I really wish I had known about this stuff sooner. I mean, I know I’ve heard it and seen it. But maybe it was the lack of knowledge about it. So I’m going to answer your question, what does pomade do?
For years, I wore gel. Cheap crap that would temporarily glue my hair into place. After I discovered pomade, I just wish I had it all that time ago. It does exactly what I wanted in the gel I was using, hold my thick hair in place. However, there is a huge difference in the two.
What is Pomade?
Look at icons like Elvis, James Dean, Johnny Cash or Don Draper from Mad Men. Pomade made that hair possible. It is slicked back greaser look, its super cool and now you can do just about anything with it to get that hair do you want.
But what it technically is, is substance that can either be made of grease, wax, or water base.
What it does is make your hair hold in place and give it a nice shine to it. The shine varies now a day’s to your liking, low, medium or high.
Interesting enough, original pomade from 100 years ago was made of animal fat such as bear and sheep. Other animal by products like beeswax were often used as well.
What does pomade do?
Well, it makes your messy hair like mine, look awesome! And on the plus side, it will make your hair smell super nice as well. It’s almost like wearing a cologne.
The way it works is if you think of it like a hair spray or a gel. It is mean to hold your hair in place. But using that stuff tends to dry fast and therefore you will lose your style.
Pomade on the other hand doesn’t dry, it actually stays wet, that’s where you get that nice shine. Some of the grease based ones can really last a few days, if you want. But don’t worry, it does come out of your hair when you shower.
The difference between pomade and wax
Essentially they both are similar, the difference was that pomade would make hair slick and shiny. Wax on the other hand didn’t do that, but like pomade it would keep a good hold on your hair-do.
Today both wax and pomade are about the same, you see some pomade contain beeswax, like the heavier ones. However, you won’t know this because of marketing. Check the labels for ‘glue,’ ‘paste,’ ‘putty,’ etc. More over at wikipedia.org
What does pomade look like?
It will usually come in a small tin can or glass. It’s usually going to have 2.5 to 3 ounces of product in. The actual pomade will look sticky and waxy but the color can be anything. Usually clear with a tint of some color tone.
Pomade Hair Styles
References:
http://www.npr.org/2014/05/07/310258143/pomade-the-new-old-grooming-product-for-manly-men