Hair care scare, quarrelsome curl question!

September 25, 2010 10:31 PM

Hair-care newb wonders about longer styles for mature men with wild curls - what product to get, how to use it, and should I even?

I'd really like to work with a vintage, distinguished gentlemen vibe, like Sammo Hung in "Fatal Move" - something that isn't glued down, and looks good for an aging slam-poet and computer nerd who knows he's now "old school."

I have truly unruly hair, Weird Al unruly, it mocks gels and mousse, and my response since I chopped off the pom-pom ponytail in the '90s has been to mow it marine-cadet short and combine it with a gunslinger 'stache and goatee. This, combined with my size, has the unfortunate effect of making me look like a refugee from Texas Justice, and my co-workers often wonder when Walker is going to come in and spin-kick me into custody after an epic season-ender brawl.

What products do I get, and how do I use them? Should I try this, or just go to Supercuts and tell 'em to break out the buzz-saw again?

posted by Slap*Happy to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

you have my sympathy! At some point I moved from "me" to "my uncles" in terms of location, thickness, and agility of the hair. If it were up to me, I would shave my head and go all Kojak with it, but the wife still claims that the curls in the back, when it gets a bit longer, is a significant factor in the quality of my sex life! (yeah, I know, TMI)... So, despite the inclination to make life easy, i continue to search for the perfect cut that is short of a brutal shave.

All that said... trust that your perception of the "look" (whatever it is that you choose), is probably more critical than anyone else's.

Be yourself, it's the most complementary hairstyle you could adopt.

And, this post is useless without photos!
posted by HuronBob at 10:41 PM on September 25, 2010

Sumotech is magic for not-short-but-not-long unruly hair. Yes it's overpriced, but try it once anyway; sometimes you get what you pay for.
posted by stuph at 11:25 PM on September 25, 2010

One thing to note with Sammo Hung's hair is that that is a perm. I am an asian female and my mom got my hair permed when I was a kid. That shit is not natural for the east asian set. Or any asian set.
posted by spec80 at 3:54 AM on September 26, 2010

OP, there are lots of threads on AskMefi detailing how to tame curly hair -- it's usually women, but they aren't doing anything specifically girly. There are a lot of people here supporting the Curly Girl method of using less harsh shampoos (or no shampoo) which you can find out more about on the Naturally Curly forums. One thing to note is that some hair regimens don't work instantly. It can take a few weeks for your hair to get used to it.

Helpful AskMe Threads (you should also search for "curly hair" there's more good stuff):
Curls, Curls, Curls
Poofy Hair
Good male hair styling product for medium-longish, thick, dry, frizzy hair

Also, I'm Indian, and I have very (naturally) curly hair. I have known lots of other Asians with curly hair -- Malaysians, Indonesians, Nepalese. Still, I agree Sammo looks like he has a perm.
posted by bluefly at 6:36 AM on September 26, 2010

In my city, there's a salon that specializes in cutting and styling curly hair. I found out about it because the owner was profiled in the newspaper.

Here's what I suggest -- when you see curly hair that you like, ask the person about where they get their hair done and what products they use.

Women may be easier and more fun to approach on this.
posted by vitabellosi at 7:11 AM on September 26, 2010

My mistake, bluefly. I just have a strong reaction to remembering my perm which was not unlike the scene in V for Vendetta when Portman got her head shaved.
posted by spec80 at 7:11 AM on September 26, 2010

I think step one is not finding the right hair products, but finding someone who can give you a good haircut, including as it grows out. Also, keeping it conditioned: my kids have some pretty crazy, beautiful curls, and the most important thing for them is to get regular haircuts (no matter the length) and keep it conditioned.

Just know it's going to take a lot more work on a regular basis. The wild and carefree look is often carefully cultivated.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:46 AM on September 26, 2010