What Is The Difference Between Hair Wax And Hair Gel?

Today, one has many different options in hair products to help hold different styles in place. Two such products are hair wax and hair gel. However, not everyone is familiar with the different products. Therefore, we shall attempt to answer the question, “What is the difference between hair wax and hair gel?”

Hair wax gives light to medium hold and never gets stiff. The product is widely used to provide a soft, natural hold in hairstyles such as the mussed up “bed head” look.

Unlike Gel and other water based hair products, wax does not dry on the hair. This makes it easy for a man to fix his style by simply running his fingers through the hair. In a few cases, it might become necessary to reapply a small amount of wax for certain styles, but this is rare.

Hair gel produces a stiffer hold, similar to hair spray. One major difference is that hair spray does not leave flakes when it dries in the hair. Most gels are alcohol based. Others are water based. Either way, hair gel dries on the hair, leaving behind dry components that can create flakes in the hair.

Gel lends itself more readily to certain styling methods, such as “scrunching”, a method of enhancing or tightening curls and waves in the hair. There are many different types and levels of gel based on consistency and hold.

It can come in a spray or be a very thick gelatinous substance. Different products provide different levels of hold, usually indicated using a number scale with higher numbers being more stiff. Gel is not designed for use with completely dry hair.

It is normally applied to damp, towel dried hair and styled. Some hair styles allow for the use of blow dryer after the gel is applied to the hair. One hazard of using too much gel is the creation of “helmet hair”, where the hair feels stiff or plastic to the touch.

There is nothing sexier then being able to run a woman’s fingers through a man’s hair, and not having the man worry whether his helmet hair got messed up. If he had wax in his hair he could later go in the bathroom and “fix it” with no worries.

Given the number of different hair products on the market, it is no wonder some men become confused about which is and what each is used for. Hopefully, we have answered the question, “What is the difference between hair wax and hair gel?” in a manner that makes the differences clear and easy to understand.