When it comes to men's styling products, there's none more well-known or widely regarded than pomade. Made from grease, wax, or sometimes water-based, pomade is a long-lasting styling tool that is used by men the world over to achieve sleek and intricate hairstyles, such as the pompadour and faux hawk. Unlike spray and gel hairstyles, pomade does not dry. This means you can retain that wet, slick, and shiny Don Draper-look with ease. We'll discuss how to use pomade as well as the stylish haircuts you can achieve with it below.
Pomade keeps your hair in place - even at a windy beach
While styling products might seem straightforward, there are a number of tips you should take into consideration before learning how to use pomade:
- Firstly, your hair should be somewhat damp before you apply any product. Many guys think that hair has to be completely dry before using pomade. But the truth is that you want it to be slightly damp. How damp exactly? You want your hair to feel as though it may be dry in the next couple of minutes, but not so wet that your hair won't mix well with the pomade’s oils.
- Next, you need to decide on the amount of pomade to use. This is always a bit tricky with pomade hairstyles. Too much and your hair might take on an overly oily appearance, too little and you might not have the correct amount of hold. There's no right answer here – it largely depends on the length of your hair, your hair type and the style that you're after – but a good benchmark is to start with is a teaspoon's worth, and to experiment from there. Men's hair care often requires a bit of testing to get it right!
- Lastly, the application. Always remember to rub it over your hands first – the warmth from your palms will make the pomade much more pliable – this way you'll have much more surface area to attack your hair with. Once the pomade is applied to your hands, simply plunge them into your hair. Using both hands, massage the pomade in the same way you would use shampoo, taking special care to get deep into the roots and to distribute it evenly. Hair styling with pomade should be easy after this!
The pompadour
A style that has been around since it was made popular by rock ‘n roll stars like Little Richard and Elvis Presley in the 50s and 60s, the pompadour is a pomade hairstyle that requires quite a bit of product and some rock-hard hold to pull off.
To achieve this look, towel dry your hair and add your pomade of choice, such as göt2b® Playful Texturizing Crème pomade or even göt2b® Define + Shine pomade. Then, use a blow dryer (high heat works best) and a round brush to push the hair upwards and forwards. Do this in sections all the way up to the hairline, giving the front a bit more attention for some extra volume. Finish it off with a bit more pomade and this hairstyle is good to go.
The undercut combover
A timeless classic meshed together with a contemporary iteration, the undercut combover is an easily achievable hairstyle that looks good on any man when you know how to use pomade. Its defining characteristics – short on the sides and at the back and voluminous on the top – make it a cut that is not only easy to do every morning, but also leaves you with a fresh, dapper and clean cut.
The faux hawk
For the man who wants to add a bit of rebelliousness to his hairstyle without going full-on punk, the faux hawk is one of the most popular hairstyles with pomade that includes the best of both worlds. It allows you to achieve the look and feel of a traditional Mohawk without fully committing to shaving the sides of your head completely. There's also no limit to the variations of the faux hawk, and any number of different styles can be achieved, including trendy kpop hairstyles.