How to Style Men's Hair: A Guide to Men's Styling Products (2024)

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
Sebastian SEB MAN The Dandy Shiny Pommade
Reuzel Green Pomade Medium Hold Grease

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
Reuzel Blue Pomade Strong Hold Water Soluble High Sheen
Redken Brews Cream Pomade Maneuver

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
American Crew Firm Hold Styling Gel
Nivea Men Craft Stylers Elastic Matt Effect Gel

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
Uppercut Deluxe Featherweight Hair Wax
Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Flexwax Strong Cream Wax

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
Redken Brews Clay Pomade
Uppercut Deluxe Clay Hair Wax

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
American Crew Fiber
Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Thrill Elastic Fiber Gum

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)
Maria Nila Styling Cream

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
Sebastian Professional Twisted Styling Foam
Syoss Volume Lift Foam 48h Extra Strong Hold

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
Zew For Men Sea Salt Spray

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
Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Session Extra Strong Hold Hairspray
Revlon Professional Pro You The Setter Hairspray Extreme Hold

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
Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Dust It Mattifying Volume Powder
Pacinos Signature Line Texture Powder

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?

How to Style Men's Hair: A Guide to Men's Styling Products (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Last Updated:

Views: 5927

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

Birthday: 1992-08-21

Address: Apt. 237 662 Haag Mills, East Verenaport, MO 57071-5493

Phone: +331850833384

Job: District Real-Estate Architect

Hobby: Skateboarding, Taxidermy, Air sports, Painting, Knife making, Letterboxing, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.