If you’ve managed to find a good hair stylist you must be one of the lucky few. Once this has been achieved, styling your hair becomes the next problem. Your hair always looks great right after a hair cut but how do you keep it looking good after that? Read on to find out which hair product will help you get the style you desire. Get hold of the tips that celebrity men use to keep their hair looking great, and you will be doing the same in no time at all!

Shampoo & Conditioners

Even before you begin styling your hair by using one of the products listed below, it’s best to remember the basics to keep your hair looking good, which is shampooing and conditioning. Use a good shampoo that is designed for your hair type - whether normal, dry or oily. If you are prone to dandruff, use an anti-dandruff shampoo, and if your hair is prone to fall, use a gentle cleansing shampoo. Follow up with a conditioner each time you shampoo your hair. While your shampoo cleans your hair and removes product build-up and grime, the conditioner will nourish your hair and keep it looking shiny and feeling soft. Also, if your hair is usually limp and floppy, you might want to give a volume-enhancing shampoo and conditioner a try. And if your hair is flyaway and frizzy, you should use products that tame your hair and and make it smoother and managable.

For choosing your shampoo and conditioner, you can follow the tried and tested and stick to the ones you’ve been using for years. Or, you can be adventurous and try the new men’s lines of good international brands. Why, you could even try your girlfriend’s shampoo! If the type is for your hair, of course! Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type is very vital as it determines the manageability of your hair.

Hair Gel

A good quality hair gel is an indispensable part of any man’s hair styling kit. Try to get one with natural ingredients that will be gentle on your hair. Gel makes sure that your style holds and gives you a lot of control over the style you want to tame your hair to. Also, volume isn’t sacrificed if you use gel and this is always good, especially if you don’t have very thick hair. If you want to take a cue from Bollywood stars who have sported gel-styled hair, then look no further than Saif in Ek Hasina Thi, and Shah Rukh Khan in Badshah. Get the picture?

When using hair gel, apply it to damp hair if you want to give yourself the wet look, or to dry hair to make your hair look more natural and less styled. Make sure you work it through the strands evenly and set it to the style you want. Don’t, please, apply it to your scalp! Gently work it through the strands of your hair with your fingers. Experiment with different quantities a few times, and in a short while you would have mastered the art of applying gel to your hair!

Hair Spray

If you happen to have long-ish to long hair that is wispy and difficult to maintain, and want to add some volume to your hair, then hair spray is the answer. Hair spray with medium hold is best for this purpose, because it allows you to manipulate your hair to a style that you want and eliminates the unnatural shine that usual hair sprays have.

Mousse

When picking a mousse for your hair, always choose one that is non–foam forming. This will ensure that your hair is not weighed down by the product even though your thick hair might need it to be styled. Men with thick and unruly hair are best suited to use mousse to style their hair. Mousse will ensure that there won’t be a strand out of place on your head and will also give your hair volume.

If you remember Keanu Reeves’ hot look in the Matrix series, you’ll be happy to know it was a result of mousse. The way to use mousse is the same way as you use gel - by applying to damp hair for a wet look and to dry hair for a natural look. It is also a great product to use while blow drying your hair bsecause of the shine it imparts.

One way in which the mousse scores over gel is that mousse is also suitable for styling thin hair, while gel will just weigh thin hair down, making it look even thinner in the process. Of course, follow the rule of always experimenting to find out just how much product you should use to get the desired result.

Anti-Frizz Serum

Anti- frizz serum is like manna from heaven for those with frizzy and uncontrollable hair. Whether long or of medium length, frizz can make even the best dressed man look unkept. Anti- frizz serum works like magic on hair like this and can be applied with your hands. You might worry that your hair will look oily, but rest assured, the serum gets absorbed by your hair in a few seconds, making it more manageable and easy to style. L’oreal, incidentally, has a super anti-frizz product.

Pomade

Pomade is a great hair styling product because it offers great hold without looking slimy or tacky. Pick from water-soluble pomade options that are available in the market and choose one which is non-greasy. Pomade also has good texture and imparts shine to your hair. It can control your hair well if you are prone to frizziness and strengthens your hair. Pomade, in short, makes your hair more manageable. Although it’s not available readily in the market, a few shops that stock imported cosmetics will have a pomade that you can incorporate into your grooming routine.

To use pomade, distribute it evenly throughout your hair after it has dried naturally. It is a great product to give you that artfully styled just-out-of-bed look. Celebrities such as Brad Pitt and David Beckham swear by this product.

Now that you have a good idea of what each hair product is designed to do and how to use it, it should help you shop for a hair grooming product that is best suited to your hair. Nowadays, a lot of products which can be clubbed into the above categories are available in the market. L’oreal and Schwarzkopf have their superb lines of men’s styling products which are easily available in India. In case you want to go in for something fancier, try the grey market area where shops stocking imported products abound! Happy styling!