How to choose a hair product for your hair type

Start with your hair, not the jar

Most men buy on the label. The faster route is to start from what your hair actually does, because the format — gel, wax, cream, clay — matters more than the brand on the tin.

The four curl families

• Straight loses shape fast and oils up soonest. It needs high hold with no weight — a gel is the only format with enough grip to hold a shape on hair that resists holding one.
• Wavy resists styling and frizzes. It wants a medium-high hold that defines the wave instead of flattening it — a natural-finish wax.
• Curly needs definition and moisture at once. A light, penetrating oil like argan softens coarse curls without weighing them down. Skip clay here; it is too drying.
• Coily is the driest and most fragile. Shea butter seals moisture into the strand.

Then adjust for density

Fine hair needs volume, so anything heavy or shiny kills it — a matte finish is the pick. Thick hair is the one type that can carry a heavy product without going limp, so it can take the strongest hold you own.

Not sure where you land? The hair-type finder on the homepage walks you through it in one tap.