Poofy hair
May 11, 2010 9:28 AM   Subscribe

Any way to tame my poofy hair?

I have thick, curly hair that tends to grow up and out as it gets longer, giving me something that is best described as an afro a few weeks after I get a haircut. I don't want an afro; I'd like my hair to be down the way it is when my hair is wet. What hair products for men could possibly help me with this?
posted by fizzzzzzzzzzzy to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (23 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Some ladies with curly hair (I know you are a man) will wash their hair pretty infrequently and only rinse with conditioner between washes. Then, they hand curl their hair is small sections (about a square inch). I don't know how long your hair is, but, combined with a smoothing cream of sorts, you'll at least get nonfrizzy curls. And, stay away from brushes and use ONLY combs. If you really want the "wet hair look" you'll have to go to gels, but that gets gross.
posted by Lizsterr at 9:40 AM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]


PS- You don't necessarily HAVE to use a "male hair product", but there are a lot of male specific hair products available now. Just go to a salon (or better yet- ask your stylist for a suggestion.) If you go to a barber shop, consider checking out a higher end salon for better advice and perhaps a better cut for your hair type.
posted by Lizsterr at 9:43 AM on May 11, 2010


My bf, who has a jewfro without appropriate product, has tried many fancy, expensive hair concoctions. But ultimately, he swears by old-fashioned Brylcreem. It's lightweight, very little smell, and doesn't make your hair crunchy.
posted by kimdog at 9:43 AM on May 11, 2010


I came here to recommend the Aveda product Hang Straight, but it's been recently discontinued. It's still available on the Aveda website, though. As you're a guy, a tube of it could last you a super long time, however. They have a replacement product, Smooth Infusion, but the reviews are not as good as for Hang Straight.

Though these aren't strictly men's products, I tend to find Aveda scents pretty unisex.

Good luck!
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 9:45 AM on May 11, 2010


I wouldn't make too much of a distinction between hair products for men vs. hair products for women -- they all pretty much serve the same function, and the differences are mostly in terms of packaging and/or fragrance (just give it a good sniff before you buy it to make sure that it doesn't smell off-putting to you).

I would say to try either a gel or a styling cream on your hair. Gel will definitely help hold it down and tame it, although you need to be careful because if you use too much of it, your hair will get a permanently wet, shellacked look and it will feel hard and crunchy to the touch. If you use hair gel, it usually works best to gently scrunch it a bit after your hair dries, to break up the crunchiness somewhat. Styling creams tend to be lighter in hold than gels, and therefore it won't look as terrible if you accidentally overdose on it. They will reduce the frizziness of your hair, but you might not get as much of a weighed-down effect as you are hoping for.

There are a couple different schools of thought re: hair products for curly hair. One school of thought says to avoid products containing silicones because they will dry out hair over time, making it less-manageable, and because they tend to gunk up your hair, dulling it unless you wash it frequently (also bad for your hair's overall health). Proponents of this hair-care theory tend to use hair gels -- I have heard excellent things about the Deva Curl line, especially the AnGEL hair gel.

I tend to personally ignore the whole silicone thing and buy whatever I feel like buying and can afford. I have somewhat fine, curly hair, so the products that work best for me might not work best for you.

That said, I might try Rusk Wired styling cream -- it gets rid of frizziness pretty well, without leaving crunchiness or making hair feel dirty or greasy to the touch. It has a pretty strong hold, so it would work well on thicker hair. The one thing about it is that it has a rather strong scent; I find the smell pleasant and gender-neutral (kind of citrus-y, or maybe piney). The Aveda Be Curly line might also work well for you.

I personally use products with a fairly light hold, because of the fine-ness of my hair. Currently, I'm totally broke, but I've found a couple of less-expensive products that work pretty well. Herbal Essences has a curly-hair gel (Totally Twisted Curl Scrunch Gel) and a lighter-hold styling cream (Tousle me Gently, I think it's called) that both work pretty well, depending on what you're going for. I also like the Tresemme Flawless Curls "curl hydration lotion" (basically a light-to-medium hold styling cream).
posted by kataclysm at 9:55 AM on May 11, 2010 [2 favorites]


You might find good advice over at Naturally Curly.

I like Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner to avoid the wiry, crunchy hair you talk about. My hair isn't very curly, though (but it was when I was a kid).
posted by tantivy at 10:03 AM on May 11, 2010


Wet hair, apply gel. Scrunch hair with your hands. The cheap-o brand at the drug store will probably work fine - use one of the higher "levels" for better hold, and use the lower "levels" for less crunchiness. It will make your hair a little crunchy, but it will look like it does when it is wet. Also, once you have added product, do not brush it or manipulate it too much.
posted by fermezporte at 10:11 AM on May 11, 2010


The no-silicone no-shampoo method that many curly-haired people swear by is summarized very well here. Don't be thrown by the name "Curly Girl" - you can easily find unisex products that fit the bill.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:12 AM on May 11, 2010 [3 favorites]


I have curly, frizzy hair and I've found that what helps the frizz is not so much what products I use, but how often I wash it. Curly hair tends to be very dry, and overwashing strips the natural oils from your hair that would weigh it down and give it shine. Since I started only washing my hair every few days or so, the texture has improved a great deal. I like the Herbal Essences products; unfortunately they are way too girly-smelling for a man. I also like the Frizz-Ease product line, and I don't think that has a gender-specific scent. I especially like the Secret Weapon finishing creme. You put it on your hair when it's dry and is great for bad hair days.
posted by cottonswab at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2010


Lots of great suggestions, but start simple. If you've never tried any hair products before, try plain old hair gel like fermezporte suggests. Put a dollop in your hand, the size of a quarter or so. Rub your hands together, then run them through your wet hair.

Also try using conditioner after shampooing if you aren't already doing so. The Suave conditioners are good, and cheap.
posted by cabingirl at 10:40 AM on May 11, 2010


Seconding cottonswab. I'd go further and suggest washing only once every couple of weeks. Nature didn't design our hair to deal with daily detergent use.
posted by whiskeyspider at 10:41 AM on May 11, 2010


I've had good luck combining a heavier shampoo, like sebastian's drench with a straightener. My current straightener of choice is bumble and bumble's straight, but bedhed and sebastian's also work fine.

Drench builds up over time, so give it a couple weeks. About once a month I use something else to take the build up off.
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:43 AM on May 11, 2010


Nthing to stop washing it with shampoo every day -- just wet it and massage, occasionally using conditioner. I use shampoo about once a week.

I use both a silicone glosser and a bit of Murray's Super Light Pomade to do exactly what you want to do with your hair. I find hair care products for African-American hair to be invaluable -- the stuff for Caucasian curly hair is four times as expensive and not as good.
posted by desuetude at 10:50 AM on May 11, 2010


Seconding Curly Girl. I'm a guy and don't have very curly hair. My father and sister have very curly hair. I don't put anything in my hair at all and haven't for about a year now, they both wash with conditioner occasionally. I take every chance I get to plug this and point out how thoroughly we've all been scammed by cosmetics companies.
posted by cmoj at 10:53 AM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]


Your hair may not be meant to hang. Some hair grows out, some hair grows down.
posted by mokeydraws at 10:55 AM on May 11, 2010


I have your hair. Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom is the only product you need.

Re: hanging hair. Give up that fantasy unless you want to make drastic changes to your hair. You can tame it, but here's no getting around the fact that your hair grows like a mane.
posted by mkultra at 11:22 AM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]


You'll probably have the most success getting the look you want by using a flat iron like the Chi along with a heat-protecting product like Redken Smooth Down*. It's best done right after you wash and condition your hair, but you can touch up between hair washings too.

There are probably a bajillion Youtube videos on how to flat iron your hair, but if you've never done it before, I recommend you go to a stylist the first few times because those things get fiercely hot and you can seriously burn yourself if you don't know what you're doing.

I also agree that you should try to decrease the frequency of your hair washings, if possible, to allow your hair's natural oils to do their thing.

(*This brand contains dimethicone -- anything with 'cone' in it is usually bad for your hair if you use it frequently -- but it works really well. Coconut oil is a great natural substitute if you don't mind the smell and jojoba oil, which is odorless, works quite well too.)
posted by LuckySeven~ at 12:08 PM on May 11, 2010


nthing naturallycurly.com and the curlygirl method. Don't worry, there's a whole subforum for curlyguys! It's basically the idea, as others have suggested, that -cones work well in the short-term but gunk-up/dryout in the long-term and require shampoos with sodium laurel sulfate to de-gunk, which is even worse for your hair. I've been on the CG system for a year and I LOVE it. My hair has never been in better shape. You don't have to use expensive products-- I use Suave Naturals (aloe vera scent, very unisex) that I buy for like $2 as my "shampoo."

Here's my basic system: use light conditioner to scrub your scalp and wash your hair, use a heavier -cone free conditioner (I like Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose) to condition, leave some of the heavier stuff in, while still sopping wet and without completely washing out your heavier conditioner, add -cone free gel styling products (I like Kinky Curly Kustard, which allows it to be "slippery" and "hang" and Herbal Essences Set Me Up), then gently blot with a TSHIRT NOT A TOWEL to avoid creating frizz. It take all of a about 5 minutes or less, doesn't make your hair feel too product-y AT ALL.

But everyone's hair is different... different levels of dryness, porosity, curl pattern, etc. So you could check out naturallycurly.com and let those crazy curl experts help you figure out good products for you.
posted by lalalana at 12:32 PM on May 11, 2010 [1 favorite]


Shea butter. It nourishes and tames.
posted by watercarrier at 12:39 PM on May 11, 2010


I am a girl, but have very curly/frizzy hair. I love Moroccan oil, it is nice and smoothing but doesn't give that greasy unwashed look.
posted by YessieLynn at 1:11 PM on May 11, 2010


sister nunchaku, I came here to make the same recommendation, and I'm glad I saw your news about Aveda Hang Straight being discontinued. I found a place online with a few bottles left and bought enough to last me another year :-).
posted by Araucaria at 1:19 PM on May 11, 2010


Now that I've dealt with the hang straight issue, I should mention that the way you get your hair cut can be a big factor. If your hair is thick as well as curly and you tend to turn into a broccoli head when it gets more than an inch or two long, you need a razor cut. Your barber/hair-stylist can reduce the length all they want, but the key is to leave different hair lengths at the end, with a final thinning using a straight razor. That turns the bunchy curls into smooth waves which are much easier to manage.

If you find a barber you like who doesn't do razor cuts, you can touch it up yourself. Here's an inexpensive styling razor. Don't forget to buy blades, but if you're doing only touch ups, one pack should last for years :-).

Set up a hand mirror in the shower [if you heat up the glass in hot water it won't steam up], get your hair wet (and maybe leave in a conditioner) and stroke lightly over your hair at a shallow angle, as if you were shaving paper-thin curls out of butter. You don't have to take off much hair at all to get the right effect. Try a small test at first and see how it looks after a couple of days.

I get my regular cuts every 5 weeks and find that one razor touch up in the middle keeps things in good shape.
posted by Araucaria at 1:43 PM on May 11, 2010


araucaria, glad to be of unwitting service :)
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 5:54 PM on May 11, 2010


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