Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Health & Body › Styling wet hair - alternatives to gel?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Styling wet hair - alternatives to gel?

post #1 of 19
9/26/07 at 1:41pm
Thread Starter 
My stylist constantly reminds me that gel is soooo 90s, nobody stylish uses gel anymore because of the artificial stiffness it has. She tells me everyone uses "wax" now, I guess a new kind of pomade type of thing. Problem is, this new wax type of thing is only supposed to be applied to dry hair. I may be a bronzed chiseled adonis but I draw the line at blow drying my hair every morning, I always leave the house with damp hair.

Any of you guys use something other than gel/mousse with damp hair?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 19
9/26/07 at 2:07pm
I glue my hair down with various types of hair glue. I do towel dry it first though because it doesn't work on totally wet hair, which is fine with me since mine takes about 2 hours to dry on its own unless it's towel dried. This way it's damp for about 15-20 minutes, during which time I get dressed and finish up stuff before leaving, sometimes get in the car, then once it's dry I break it up and make it look normal before I get where I'm going.

The thing about all these products is that if you use them, let them dry, then break your hair apart it will look reasonably natural, even gel. I can't imagine using gel or anything else then just leaving it how it dries... gross. There is no known product that I can just put in and forget and yet will do anything to control my hair, so I'm kind of stuck. YMMV though, if your hair isn't as unruly as mine.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 19
9/26/07 at 5:52pm
I'm from Delft, Netherlands, and here everyone uses gel. Wax is the olf stuff here, nobody likes it! Just take some time to find the right gel, want to speld money on it and there is no problem with gel.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 19
9/26/07 at 6:27pm
Chapstick.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 19
9/26/07 at 6:48pm
Gel? people are still using Gel! yeah, it's pretty 90's. At least the stuff I'm talking about (jello-like squishy wet smelly stuff that dries your hair hard...). That stuff I don't touch anymore.
Nowadays everyone and every salon I know uses more like pastes which range from things like Ice Spiker (dries really hard and can spike your hair) to stuff like kms hairplay (softer, more moldable), etc. I put this stuff in my hair when it's damp/towel dried and it's good. lets you mold/shape how you want, and you can even rewet your hair and remold it. also, if I just want some weight/"grease" in my hair I use something like Pomade.
some ideas (look around for where to buy)
http://www.beautydeals.net/shop/details.html?id=1102
http://www.kmscalifornia.com/
http://www.amazon.com/American-Crew-.../dp/B0002356XG
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 19
9/27/07 at 5:50pm
I blow dry my hair and use wax. It works far better than the old way. And it ends up softening and looking natural, rather than shiny and greasy. I get the hangup about blow driers, but for someone like me with short hair, it actually speeds up my morning ritual and gets better results. I say get over that line and come to the dark side .
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 19
9/27/07 at 5:56pm
I had been using redken rewind styling paste. I always use it on my hair when it is damp.

I just switched to Redken for men disrupt styling paste. It's a little stickier in your hands but it doesn't leave my hair hard or shiny.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 19
9/28/07 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
Haha okay, I give up, I will try towel drying my hair and using wax.

if that fails I may go buy a blow dryer.

thanks. :beer:
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 19
9/28/07 at 4:43pm
I'm not sure how it works on all hair types but American Crew's Texture Cream works really well for me. A lot more natural than gel and it seems to work better if my hair is at least somewhat wet as opposed to completely dry.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 19
9/28/07 at 5:15pm
Try Mastey's gel. It's lighter. My stylist also recommends Tri's Aerogel which is a cross b/w a spray and a gel. It's also light and looks natural and dry once sprayed on. It comes in a pink can, but she says her male customers think it's the best spray. I use it and agree and don't care what color the can is.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 19
10/28/07 at 11:31am
If you're just looking to keep your hair from looking dryed out, but don't want the stiffness of gel, use just a dab of conditioner after you get out of the shower.

Not too much though just enough to cover a fingertip.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 19
10/28/07 at 2:04pm
Yeah, and everyone's wearing Kenneth cole square toe shoes and skinny jeans also. Everything else is soooooooo '90s! There is nothing wrong with gel and when I use it, it doesn't make my hair "stiff" or "hard" looking. Wax, Pomade, glue, jello, and whatever else you want to use is fine if it does what you want it to do. If you want to continue to use a gel, I would try some better products such as Aveda (I use this), Bumble and Bumble, or Abba. They don't make your hair hard and stiff when the products are used properly. If I use gel; I wet my hair, towel dry, gel, done. I do pretty much the same thing with Pomade also.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 19
10/26/09 at 1:19pm
yes the KMS hair spray is simply superb
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 19
10/26/09 at 8:47pm
american crew fiber, it works like gel but is matte as opposed to shiny, good stuff
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 19
10/27/09 at 11:38am
I use a gel curl enhancer. Just a dime sized dab and warm it up between my hands then run it through, comb it through and scrunch (mess it all up). Done. It keeps my hair from being frizzy and it keeps it soft. No helmet head for me thanks.

Im pretty sure gel technology has advanced since the 90s. Don't be afraid of the gel.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Health & Body
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Health & Body › Styling wet hair - alternatives to gel?