We don’t talk about hair gel a lot but it’s still a popular product for men. Hair gel is a great product with tons of hold and shine that creates long-lasting hairstyles for even the thickest hair.
The problem is, it can also go wrong. Add too much and hair can become visibly crunchy, crusty, or flaky. It’s easy to avoid those issues.
How to Use Hair Gel
For a shinier look, apply hair gel do damp hair or for a more matte finish, use it on dry.
Start with a dime to nickel amount of gel. Rub it in between the hands and then thorough hair, making sure the gel is well distributed. Then style into your desired style. Textured styles, spikes, or messy hair can be air-dried. A flat top, comb over, or slicked back hair can benefit from blow-drying.
Hair gel can be reactivated or restyled at any time by adding water to hair so you can refresh hair in the afternoon or take another try to get the look just right.
Compared to waxes, pomades, and other hair products, you will use more gel. However, it’s much cheaper.
Best Hair Gel for Men
Hair gel can be a unisex product so there’s no need to stick exclusively with men’s brands. That being said, here are a few that we like.
- American Crew Firm Hold Styling Gel helps hair appear thicker and won’t dry out hair.
- Free & Clear Hair Styling Gel is alcohol-free, sulfate-free, phosphate-free and gluten-free for sensitive scalps or the fragrance averse.
- Johnny B. Mode Styling Gel features 5/10 hold and 8/10 shine that is ideal for medium to thick hair. It also makes hair appear thicker.