Styling
preparations - gels and sprays
Traditionally,
hair styling and setting products came in two basic forms, an oil
based cream or a gum based gel. The oil was often coconut oil,
but
sometimes mineral oil and occasionally whale oil! The gum would
usually come from gum trees, but occasionally was glue made from
animals. Here and there you can still find these kinds of products
for sale although the oil or gum involved is now synthetic and
not
organically derived. There are however, a number of problems with
these traditional styling and setting products. They are usually
clumsy to apply, lack uniformity and flexibility, and often lead
to build up on the hair fibers that reduces luster. Sometimes if
applied too liberally, the product dries and flakes to give something
looking like dandruff. The old organic based formulations were
prone
to bacterial contamination although modern formulations now contain
preservatives to stop that.
 More recently other styling and setting products have entered the
market that have little to do with the traditional products. Today
there are many types of wave setting and styling preparations available
that may come as gels liquids or aerosols. They are made by many
different manufacturers, but they all do much the same thing and
are made from much the same ingredients. The key component is a
plastic resin that forms a thin layer over the hair fiber that,
once you have styled your hair, sets and holds the style in shape.
There may also be other ingredients in the formulation such as silicone
to impart shine or perfume for a nice smell. There may be conditioning
agents or ingredients with anti static action that improve hair
manageability.
These new formulations should provide good results although some
trial and error is required to find a product you like and the amount
of the product to apply for the style you want and the type of hair
you have. The degree of set and style will determine the firmness
of the of the set. An extreme or complex hair shape will require
more product to hold it in place. The more product used the harder
the set will be and the less "bounce" and movement the
hair will have. Too much product can give a great style but it may
look like a helmet and rather unnatural. Too much product may also
make the hair dull and when the product dries and gets old it may
start to flake and give the appearance of dandruff. Regular washing
and reapplication will avoid this.
The products come in four basic forms, aerosols, foams, gels, and
liquids. You might have to dip your fingers into a pot of gel, pour
liquid onto your hands and rub them together before applying, spray,
or apply a foam and comb it in. This different forms of application
only give slightly different results as the underlying active ingredient
is usually similar in each case. Whether you use a foam or a spray
or whatever is largely one of personal preference and what you are
most comfortable with.
Risks
with styling and setting preparations
Most of the risks involved are cosmetic ones. If the styling agent
is over used it may build up on the hair and give it a dirty look.
It might also start to flake off and give the appearance of dandruff.
Although it rarely occurs now, with sprays and foams in metal cans
corrosion of the can may lead to rust contamination that gets sprayed
onto the hair along with the styling agent. Most manufacturers now
coat the inside of the can with plastic to avoid corrosion, but
if the can you have is corroded it is best to just throw it away
and not use it. All these problems can be quickly fixed with a shampoo
and reapplication of the styling product.
A problem somewhat harder to get rid of is when the styling agent
chemically reacts with other products. Some of the older formulations
of style and setting products contain shellac which helps to stiffen
the hair. If shellac is applied to permanently dyed hair it can
react with the dye and cause hair discoloration. Repeated shampooing
and application of "ethyl alcohol" should get rid of the
color, but sometimes a trip to the salon to redye the hair is the
only option.
The final and more serious risk is the development of an allergic
reaction to one or more of the ingredients in a styling or setting
product. Because the product is applied and left on the hair, there
is more of the product left in contact with the skin for a long
time. This increases the chances of developing a contact reaction
to the chemicals as compared to developing a reaction to shampoo
which is mostly washed away and only on the skin a short time. If
your skin is sensitive you may develop an allergic reaction. You
are more likely to develop a reaction to some of the secondary ingredients
like the perfume rather than the primary setting agent ingredient
which is usually a relatively inert plastic resin. If you do find
your skin is irritated after applying a styling or setting agent,
the issue may be resolved simply by switching brands and finding
a perfume free product or similar.
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