Today’s fast paced society doesn’t allow much time for hanging out in front of the mirror primping and preening to get your hair “just right.” Using hair gel is a great way to style your hair in a hurry while still looking pulled together and chic. Hair gel works on all different hair types including curly, straight, long, short, permed or color treated. All you need to do is choose the right hair gel for your hair.
Hair gel is basically a type of gel that is applied to wet hair to aid in the styling process and to help hair to “stick” into whatever hairstyle you want. Hair gel provides a stronger hold then hairspray, but a lighter, weaker hold than hair glue. You can get hair gel either in a bottle that you squeeze to get a dollop of gel, or in a spray bottle that you can spray directly onto your hair.
Although hair gel is most frequently used for styles that require a wet look, it also is extremely helpful when styling your hair using a blow dryer or heat and can add volume and help to define curls or waves.
Styling your hair with hair gel opens up a variety of possibilities, and how you use hair gel will vary greatly depending upon what type of hair you have as well as the desired look you are trying to achieve. Hair gel should be applied to wet or damp hair. If you are using a spray-type hair gel, simply spray it over your hair from roots to tips and then work it in with your finger tips to make sure all strands are covered.
If you are using a non-spray gel, put a dollop about the size of a quarter for short hair or larger for longer hair in your hand and work it through your hair from roots to tips using your fingertips.
For a wetter look, simply apply hair gel to your hair and allow it to dry naturally. To add volume, apply the hair gel and then blow dry your hair against the direction that it normally hangs to give it a lot of extra lift.
If you have straight or wavy hair you can add curl by applying hair gel to damp hair and then braiding or twisting the hair. Allow the hair to dry in the braid. Once it has dried remove the braid and shake out your hair for beautiful, carefree waves or curls. The size of the curls or waves that you get will depend upon how large your braid was. Smaller braids will give tighter waves or ringlets, while larger braids will give looser curls.
Short hair can be easily styled into a variety of different looks using hair gel. Spike it up, smooth it over, slick it back…anything goes.
Feeling funky? Try getting a hair gel with color. These hair gels come with vibrant, oftentimes neon temporary color in them. Simply apply the colored hair gel to your hair. When you are tired of it, wash it out and the color comes along with it without changing the color of your own hair or causing damage like hair dye can. These colored gels work best on light colored hair such as blond or light brown.
Another advantage of using hair gel is that most gels on the market today come with built-in UV protection which will help to protect your hair from the sun. Try to avoid apply hair gel to the ends of hair since it can weigh your hair down.
If you are in a bind you can even make your own hair gel at home by combining 1 teaspoon of gelatin with approximately 1 cup of water. Once the gelatin has set you can use this just as you would use any other hair gel. Because this homemade hair gel doesn’t have any preservatives in it you’ll have to store it in the fridge, and it only has a shelf-life of about a week.
No matter how you decide to use hair gel, it can open up new styling possibilities for your hair and give you great control, volume, definition and shine. Have fun with hair gel and experiment to see what great looks you can come up with for yourself!
