Walk into any men’s grooming aisle, and you’re met with a wall of waxes, clays, pomades, and sprays. It’s easy to grab whatever looks cool, but the secret to a great hair day isn’t about following trends—it’s about matching the product to your hair’s unique personality. Using the right product can transform your look, while the wrong one can leave you battling frizz, flatness, or a greasy mess.
Since 1978, GATSBY has been a pioneer in men’s grooming, developing products tailored to the specific needs of Asian hair types and evolving with the times. Their extensive range, including the innovative Meta Rubber series and classic Moving Rubber line, offers a solution for virtually every hair type and desired style.
This guide will help you decode your hair type and choose the perfect GATSBY product to match, ensuring you always have a great hair day.
Decoding Your Hair Type: The Foundation of Great Styling
Before you pick up a product, you need to understand what you're working with. Hair is generally categorized by its texture (the thickness of individual strands) and its structure (whether it's straight, wavy, or curly). Your choice of product should address the unique challenges and opportunities of your specific hair.
1. Fine or Thin Hair: The Volume Seeker
Fine hair means an individual hair strand has a very small width or diameter, measuring around 50 microns or about half the thickness of a paper sheet. It feels soft and delicate, is easily weighed down by heavy products often resulting in a flat, limp appearance that clings to the scalp, and differs from thin hair, which describes a low total number of strands on the scalp.
For fine hair you need lightweight products that add texture and volume without heaviness. Avoid heavy waxes, oils, or butters that will cause your hair to collapse. Mousses and lightweight clays are your best friends.
GATSBY Recommendation:
GATSBY Set & Keep Hair Spray It produces fine mists that evenly coats hair and works well to lock in volume and prevent fine hair from falling flat. It is non-sticky and creates a smooth finish, maintains hairstyle even in humid weather.
GATSBY Sea Salt Spray: Is an excellent styling tool for thin or fine hair. It adds instant grip, grit, and volume, creating the illusion of thicker, fuller hair without weighing strands down. It also absorbs natural oils that can make thin hair look flat.
2. Thick or Coarse Hair: The Tamer
Thick hair is a blessing of volume, but it can be unruly, heavy, and stubborn. Thick hair means having a high density of hair strands on the scalp or individual strands with a wide diameter, making it feel full, heavy, and strong. It often lacks pliability and has a mind of its own, making it hard to mold into a sleek shape.
For thick hair you need a product with strong hold and high control to tame the mane. Look for waxes and clays that can mold, bend, and shape strands, keeping them in place throughout the day. While thick hair can handle heavier products, aim for modern, high-performance formulas that avoid the old-school greasy look.
GATSBY Recommendation:
GATSBY Styling Wax: This super hard-holding wax is perfect for creating defined, structured styles and can easily hold even the most stubborn hair in place.
GATSBY Fiber Clay/ Pomade: Fiber series is formulated with cellulose fiber, that works like a rope, binding hair strands together, resulting in high and long-lasting holding power. It blends easily while providing a sharp, lifted look that can command unruly hair into place.
GATSBY Pomade: For styles like a slick back or a comb-over, this water-based pomade delivers a firm, tight hold that keeps thick hair perfectly in place all day.
3. Curly or Wavy Hair: The Enhancer
Curly or Wavy hair is defined by its spiral, springy, or corkscrew shape, oval hair follicles, and a tendency to be drier than straight hair. For men with naturally wavy or curly hair, the goal is often to define the pattern and eliminate frizz without creating a crunchy or stiff finish. Curly hair tends to be drier, so moisturizing ingredients are a plus.
For curly or wavy hair you need products that offer flexible hold and definition. Creams and specific waxes that enhance waves and curls are ideal.
GATSBY Recommendation:
GATSBY Treatment Hair Cream Moist: This product is a game-changer for wavy hair. It contains Pearl protein that moisturizes hair and create bouncy, natural-looking perm-like waves and movement and give natural luster.
GATSBY Styling Gel: It contains Panthenol (Provitamin B5) that replenishes moisture and nourishes hair, defining wavy hair without making it stiff. It is alcohol-free and does not dry hair and has no unpleasant scent.
4. Straight, Medium Hair: The Versatile Canvas
Straight hair, known as Type 1, is a hair type that lacks any curl or wave, reflects the lightest for a shiny look, and easily moves oils from the scalp to the tips. It is divided into sub-types 1A, 1B, and 1C. It is the most versatile canvas—not too heavy, not too light. The main challenge is choosing a finish that matches your style, whether it's matte, textured, or sleek and shiny.
If your hair is straight the world is your oyster. You can experiment with almost any product type, from matte clays for texture to pomades for a classic shine.
GATSBY Recommendation:
GATSBY Styling Wax: This is a classic for a reason. It creates a casual, natural shine or matte, and rough-looking style that’s non-sticky and flexible, perfect for a modern, effortless look on short to medium-length hair.
GATSBY Sea Salt Spray: For a messy, textured look and beach look with matte finish, this product creates volume, texture and lifts for the beach hairstyle look.
GATSBY Pomade: Ideal for creating a classic pompadour or adding massive volume with a strong hold and a slight shine.
The Pros and Cons: To Use or Not to Use a Styling Product
Understanding why you should use a product is as important as knowing which one to pick. Here’s a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating a hairstyling product into your routine.
Advantages of Using a Hairstyling Product
Control and Shape: The most obvious benefit. Products give you the power to mold your hair into your desired shape, keeping it from falling flat or going in a million directions. A hard wax can keep a pompadour standing tall, while a balm can tame flyaways.
Style Longevity (Hold): Products are engineered to fight against gravity, wind, and humidity, ensuring your style lasts from morning to night. GATSBY products, for example, are often tested for persistence against Asian climates.
Enhanced Texture and Volume: Styling products can add much-needed texture to fine hair, making it look thicker, or add definition to curly hair, making the pattern pop.
Hair Health: Modern styling products often contain beneficial ingredients. Many GATSBY products are formulated with moisturizing components like Panthenol, smooth polymers to reduce stickiness, and are water-based for easy washing, preventing damage to the hair shaft.
Disadvantages of Using a Hairstyling Product
Product Buildup and Residue: Using too much product or the wrong type can lead to a heavy, greasy, or flaky buildup on the scalp and hair. This can make hair look dirty and weighed down.
The "Wrong Product" Effect: This is the biggest pitfall. Using a heavy wax on fine hair will make it look greasy and flat, while a light mousse on thick hair will have absolutely zero effect.
Time Investment: Applying product and properly styling your hair takes time. For those with busy mornings, it might seem like an extra step, though the time saved from a "bad hair day" often makes up for it.
Over-Drying or Damage: Some products, especially those with alcohol, can be drying. However, choosing high-quality products with conditioning agents like those in the GATSBY range can mitigate this risk.
Cost and Trial: Finding the perfect product can be an expensive process of trial and error.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right hairstyling product is a journey of understanding your hair's needs. Whether you're combating the flatness of fine hair, taming the bulk of thick hair, or defining your natural waves, there's a product designed for you.
With its extensive and purpose-built range, GATSBY provides a reliable solution for every hair type. By identifying your hair's texture and your desired style, you can confidently select a product that will not only enhance your look but also protect and nourish your hair. Spend a little time getting to know your hair, and you'll be rewarded with effortless, stunning results every single day.