What hair product will allow me to do this?

Hi all,

This is my first post on Style Forum; this looks like an excellent community.
I am looking to slick my hair back similarly to the way Frank Sinatra and Al Pacino did.

Here are some picture links for reference:
Frank: http://www.jonhs.com/mugshots/sinatra.jpg

Al: http://www.funfry.com/images/al%20pa...fry_resize.jpg

My hair probably needs to be a bit longer to wear this style well. Right now, my hair is about down to my eyebrows, but it can get much longer.

My hair has a problem being slicked straight back. It insists on parting in the middle so one side of my hair goes to the left and the other to the right instead of going straight back. I'm guessing that over time my hair will just assume the correct position.

Now to the core of this post. I have been using hair gel to accomplish my slick back. The problem with this is that it makes my hair ridiculously hard because its gel and because i have to use a lot to keep my hair in position. I have tried using Groom and Clean to keep my hair in place, and it works very well because it keeps it in place without hardening my hair, but it fails very quickly.

My question is this: is there any hair product that will be able to hold my hair the way I want to for the whole day, without hardening the crap out of my hair?

It doesn't have to be gel, but whatever would work.

Thanks everyone,

TheDude

Try pomade. American Crew makes one that I like alot.

Pomade could work although I think wax may be more consistent.

Wow. Thanks for the quick responses!

Alright so Pomade or wax.

Would wax literally make my hair waxy? That wouldn't be too great if it did.

Originally Posted by TheDude

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Wow. Thanks for the quick responses!

Alright so Pomade or wax.

Would wax literally make my hair waxy? That wouldn't be too great if it did.

Yes and no. Pomade and wax can make your hair look slicker but it depends on how it is applied as well as the brand. Wax applied to dry hair looks drier but if you glob it on it will look slick...

I had that slicked back look for about 2 weeks, many years ago with the help of my hair stylist. Apparently the "slicked back and flowing" hairstyle is a hollywood myth. The amount of product required to attain that look will make your hair very, very waxy or very, very stiff. It literally becomes a helmet and it's really not that fun at all.

Much like long, model-esque hairstyles on men, it's one of those things that looks best on film. When viewed or practiced in real life, it comes off poorly. Your head is gonna weigh a lot, if you hookup with a girl she'll be repulsed by touching it, and you'll be shampooing that **** out for days.

you can actually find combination clay pomade products that will give you the benefits of both

baxter of california has a new clay pomade hair styling product that would likely work as well

thanks for the beware Vanity.

I'll still try it just to see if its any better than rocking the hair gel

Originally Posted by TheDude

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thanks for the beware Vanity. I'll still try it just to see if its any better than rocking the hair gel
If you can find a casual, product-light style for "everyday" use and reserve the slick-backed look for work or formal things, that'd be killer. It would look really sharp.

true that

i don;t think wax will work.. pomade would be better.. I think?

If you have trouble styling your hair I recommend using a volumizing mousse or strong hold mousse for application to damp hair to set the style.
As for all styling its important to work the product into the hair before combing or fingerstyling it how you desire. You can either let it air dry or use the low heat on a blow dryer. Mousse is what you are looking for believe me, once your hair has dried it is almost invisible to the eye and it offers excellent hold and flexibility. If you want to try it with over the counter products first try herbal essence. Move on to Wella High Hair if you want to invest more money.

To finish it, depending on whether or not your hair is generally a little dryer try a wax or pomade but use it wisely or it will look to greasy! Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

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Try pomade. American Crew makes one that I like alot.
I agree- it's definitely one of the cleaner pomades around and it washes out easily, smells great too.

here's a photo of me with 'somewhat' of the hairstyle you're trying to achieve (sorry of it's not too clear, it's the best photo i could find)



at first, i encountered similar problems...in order to keep the shape and the hold of the hair, i found that gel was the best product but it often made my hair waaay too stiff and gross (gave off too much of a shiny look)...so recently i've switched to a hair paste (much like pomade) that works just as well as gel except it doesn't stiffen the hair like gel or give off too much of the sheen look, rather it gives off a more natural look (like i just combed it into that position)...however you do need to use a lot of product...what you might want to try is using some styling mousse to give your hair the style you would like (basically the shape)...then use the paste for the hold...and i usually finish off with hair spray...it's a lot of work...usually takes me 10 mins to get it the way i like it...

the products i use are from redken (http://www.redken.com/products/displayBrand.cfm?b=270) check it out

jonnydrama,

is this the paste you're talking about

http://www.redken.com/products/displayProduct.cfm?p=552

I'll probably try that as well, since what you had in that picture you posted is essentially what i'm looking for.