How to Apply Hair Product: Amount, Order and Technique

Start with less product than you think

Start with a pea-sized amount for short hair and a slightly larger one for medium lengths. Nearly every product problem we see in the chair comes from using too much, and it is much easier to add a second small dab than to undo a heavy first one.

Density matters as much as length. Thick hair can absorb more before it looks weighed down, while fine hair shows every extra fraction. If your hair is fine, halve the amount on the label.

Climate changes the amount too. In a sticky Mississauga July, sweat and humidity break down lighter products, so you may need a touch more hold; in dry January air a smaller amount usually lasts the whole day.

The method that works for almost every product

Almost every cream, clay, paste or pomade goes on the same way: warm it, spread it, work it in from the back. Only spray and powder products break the pattern.

1. Get the hair to the right state for your product: damp for creams, gel and water-based pomade; dry for clay, wax and powder.
2. Take a pea-sized amount on the tip of one finger.
3. Emulsify it: rub your palms together until the product is soft, even and almost invisible. Stiff clumps cause patches.
4. Put your hands into the back of the top and the crown first, where the hair is thickest and least noticed.
5. Rake your fingers forward through the roots, then smooth your palms over the ends.
6. Only what is left on your hands should reach the fringe or hairline.
7. Shape the hair, then look at the back with a second mirror or your phone camera.

Why back to front and roots before ends

Working back to front stops the front from getting all the product, which is what makes a fringe greasy and a crown flat. Your hands carry the most product at the first touch, so the first touch should land where you have the most hair.

Roots before ends matters because the roots decide how the hair stands. Product at the base gives lift and direction; product only at the ends just weighs them down and creates a flat top with separated tips.

Fingers or a comb: which to use

Use fingers for textured, natural or messy styles and a comb for neat, defined ones. The tool changes the finish as much as the product does.

How to fix too much product

You can fix too much product without a full wash in most cases. The approach depends on the type of product.

• Clay, paste or powder: wet your hands lightly and work through the roots to spread the product thinner, then restyle.
• Pomade or wax: press a dry towel or paper towel onto the hair to lift excess, then comb again.
• Gel: rinse only the front section under the tap, towel dry, and reapply a smaller amount.
• Any product, badly overdone: wash and start over. It takes five minutes and looks better than trying to rescue it.

Match the product to the cut you have

The right product depends on your cut, and a barber can tell you which suits yours. A textured crop wants a matte clay, a pompadour wants pomade and a blow dry, and curls usually want cream or gel.

For product-specific methods, see how to use hair pomade, hair clay or hair gel. If you are choosing between product types, our pomade vs wax vs clay comparison sets them side by side.