find the facial drysol in any stores. perhaps i have to order it online? thats one possibility. i was just wondering if there was any other method.

1. I swear by bedhead Manipulator. I learned about it from a hairdresser who stole my heart away. It is pricey, but smells like candy, lasts a VERY long time, and....leads into the question about shampooing....the less you shampoo, the less hold you will need.

Basically, don't do it! Wash the hair a couple times a week, and you'll use less product. When you do shampoo, use quality stuff---Redken Men is awesome,but then again, so is the Trader Joes Tea Tree Oil shampoo (2.99!). You can also use Dr. Bronners.

Essentially, your "product" is to accentuate your hair's natural oils, if that is what you want. When cleaning hair, that is what you should be doing----cleaning hair, not bullying your scalp. I actually read something about Fredric Fekkai suggesting that one use a small amount of shampoo, sudsing only the hair, not any where near the scalp, and rinsing with cold water and a (wire) brush to get rid of the suds. (he has his own shampoos now, so he may feel differently)

It takes some getting used to, but you'll definitely get compliments, as your hair will look more "natural". Nothing tackier than hair that LOOKS gelled or sprayed, like a high school kid, know what I mean? And don't worry, you will only look like Uncle Jesse if you actually use a hair drier and purposely coiffure it out.

And don't use a comb or brush to finish, use your fingers. Comb and brush move large pieces of hair, your fingers are best for the finishing touch.
As far as the sweating/face oil....check in with the doc.

I find oil blotting sheets useful, too, but get rice paper or linen ones. And, if anyone at work catches you and gives your crap, just remember the same dude has buffalo sauce on his tie and his face is a simmering pool under those fluorescents, which don't do his 3-blade daily hack job ANY justice.

PS---a small spray bottle with witch hazel or hydrosol is an awesome skin toner/refresher throughout the day.

Think about the women you throughout the day who always look great and "fresh"...we have bathrooms we can do "DL" maintenance in too, dawg! (that is their secret, BTW----that, and probably drinking craploads of H2o)

When you think about it dudes at work have no issue dropping the deuce and having a conversation with you...why should you care about taking pride in looking refreshed, cool, and put together?

Thank you for your advice. From your post, it seems I make a couple of mistakes...

1) I use some random brand of shampoo...
2) When i shampoo, i just rub it into my hair with no regard for my scalp. not to mention im liberal with the doses of shampoo i use. and i always belevied that the cause of dandruff and bad hair smell came from the actual scalp or very close to it.
3) i usually shampoo with warm water
4) i use a hair dryer... too impatient to wait.

although i rarely used a hair comb or brush.


so i guess my question is, is there any other hair gel product you could recommend? Perhaps, one without a polmade base and one without any kind of smell?

 

[Go West Young Man]

Hair products questions are best discussed with your stylist, they'll know what kind of hair you have and what your specific needs are. If you ask them to give general recommendations, a good stylist will point you in the right direction without trying to push specific products that they sell. All you'll get here is a list of products that other people use, which isn't really all that helpful because we have different hair and different styling needs.

 

[bowlturner]

Baxter of California's makes a very nice clay based polmade that dries to a matt finish. It works, and looks natural. I bought mine from ClassicShaving.com

 

[Wrangler95CSA]

This is probably way too late to help, but hey, better late then never, right? When it comes to pomade, you've basically got 3 different types to choose from: water based, petroluem based, and wax based. Right now, I'm using a not very well known brand of water based pomade called Suavecito, that's being billed at the Lay-Rite Killer. Lay-Rite has basically been the industry's #1 water based pomade, until now. It has a subtle, manly scent to it, and it holds just like a wax. However, it washes out immediately with regular shampoo and water, unlike petroleum or wax based pomades. It only makes your hair look slightly damp as you apply, but it as it dries, your hair no longer looks wet. This stuff holds superbly, and if you need to touch it up, simply run your comb through your hair. No need to add water unless you have stray hairs flying about. Little bit of it goes a long way, and I highly recommend you try it.

www.suavecitopomade.com

And for shampoo, I'm know I'm gonna sound like a high school kid, but I swear by the Axe line of shampoo and conditioner. They have a make for every type of hair, and it's readily available at every Wal-Mart and Target.

Oily face? I'm 30 and still use Oxy pads.