Spikes are one of the most versatile hairstyles out there. A lot of popular hairstyles for men these days are most often some variation of spikes. Contrary to the popular belief that spikes are hard to style, given the proper prep time and the right hair products, spikes are one of the easiest hairstyles to set for yourself.
This might cause most people to not even consider styling their hair into spikes. This article intends to help you style your hair into amazing spikes in the easiest way all by yourself.
How to Spike Your Hair With Gel
Step 1: Wash Up
It’s time to wash your hair. Before styling your hair in any way, it’s best to wash your hair. You can simply use shampoo and conditioner to wash up your hair.
Thick hair does not react well with hair products on conditioned hair so make sure to only use a small amount of conditioner if that applies to you.
Step 2: Dry Your Hair
After you have washed your hair, dry your hair but leave it slightly damp as that will make setting your hairstyle into spikes easier.
While blow-drying if your hair is dry or thick is not recommended, it could be helpful for those with longer strands on the top of their head.
If you are using a towel, make sure to towel your hair locks upwards. Wet hair or damp hair is often easy to set in any direction.
Step 3: Comb or Brush Your Hair
Use a brush or a comb to untangle the knots in your hair that may have formed after drying. Use the comb to gently run through the hair and remove the knots. This will make it easier to set your spikes as well.
If you’re using a brush, make sure to not roll it along with your hair but instead pull the brush upwards.
Step 4: Spike Your Hair
Now, it’s time to spike your hair. Take a small amount of any hair product of your choice and rub it between your hands making sure that it spreads to all the fingers and most of your palms as well.
Now, gently use your fingers to run the product through the front part of your hair and slowly apply it to areas where you want to spike your hair. Apply it to the roots of our hair as well using a combing motion with your fingers.
This will eventually create spikes in the area you want. You can once again use a comb or brush to style your hair upwards for more evenly distributed spikes while the gel or wax product is still wet.
You can now shape your spikes however you want to make them look exactly the way you want. You can also blow-dry the hair or touch it up with some hairspray to get the spikes to remain in place. However, you should be careful not to make the spikes look stiff, crunchy, or greasy with any of your hair products.
How to Spike Your Hair Without Hair Gel
There are plenty of alternatives to hair gel. Hair gels tend to give a wet look to your spikes and give it a sheen as well.
While some may want to go for that look, as it’s good for dry and frizzy hair, using hair gel on a regular basis is unhealthy for your hair, especially if you have thin, long, or oily hair. It can also lead to dandruff and hair loss. Some of the alternatives to hair gel are listed below:
- Hair wax – Hair wax can give you a matte look to your spikes. This is the best choice for oily, thick, or long hair as hair wax is completely non-greasy.
- Water-based Sculpting Paste – This paste is one of the least toxic hair care products that you can use to style your hair into spikes. It’s completely non-greasy and can hold your hair spikes for hours.
- Pomade – Pomade has been used by men to style their hair for centuries. While pomade can be somewhat greasy depending on the type of it, it’s not as toxic as hair gels are. You also need comparatively fewer amounts of pomades to get the same effect on your hair. The advantage of using pomades is that you can apply them to dry hair as well.
- Mousse – Another less toxic option, mousse allows you to get nice-looking spikes without rubbing much of it on your hair. You should mix it well on your palms and gently run them through your locks. Hair mousse is also great for adding volume and definition to your spikes as well.
When searching for the right hair product for yourself, look for hair products that promise protection and hold as this will ensure the product will hold your spikes longer. Otherwise, you might have to touch up your hair a few times throughout the day with some of your preferred hair products so the spikes can hold.
Learn how to keep your hair spiked for the whole day long!
Spiky Hairstyle for Guys
Thick but not curly hair is also the best for doing spikes if you cut it the right way. Ask your barber to cut the hair on the top to about 2 inches long. This will allow your hair locks to stand up on their own.
If you have thin hair though, you will need the proper hair products. You can opt for some heavy-duty hair cosmetics such as a special spiking gel or a regular heavy-duty hair gel.
Tips to get the perfect spikes for your hair:
- Avoid touching the scalp area while spiking your hair with any hair products as rubbing the hair gel into your skin causes hair loss and dandruff.
- Keep your hair strands separated as much as possible to get neat spikes when spiking your hair with your hands.
- You can easily create thick spikes by twisting strands of your hair from the base to the top while applying your hair care product of choice.
Spikes are one of the easiest to create requiring just a few minutes. The best thing about it is that it’s a versatile style with many different variations and can last all day. If you haven’t tried spiky hairstyles yet, you might want to give it a try. All you need to do is get the right hair product for you.