2019-08-01_Men_s_Health_South_Africa

58 MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019

GROOMING

COURTESY HBO

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PASTES, POMADES, WAXES, AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF

YOU PUT IN YOUR HAIR. / BY MAX BERLINGER AND AZEEZ JACOBS

Caring for your hair is

simple enough. All you need is shampoo and

conditioner, and – bam! Styling you r ha i r,

however, is an entirely different matter. From

gluey pastes to stiff ’n’ slick waxes to velvety

creams (not to mention hairsprays and gels,

which are undergoing a bit of a renaissance),

there’s an overwhelming array of mane-

related paraphernalia out there – enough to

make you go numb in the grooming aisle of

your local Dis-Chem.

All this, while we’re living through a

Golden Age of Men’s Hairstyles™: an era in

which beachy waves and undone mops stand

alongside foolproof coifs like the undercut

• a development you can probably at least

partly blame on Game of Thrones actor Kit

Harrington and his ridiculously tousled

locks. This newfound embrace of varying

styles requires varying types of products to

corral them.

“Most guys have bad hair,” says celebrity

stylist Christine Nelli, who handles the

mops of men such as Justin Timberlake,

the Weeknd, and Lakeith Stanfield. When

it comes to product, “either they don’t do

To Each (Hairstyle)

His Own (Hair Product)

anything, or they do too much. So many men

go hardcore with gel. Or they think they don’t

have time”, and bypass product altogether.

The result? That 1980s wet look (too much

product) or unkempt fuzzy hair (none at all).

Hair is a gift; so what you put in it should

work with, not against, what you’ve been

given. “Embrace the texture of your hair,”

says hairstylist Mike Sposito. If you have

curly hair, don’t try to slick it into a smooth

and shiny pompadour. If you have fine hair,

don’t weigh it down with heavy product.

While the longer, more natural look is

becoming more popular, that doesn’t mean

you should stop using product. “It’s longer

hair with a purpose,” says celeb hairstylist

Rodney Cutler. “It’s not just dishevelled bed

head. There’s still a grooming element to it,

a f i n i sh .”

So what should you finish it with?

“Think about what you want as your

desired result,” Cutler says. “It’s about

distributing the product evenly through your

hair.” There’s no one-fit solution – the key

is figuring out what complements your hair

type and your particular hairstyle.

The New

Standards

YOU WANT:

YOU WANT:

WA X

POMADE

“I look at a wax as a shiny, polished

product,” says Cutler. “Like beeswax,

it’s very greasy and has thick viscosity

with a lot of hold.” Nelli agrees: “It’s for

someone looking for a sleeker look or a

wet look.” Wax isn’t for the faint of heart

but for a guy who wants to make a big,

bold statement.

USE IT FOR: Visual punch and an incredibly

strong hold

THE LOOK: High shine (as in see-your-

reflection shiny), strong hold (as in your

hand will get trapped if you try to run it

through your hair)

“Pomade has more of a matte finish,”

says Cutler. “It’s more clay-based, and

will give you a drier, lived-in texture.”

USE IT FOR: Short to medium styles with a

“done” look (think crispy as opposed to

natural)

THE LOOK: Low to high shine (though our

experts suggest going with matte and

avoiding the Danny Zuko look of high-

shine products), high hold

YOU’VE GOT:

LONGER,

WAVY HAIR

YOU’VE GOT:

DENSE, COARSE

HAIR THAT NEEDS

TO BE TAMED

Gatsby British Wave

Wax 75g R80

clicks.co.za

GO WITH:

GO WITH:

Authentic Beauty

Concepts Solid

Pomade R410

garyrom.co.za