You’d think there wouldn’t be much to applying hair product. Just rub in hands and put in hair.
Right?
Well, no. You can apply product incorrectly, leaving you with visible, undistributed globs, uneven styling, or flat-looking hair.
Over the years, I’ve picked up tips from my barbers on how to get the most out of my hair product and apply it effectively. It comes down to a few simple tweaks to its application. Three have been particular game-changers for me:
First, apply product to slightly damp hair. For a long time, I’d just plop product in my hair immediately after my shower with my hair sopping wet. That just dilutes the product, giving you less hold and uneven application. Now, I give my hair a thorough towel-drying first.
Second, apply the product from back to front. Before, I’d apply it from front to back. I reckon a lot of dudes do. The problem with that approach is that you end up putting most of the product in the front of your hair, which can cause clumping in the part of your hair that’s most noticeable to others. Starting from the back and working your way to the front avoids that.`
Finally, don’t use too much. A little goes a long way with hair product! Too much and you risk clumping and uneven styling.
Follow these tips and those in the illustrated guide above, and you’ll be a regular ol’ Dapper Dan.
Illustration by Ted Slampyak
