Hair Advice

Omeks

So I'm not usually one to care a whole lot about my hair, I usually wash it daily, let it air dry and half-assedly brush it into place, but lately I've been wondering if I should be giving any thought to getting a good quality haircut and doing any styling, particularly since I've let it start growing out more than I usually do.

One problem is that I don't know the first thing about styling. I tried putting some sort of putty stuff in one time and my friend's girl friend later told me it looked like I had hat hair. I also usually get my hair cut at a low-end place (Sportclips) or a barber shop. And lastly, I'm not even sure I've got the sort of hair than can look good when styled, since it's very thin and I think I've got early stages of balding (mainly thinning hair at the crown). I'm thinking about going to a somewhat higher-end place to get my hair cut tomorrow, but I was looking for some advice before-hand.

localhjay

I would say google image search "current hairstyles for men", look through some pictures, and find a style you think you'd look good with. you can bring the picture to the stylist and ask what they think. if you go to a good one they should be able to work with your hair and find a style for you. I wear my hair longer but still go in to get it thinned sometimes, and they always have suggestions of what I should do with it.

LostNinja

Local H Jay wrote: »

I would say google image search "current hairstyles for men", look through some pictures, and find a style you think you'd look good with. you can bring the picture to the stylist and ask what they think. if you go to a good one they should be able to work with your hair and find a style for you. I wear my hair longer but still go in to get it thinned sometimes, and they always have suggestions of what I should do with it.

This. Also, if you go to a higher end place, be sure to ask the stylist what product(s) you should use and how to style it the way they are cutting it. This will help you avoid further incidents like the "hat hair" one.

WonderMink

There are three haircuts I really see as being fashionable these days for men. The messy spike. The faux hawk.Think 10th Dr who for these two. And the side comb. 11th Dr who.

The doctor is one fashionable mo'.

Or buy a few GQ mags and find something you like.

Avoid gel. Get pomade or hair wax instead.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Shampooing every day is unneccesary unless you work in a very dirty job. And when you shampoo, condition.

Go to a nice fancy hairdresser near you, have them give you the full treatment.

The place I go I get a wash and condition and a scalp massage, and then a cut, style and blow dry from very knowledgeable young ladies. They showed me the right products to use in my hair, and gave me styling advice and showed me that there is more to hairbrushes than the $1 special you get from the supermarket.

It's expensive, but it's absolutely worth it. My hair is much healthier and more manageable than it ever has been. And it's getting really long! It's halfway between the top of my shoulders and the points of my shoulderblades in only 18 months from having a shaved head.

Omeks

Regarding shampooing, I feel like for me it is necessary to do it daily, as it seems like if I go for more than a day (particularly if I've slept and my head's been rolling around on a pillow), my hair is on the greasy side and it just looks bad. I've always just assumed it was genetics and there's not a lot I can do about it.

MrTLicious

It may be genetics, but it may not. Your head will produce more oil when you wash it more often, so if you wash every day, then take a break, it will get pretty oily. If you want, try going every other day for a week while you're on vacation or something. By the end of the week, the second day should not seem so bad. If not, then maybe it's genetics. You could also try doing a 1 1/2 day thing where you wash your hair at night sometimes and see if that helps you transition.

WonderMink

Some more tips while I have time. I find sports clips gives a serviceable haircut, but they won't be able to give you style advice. Find a nice salon and they will be able to help you.

When you style make sure your hair is neither wet nor dry but damp.

Pomade gives more of a wet look that is good for a dressy style and a more formal looking haircut like the side comb.

Hair wax is good for volume and a bit of lift, works with a messy spike or a faux hawk. It is popular.to give your hair more lift than it used to be. Avoid very flat hair

I don't mess with anything stronger than hair wax. Not trying to look punk rock here.

You don't really need expensive products. I have 6 dollar axe hair wax and pomade and they work fine.

Creagan

Omeks wrote: »

Regarding shampooing, I feel like for me it is necessary to do it daily, as it seems like if I go for more than a day (particularly if I've slept and my head's been rolling around on a pillow), my hair is on the greasy side and it just looks bad. I've always just assumed it was genetics and there's not a lot I can do about it.

This is because you shampoo every day. Your head feels dried out and has kicked sebum (head-grease) production into overdrive. After about a week of shampooing every other day, this should stop. And in the meantime, get a boar bristle brush and brush. Those things distribute oil evenly across your hair, so it won't look as greasy. (It works wonders for me, although I do have waist-length hair.)

Also, if you're going to style your hair with a comb try for one without seams between the tines. You'll be less likely to damage your hair, or speed up the thinning process.

cookiekrush

Creagan wrote: »

This is because you shampoo every day. Your head feels dried out and has kicked sebum (head-grease) production into overdrive. After about a week of shampooing every other day, this should stop.

Cannot stress this enough. You don't need to wash your hair every day. If you do, it would be best to alternate a clarifying shampoo to help reduce build up. Also using the same product every day/week can create build up which causes additional oils.

In terms of using putty, wax, gel, spray, less is more. I'm assuming you used a lot in order to get hat hair. You only really need to use very little. Depending on the length, you need a pea size, or even a dime size of the product and it'd be enough.

I don't believe you need to go to a high end salon. Your barber, or hair dresser who you normally go to, should know what type of hair you have and what kinds of products would be best. Just because it's pricey product, does not mean it will work. Different products work for different people. Since you're thinning, maybe a thickening hair cream will work for you. It does wonders for my friend's thin hair.

Creagan

You may also find you need to experiment with types of hair products. Different products work better on different types of hair. (For example, my hair responds very well if I use an argon-oil serum and keep my hair braided for 24 hours after washing. That routine does NOT work on my mom's super-thin, fine, wavy hair at all. It looks greasy, frizzy, and gross.)

Try different things, different weeks. See what works best for your hair.

LaPuzza

When you go to the salon, you should make sure to say, up front, that you want the end result to be something you can do in you own, fairly easily, every day.

A stylist may get fancy and overdo it with to much product/fuss unless you are asking for something otherwise.

Omeks

Well, I'm going to start washing every other day starting tomorrow (as in I'm skipping the wash in the morning). It's just going to be hard since that's always been my morning routine. Is it likely that changing this up will help thicken or reduce the thinness of my hair?

UncleChet

I have to say, you fine folks have inspired me to rise above my standard $3 student haircut. I've an appointment with one of the top area stylists and actually have an idea of where I'd like to go with a new style.

MrTLicious

Sadly the thin hair thing is just genetics.