Hair Gel

Gone are those days when people had the time to stand in front of the mirror and groom their hair for hours. Just like instant food to aid our cooking process, there are hair styling products that can aid in styling and managing your tresses. Hair gels can be a boon for a hurried hair style. Hair gel is an exemplary styling support for any kind of hair, be it long, short, curly, permed or chemically treated.

Hair gel is a type of gel that can be applied into the hair to congeal it into a hairstyle as required by the user. The outcome created by a hair gel is similar or stronger than that of a hair spray but weaker than that of hair glue. Hair gel is marketed as spray or in a bottle.

Choose the right hair gel

In North America and UK, hair gels are available as numbered options. Higher the gel number, higher the hold on the hair. Low numbered hair gels are at times used to give a wet look to the hair. Hair gels can be used as hair styling aids as there are gels available in the market that give a temporary, but not natural color to the hair.

It is understood from extensive research that male grooming is associated with primordial history in Ireland. Two murdered bodies of bog men, who belonged to the Iron Age about 2000 years ago, were found to have applied gel on their hair. British noble women made their hair gel from a blend of swallow droppings and lizard tallow.

Supermarkets have their shelves buckling under the load of diverse cosmetic products. Hair care products in particular come in alluring range. Hair care manufacturers seem to have something for every kind of hair. Educate yourself on the ingredients of the hair gel you use and how they work.

Ingredients in hair gel: Check out the ingredients on your favorite brand of hair gel. Water is a primary component. Other ingredients are polymers known to us as plastics, plasticizers, perfumes, glistening agents and colors. All the above mentioned ingredients dissolve in water. The polymers used are polyelectrolyte polymers. This polymer lets the gel elongate and formulates it to become further glue-like. The stretched out polymer acquires extra space and as a result opposes the gush of solvent molecules in and around the region.

The positive charge from the polymer lets the gel bind to the negative charge from the amino acids of hair. Hair is made of keratin molecules that have plenty of amino acid. Polymers act rigid and hold your hairstyle in position, even defying gravity. When the gel is applied on the hair, the water evaporates and the thin film of polymer that is left back provides the grip for your hair.

Chemical constitution: Different hair gels can be compared on the basis of chemical composition. The polymers and the plasticizers are combined in various proportions. Flexibility, stiffness, elasticity and moisture resistance of the polymer film that is built around the hair is adapted by the plasticizers. Color, perfume and glossiness also contribute to the uniqueness of each brand and give you a variety to choose from.

Styling with hair gel

Do not get mixed up with styling lotion and gel, each of them serves a different purpose. Styling lotions or creams can lessen the curling of the hair into a wiry mass while keeping up the hair style. Hair gel can be used either on wet or dry hair and gives a shiny texture to the hair as a consequence of evaporation of the alcohol. It's easy to use a hair gel to style your hair. Just follow these tips and see the difference for yourself.

• Hair gel can be used to make safe flat twists in your straight or textured hair beginning from the crown of your head or from the forehead to the nape of your neck.
  
  
• To fight frizz on long hair for women who wear their hair in a natural style, hair gel can be applied while the hair is wet. Waves or ringlets can be formed using small amounts of gel by parting the hair and combing through it. Double-strand twist or braid the hair now and let it dry naturally or with a hood dryer. Unwrap the twists and shake your head a few times and your hair style is ready. This style can be maintained for about five days if you wear a scarf and go to bed at nights.
  
  
• If you have short hair, you can give it a wonderful style in minutes. Smear a little quantity of hair gel in your palms and apply it above your moist hair. The effect will be high clarity and shine.
  
  
• No longer need rainy days worry you about maintaining your hairstyle. A small quantity of hair gel will keep your tresses in place and protect it from the environment.
  
  
• Gel can be applied with a roller set. Hair gel can be applied over the complete tress or to even locks of hair so they don't get twisted.
  
  
• Most hair gels available in the market come with UV protection, so you can save your tresses from the harsh UV rays.
  
  
• Gels are available in spray types and in tubes. Tubes are meant for hand styling and the spray-on hair gels can be a boon when time is at a premium. Hold the spray at least 6 inches from your head.

Hair gel tips

• Avoid applying hair gel to the ends of the hair as this might weigh it down and reduce the motion.
  
  
• Do not apply too much of gel on a particular area alone.
  
  
• Hair gels are wonderful on fine and medium hair. If your hair is thick, then you have to take special efforts to style your hair.
  
  
• Any type of hair and hair style will require no more than a small chunk of gel, so do not use excess as this will give your hair a hard and crunchy look. The alcohol in the gel will dry up your hair if used in excess amounts.
  
  
• Perform a patch test to ensure that your skin is ready for the hair gel you are going to use.

Quick hair gel recipe

Dissolve about 1 tsp gelatin in 1 cup of warm water. Store in the refrigerator and use this homemade hair gel as you do with a ready hair gel. Shelf life is approximately one week. This hair gel has to be stored in a refrigerator as it contains no preservatives.