Help Me With My Limp... Hair
April 22, 2007 1:07 PM Subscribe
Vanityfilter: why do I sometimes have these "bad hair days", and how can I prevent them in the future? Pictures and gory details after the break.
I use Bumble and Bumble Sumotech [reccomended by the good folks at AskMe] in my (short, male) hair for sort of a semi-fauxhawk look. It works great if I put it on recently washed, bone-dry hair; the hold is pretty good for about 8 hours or so, it's not greasy looking or chunky looking, and it's easy to work with. This is a decent picture of a "good" day, minus the ironic side-part.
But, if I try to apply the product, say, 4 or 5 hours after I've washed my hair, it goes limp and greasy looking, and doesn't do anything (you can kind of see it in this picture). This also happens if I try to add a little more product later in the day to "refresh" my 'do.
Is there anything I can do about this? I have pretty oily hair, and that seems to be the root of the problem (no pun intended, honest). Is there some sort of spray or other product I should be using with the Sumotech to minimize this problem? Any other hair tips are welcomed."
I use Bumble and Bumble Sumotech [reccomended by the good folks at AskMe] in my (short, male) hair for sort of a semi-fauxhawk look. It works great if I put it on recently washed, bone-dry hair; the hold is pretty good for about 8 hours or so, it's not greasy looking or chunky looking, and it's easy to work with. This is a decent picture of a "good" day, minus the ironic side-part.
But, if I try to apply the product, say, 4 or 5 hours after I've washed my hair, it goes limp and greasy looking, and doesn't do anything (you can kind of see it in this picture). This also happens if I try to add a little more product later in the day to "refresh" my 'do.
Is there anything I can do about this? I have pretty oily hair, and that seems to be the root of the problem (no pun intended, honest). Is there some sort of spray or other product I should be using with the Sumotech to minimize this problem? Any other hair tips are welcomed."
I am prone to limp greasy hair as the day progresses too and one thing that always helps me maintain hold, doesn't weigh my hair down, and seems to "soak up" some of the oily limpness (I don't think it actually soaks up anything, but I'm not sure how else to explain the de-oilifying effect it has) is Rusk's W8less hairspray. (It also doesn't make my hair look crunchy/wet which is important to me.)
Oh, and I use it with or without other product to good effect. (Other product may include waxes, glossing creams, gels for curly/wavy hair, etc.)
posted by birdie birdington at 1:33 PM on April 22, 2007
Oh, and I use it with or without other product to good effect. (Other product may include waxes, glossing creams, gels for curly/wavy hair, etc.)
posted by birdie birdington at 1:33 PM on April 22, 2007
What exactly is that Sumotech stuff? If it's wax or anything like that, it's probably too heavy for your hair type. You should use something lighter- a hairspray, or a texturing cream. I have oily hair, and when my hair was about that length, I used the Garnier Fructis Surf Hair, which is a texturing cream that dries with a hold sort of like a hairspray.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:00 PM on April 22, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:00 PM on April 22, 2007 [1 favorite]
When it works, has it been applied right after a shower? If yes, I'm going to throw out a guess that it's not being applied as evenly -- and so as thinly -- when you use it some hours later.
But, yeah -- possibly too heavy, and I don't see anything wrong with your version of a bad hair day. Though the "good" is not without its Tintinesque charms.
posted by kmennie at 2:13 PM on April 22, 2007
But, yeah -- possibly too heavy, and I don't see anything wrong with your version of a bad hair day. Though the "good" is not without its Tintinesque charms.
posted by kmennie at 2:13 PM on April 22, 2007
Yeah...both the "good" and "bad" hair days look pretty good to me. But the "good" one does look better put-together and more "deliberate" than the "bad" one, which is I think what you're wanting out of this, no? You want to look polished—the middle ground between slicked/overdone and frumpy/bedheaded.
What I think you need is a light but firm-hold non-aerosol hairspray like Pantene's maximum hold volumizing hairspray. I have hair about the same color as yours that's very thin—as in, the individual strands of hair are about a third the width of anyone else's I know. My hair flies away too easily not to put products in it, but also gets weighed down and "darkened" by products very easily as well—and all I want is for it to stay in place and generally look "put together." The Pantene stuff is one of the few hairsprays I've found that both has a strong hold and doesn't make my hair look wet all the time—and you can do touch-ups later in the day with it without weighing it down.
posted by limeonaire at 2:48 PM on April 22, 2007
What I think you need is a light but firm-hold non-aerosol hairspray like Pantene's maximum hold volumizing hairspray. I have hair about the same color as yours that's very thin—as in, the individual strands of hair are about a third the width of anyone else's I know. My hair flies away too easily not to put products in it, but also gets weighed down and "darkened" by products very easily as well—and all I want is for it to stay in place and generally look "put together." The Pantene stuff is one of the few hairsprays I've found that both has a strong hold and doesn't make my hair look wet all the time—and you can do touch-ups later in the day with it without weighing it down.
posted by limeonaire at 2:48 PM on April 22, 2007
why do I sometimes have these "bad hair days", and how can I prevent them in the future?
...
It works great if I put it on recently washed, bone-dry hair; the hold is pretty good for about 8 hours or so, it's not greasy looking or chunky looking, and it's easy to work with.
I'd have to say, always apply it on recently washed, bone-dry hair. :) I myself have to stick to routine with my hair if I want to expect consistent results.
posted by iguanapolitico at 2:49 PM on April 22, 2007
...
It works great if I put it on recently washed, bone-dry hair; the hold is pretty good for about 8 hours or so, it's not greasy looking or chunky looking, and it's easy to work with.
I'd have to say, always apply it on recently washed, bone-dry hair. :) I myself have to stick to routine with my hair if I want to expect consistent results.
posted by iguanapolitico at 2:49 PM on April 22, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks for everything so far. Some brief followup:
-- Scody and others who like the "limp" look - I agree; there's nothing really wrong with it, especially in that picture. I should have found a really bad shot, though; it looks sort of like Clay Aiken with a terrible Caesar cut, if you can imagine..
-- TPS, Sumotech is a light wax; it seems to work well in my hair without being too heavy. My cupboards are filled with lighter pomades, waxes, gels, etc. that don't have any hold and don't do what I want. I happen to have very thick hair, so this could have something to do with it?
Thanks for the tips on sprays; I sort of figured that's what I was going to have to use. Keep the tips coming!
posted by rossination at 3:15 PM on April 22, 2007
-- Scody and others who like the "limp" look - I agree; there's nothing really wrong with it, especially in that picture. I should have found a really bad shot, though; it looks sort of like Clay Aiken with a terrible Caesar cut, if you can imagine..
-- TPS, Sumotech is a light wax; it seems to work well in my hair without being too heavy. My cupboards are filled with lighter pomades, waxes, gels, etc. that don't have any hold and don't do what I want. I happen to have very thick hair, so this could have something to do with it?
Thanks for the tips on sprays; I sort of figured that's what I was going to have to use. Keep the tips coming!
posted by rossination at 3:15 PM on April 22, 2007
I use Sumotech as well and we my hair is only a bit longer than yours. Do you apply the product when you hair is totally dry? I find that experimenting with how damp my hair is produces totally different results. If you hair is a bit wet, your hair looks a little bit more like it has product in it, but the hold seems to last longer.
I have not at all oily and very thick hair so who knows if my experiences will translate to you? But I would experiment with application of the product at different stages of wetness.
And, how do you apply it? I would take a modest amount (you can always add more) and rub it on your hands (almost like it's lotion) before you apply. You may already do this, but I find it helps distribute the product more evenly.
And, finally, Sumotech FTW.
posted by sneakin at 4:14 PM on April 22, 2007
I have not at all oily and very thick hair so who knows if my experiences will translate to you? But I would experiment with application of the product at different stages of wetness.
And, how do you apply it? I would take a modest amount (you can always add more) and rub it on your hands (almost like it's lotion) before you apply. You may already do this, but I find it helps distribute the product more evenly.
And, finally, Sumotech FTW.
posted by sneakin at 4:14 PM on April 22, 2007
Without ever having used the product you are using and thus without firsthand knowledge of its particular texture, etc. here are some thoughts. My stylist tells me to put a dab on my fingertips, flip head upside-down, pull product evenly from root to tip, comb through to spread evenly and very quickly blowdry to set. To re-up it later in the day but keep heaviness to a minimum, rather than applying more product, moisten fingertips slightly and repeat the above.
Bed Head Hook-Up Mousse Wax, the product I suggested here is great. It's great because the mousse-iness gives softness and volume without a greasy feel, but the wax-iness (light) allows for a bit of spiky texture at the tips.
I used to get that greasy, flat thing by the end of the workday - with this technique I can get a few extra hours or even an extra morning in a pinch.
posted by bunnycup at 5:42 PM on April 22, 2007
Bed Head Hook-Up Mousse Wax, the product I suggested here is great. It's great because the mousse-iness gives softness and volume without a greasy feel, but the wax-iness (light) allows for a bit of spiky texture at the tips.
I used to get that greasy, flat thing by the end of the workday - with this technique I can get a few extra hours or even an extra morning in a pinch.
posted by bunnycup at 5:42 PM on April 22, 2007
When I had short hair like yours, I had a similar problem. I don't think my style was as gravity defying as yours, though (I'm a girl). If you want to restyle later in the day, you could use a light hairspray/gel, or you could re-wet your hair and use a product (but it may not be Sumotech, as sneakin says you have to experiment with different products at different moistures). I like Frederic Fekkai's pomade . IANAHS (I am not a hair stylist).
posted by bluefly at 5:51 PM on April 22, 2007
posted by bluefly at 5:51 PM on April 22, 2007
You look like you have very fine hair. I'm not familiar with your hair product - is it more "clay-ey" or "fibre-putty" or "gel-like?"
Clays, over the coarse of a day can get warm and leave you droopy. Very light fibre putties can break down, especially if you run your fingers through your hair. Gels... it depends.
When applying to wet hair, your hair shaft has a bigger diameter as it's hydrated so the hair product might form a thicker shell and stay stiff longer whereas when you add product to dry hairs, the hair might not be "full" as right after you take a shower. Does it make a different if you blow dry your hair or not before adding product (even blow drying your hair might leave it more hydrated than if you let it air dry for 4 or 5 hoours)?
One thing you might try is to use a "volumizing" shampoo/conditioner. It should add a little wax to your hair shafts which could give them a little more backbone.
posted by porpoise at 8:26 PM on April 22, 2007
Clays, over the coarse of a day can get warm and leave you droopy. Very light fibre putties can break down, especially if you run your fingers through your hair. Gels... it depends.
When applying to wet hair, your hair shaft has a bigger diameter as it's hydrated so the hair product might form a thicker shell and stay stiff longer whereas when you add product to dry hairs, the hair might not be "full" as right after you take a shower. Does it make a different if you blow dry your hair or not before adding product (even blow drying your hair might leave it more hydrated than if you let it air dry for 4 or 5 hoours)?
One thing you might try is to use a "volumizing" shampoo/conditioner. It should add a little wax to your hair shafts which could give them a little more backbone.
posted by porpoise at 8:26 PM on April 22, 2007
I've been sporting a faux hawk for years and the Tigi Bed Head Stick has never failed me.
posted by 10ch at 5:09 AM on April 23, 2007
posted by 10ch at 5:09 AM on April 23, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
Flickr.
Sorry!
posted by rossination at 1:21 PM on April 22, 2007