I recently decided to let my hair grow out from a pretty short cut that I had kept for well over a decade. My hair is just now about to my eyebrow, and I am trying to find a product that will allow me to comb a side part or something else, my biggest problem is that I have rather thick hair that is also wavy bordering on outright curly, and most of the products I have tried (gels, hairspray, pastes) do not have enough hold to keep the wave from destroying a nice slick look, the thickness of my hair also tends to result in massive volume whether I want it or not (kind of like if I intentionally styled a pseudo 50's greaser pompadour, but the pomp extends all the way back). I figured if there was ever a site that could offer help, it was B&B, I am looking for a product that offers strong hold, and would like it if it didn't completely zap my hair bone dry, as I have found a gel that gives the hold I want, but leaves my hair bone dry. As stated in the title, I will not put grease in my hair, nothing against those that do, but that hassle isn't for me. I would prefer something that is $20 or less, or if nothing else is available in a sample size to get an idea for it. Thanks for any help!
Products that offer strong hold without drying out hair, pomade need not apply.
- Thread starter xdoomsongx
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Try Suavecito, or I think Layrite is very similar. They say they are pomades, but really they are very, very thick gels. They will literally rinse out of your hair in water. Suavecito is the best hair product I've used and I've probably tried 30-40 different products over the last few years. My hair is the Don Draper side part and it's very thick.
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I had read that Suavecito and Layrite are similar to the Axe clean cut water based pomade. I didn't get good results with the axe (it only holds for four or five hours), and have been hesitant to order either product as a result. I have been considering the Suavecito extra firm, or perhaps the Imperial Barber Classic pomade. Have you tried the axe pomade product? If so, how would you compare the axe and suavecito? Thanks.
Yes I have tried Axe and American Crew. Suavecito is different than both of them. Axe has decent hold but is still somewhat greasy. American Crew has little hold and is very greasy. I have wavy/curly hair and neither of them really hold my hair in place. Both require shampoo to wash out vs just water.
Suavecito is much more of a thick hair gel. It feels sticky when you rub it into the hair, but it dries very stiff like a gel. The difference is that it's very thick compared to gel, so your hair holds its shape when you comb it much better. If you have very straight, fine hair, gel would probably work fine, but my hair is too thick and curly for gel. Like I said, the Suavecito can actually keep my hair pretty straight when it's combed. It is absolutely not greasy at all.
I haven't used Layrite but I assume it's pretty much the same thing, much more like a very thick hair gel than a pomade.
I've used both regular and firm hold Suavecito and prefer the firm stuff. It requires a little less product. Again, for fine straight hair the regular stuff should be fine but my hair is very thick and wavy/curly. It holds up really well, even out in the sun and in the heat. Hell, I've taken naps and woken up with my hair still in place!
Suavecito is much more of a thick hair gel. It feels sticky when you rub it into the hair, but it dries very stiff like a gel. The difference is that it's very thick compared to gel, so your hair holds its shape when you comb it much better. If you have very straight, fine hair, gel would probably work fine, but my hair is too thick and curly for gel. Like I said, the Suavecito can actually keep my hair pretty straight when it's combed. It is absolutely not greasy at all.
I haven't used Layrite but I assume it's pretty much the same thing, much more like a very thick hair gel than a pomade.
I've used both regular and firm hold Suavecito and prefer the firm stuff. It requires a little less product. Again, for fine straight hair the regular stuff should be fine but my hair is very thick and wavy/curly. It holds up really well, even out in the sun and in the heat. Hell, I've taken naps and woken up with my hair still in place!
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Try a hair paste instead.
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- #6
I'm actually trying out a hair paste today. It is Got2B Sculpting paste. So far it is holding nicely, only thing is it has left my hair feeling kind of tacky or sticky. That might be my fault, I may have used too much product (about a marble sized amount), if it holds long enough, I'll play around with it more. It also smells pretty strong, similar to the axe hair products but that is not a deal breaker for me.
You have convinced me to try out the Suavecito firm, I also stumbled across **** Grease XXX, and it has great reviews from people that say it works great for thick and wavy/curly hair, so I might give it a try to. Thanks for the info.
If you can find it at a hair salon, I recommend Paul Brown's "Hapuna" hair paste. Smells decent, holds very well, and no sticky feeling in your hair. A regular shampoo and it comes right out. You can even remold or style your hair through out the day. I got mine in a tube, which makes it hard to get at. Since then, the company has re-packaged it into a tub.
Good luck with fighting the waviness. I grew my hair for a while I decided that I was thinning out a little too much to deny it anymore. I used American Crew Fiber, which is thicker, like clay but washes out easily, and has a light lemony scent. I also used Argan oil (Eden Allure) which is pricey but kept my hair straight for a little longer. All products required frequent grooming until my hair weighed enough to keep the volume down.
You may not like this idea but nothing worked as well for me as once a week rubbing hot coconut oil in my hair and letting it sit for half an hour before showering it out.
You may not like this idea but nothing worked as well for me as once a week rubbing hot coconut oil in my hair and letting it sit for half an hour before showering it out.
Hey OP, I'm in a very similar boat as you. I've been rocking a high and tight for the last 7.5 years and finally decided to grow it out to do a "professional" looking comb over/side part. My hair is naturally thick and grows fast, although it's not as long as yours yet, and I'm currently using "Some Hair Stuff" by Grooming Lounge. A little goes a long way, the smell is nice and subtle, and it has a matte finish.
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- #10
How well did it shower out for you? I have coconut oil on hand, so this would be easy to do, mostly it's just deciding that it's worth dunking my head in coconut oil, which honestly brings a bit of a cringe factor in to play.
Thanks for the recommendations, definitely stuff to check out as they all have pretty decent reviews. I know for certain that I can try the Tigi product locally the others would likely be online. I might have to check with a local salon instead of my barber.
This is some good gel I used to use. I think it would work for what you're looking for since you don't want grease. And it smells awesome ( a little strong though)
http://www.aveda.com/product/5216/16994/Collections/Aveda-Men-Pure-FormanceTM/Aveda-Men-Pure-Formance-Liquid-Pomade/index.tmpl
But honestly I think what would work the best for you would be a water based pomade, they literally rinse out before you even put the shampoo in there. Like Layrite or Suavecito or American Crew or this one that I just finished off. http://www.redken.com/products/mens/styling/polish-up-pomade
For the Aveda and Redken stuff you can order online or find an affiliated salon for a one-off haircut and to try the stuff out.
http://www.aveda.com/product/5216/16994/Collections/Aveda-Men-Pure-FormanceTM/Aveda-Men-Pure-Formance-Liquid-Pomade/index.tmpl
But honestly I think what would work the best for you would be a water based pomade, they literally rinse out before you even put the shampoo in there. Like Layrite or Suavecito or American Crew or this one that I just finished off. http://www.redken.com/products/mens/styling/polish-up-pomade
For the Aveda and Redken stuff you can order online or find an affiliated salon for a one-off haircut and to try the stuff out.
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- #12
So, I bit the bullet and tried this last night. I have to say I am impressed with the results. I put product in this morning, and it combed over so straight and with minimal volume it was wonderful. The majority of my hair has stayed pretty straight, just having problems with the ends of my hair, it is slightly wavy right at the tips so that my comb over ends in a sort of strange looking curl/flip outward. I will say that it is really humid here today, rained all morning then got warmer so that probably doesn't help. Shampooing the coconut oil out was a bit of a pain, but other than that it was nowhere near as bad as I assumed it might be. The biggest problem, and it's a big one, is that all the ladies at the office have been asking why I got rid of my wavy hair, apparently it was a hit, though I had been left in the dark on this one
. Still hoping to find a product that I like, right now I have been using Aussie for men hair wax. It offers pretty good hold though it firms up a lot, still not as much as a gel, though it can get sticky if it is humid out at all. The thing is it comes in a tiny can, and goes pretty quickly. Still not half bad. I have had Aveeda products recommend to me before, I might have to get a trim at one of their salons and ask them to use certain products. Thanks again.Aveda are indeed very good products, but quite on the expensive side ($ 25+ if bought in-salon). Plus, they smell very green / tea / flowery and are quite potent, so they may not be compatible if you wear a cologne or an aftershave.
For my part, I prefer American Crew. I suggest taking a look at their Grooming cream : high hold and high shine. Very affordable ($15-20 range) and outperforms a ton of products out there.
YMMV though, depending on your hair.
Hope this helps!
For my part, I prefer American Crew. I suggest taking a look at their Grooming cream : high hold and high shine. Very affordable ($15-20 range) and outperforms a ton of products out there.
YMMV though, depending on your hair.
Hope this helps!
Hey, I didn't see your previous message about the coconut oil. Yes, it is a pain to wash out but it makes my hair and scalp feel pretty healthy. On me, the waviness comes back in a day or three.
My wife uses Aveda hair cream, I've tried it before. It's very high quality stuff, does a good job of adding a bit of definition and control, taming frizz, but still allowing the waves to come through. I don't like the smell so much and I prefer more control than it offers because I have short hair. If I had long hair and wanted it to have nice waves without frizziness, it would work well for that purpose.
Another product which is similar but cheaper is Garnier Fructis Pure Clean smoothing cream. They don't carry it in stores anymore and it might be discontinued but is still available on Amazon. It seems to mimic the natural oils in hair for adding a bit of shine, taming frizz, and adding some control to the hair, but it's not overly sticky or greasy. All natural and washes out fairly well. Worth a shot if you have long hair.
Another product which is similar but cheaper is Garnier Fructis Pure Clean smoothing cream. They don't carry it in stores anymore and it might be discontinued but is still available on Amazon. It seems to mimic the natural oils in hair for adding a bit of shine, taming frizz, and adding some control to the hair, but it's not overly sticky or greasy. All natural and washes out fairly well. Worth a shot if you have long hair.
A water-based pomade that has more oils than waxes are always good. You need the oils to hydrate but also the water is usually mixed with a film forming agent that will product good hold/easier to wash out. I have an African American friend that uses Anchors - Shape Maker Pomade and he really loves it. check it out at loveanchors.com . I use it sometimes too.. as well as their teddy boy classic pomade.
I've got thick, wavy hair, and it is hard to wrangle! I've used pomades, and while I like some, few do much to keep my hair straight when long. I have a tube of Got2B Glued- which is kind of a gel, but more like glue. It's the only thing I have that can make my hair go against its nature all by itself. That said, I don't use it often so can't comment much on whether it's drying or not. I did just do my best Mad Men doo with it after reading the thread, so I'll let you know if I notice any drying.
All that said, this stuff is really odd to me. It does leave some shine, and once it sets, it's water resistant. Not tacky, but you'll have to shampoo to get it out. It's intended for styling spikes and mohawks, that sort of thing. I think it's relatively cheap, so maybe worth a shot if nothing else is doing the trick.
You may also find that once your hair gets "trained" to go the direction you want, you may need less hold from the product. Hopefully that will be the case, then you'll have more options.
All that said, this stuff is really odd to me. It does leave some shine, and once it sets, it's water resistant. Not tacky, but you'll have to shampoo to get it out. It's intended for styling spikes and mohawks, that sort of thing. I think it's relatively cheap, so maybe worth a shot if nothing else is doing the trick.
You may also find that once your hair gets "trained" to go the direction you want, you may need less hold from the product. Hopefully that will be the case, then you'll have more options.
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- #18
I actually have some of this stuff as it works great for mustache styling, kind of a pain to work with on a stache but once it sets, it is SET. I agree, it tames my hair, and the style I put it in, is the style it stays in. I use it on occasion when I am sick of fighting with the wave and curl. Personally, I have found it slightly drying, but nothing that some conditioner and a dab of argan or jojoba oil didn't fix. The main thing I don't like about it is the bullet proof shield that it turns hair in to.
I did break down and try some murrays, granted I didn't use a lot of the stuff, but it didn't hold the wave in control, it did keep the ends straight, but the wave in the "body" of the hair was there and going strong. Add to that the hassle of removal and it is out for sure.
I also tried some home made mustache wax to see how that might work, it is similar to a pomade, but I used plant based oils instead of vaseline. It worked well, similar in nature to the murrays in that it held the ends straight, but the body of the hair was all wavy. It also took some effort to remove, however not nearly as much as the murrays.
I'm waiting on some Suavecito Firm to show up, and hope that it works, if all else fails I suppose there are worse things than having helmet head.
One product I might mention for anyone interested is a water based pomade that I ran across while meandering in the local Big Lots. It is Salon Grafix M Pomade for men. This is water based, but it is nothing like a gel. It is kind of like if Groom and Clean was thick and offered more hold with less of the wet look, if that makes any sense. It doesn't fight the wave, but it keeps the tips straight, it holds the style at least 8 hours, and I can comb through it all day long. It is soft to the touch but does leave a bit of residue on the hands. I like it a lot, but the thing about it is, I have to use A LOT of product to get those results. I have used it probably a total of seven maybe eight times now, and it has taken about half the jar. So one jar would last me about two weeks with regular use. Granted I found it cheap ($2), I haven't found it any where else other than Amazon and ebay, so it leads me to think that it is a discontinued product. Still, if it sounds like something you would like to try, and you have a Big Lots or similar discounter near you, you might check it out.
Will update with my results from the Suavecito.
Thought I would post a link to amazon for the pomade I mentioned.
http://www.amazon.com/Salon-Grafix-Professional-Hair-Pomade/dp/B000S56AX8
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American Crew Fiber, for all the same reasons listed above.
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- #20
I actually asked my barber to try this stuff out on me the last time I was in, and he refused. He stated "It is just too damned hard to work with, and I won't mess with something like that." In his defense he is old and could be described as grumpy. I am planning on giving it a go if things don't work out with the Suavecito.
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