You leave the barbershop looking sharp. Your cut is clean, the shape is right, and everything sits exactly where it should. Then you wash your hair the next morning and spend fifteen minutes in the bathroom trying to recreate what your barber did in thirty seconds. The missing piece, more often than not, is product — and more specifically, the right product for your hair.
Walk into any drugstore or barbershop and you'll find dozens of options: pomade, wax, clay, paste, cream, gel, fiber, putty. The names overlap, the labels are vague, and most men end up grabbing whatever is closest to the register. That's a mistake. Different products do fundamentally different things to your hair, and choosing the right one makes the difference between a style that holds all day and one that falls flat by lunch.
Here's a straightforward guide from the barbers at City Barbers, where we've been styling hair on the Upper East Side since 1972.
Pomade: Shine and Control
Pomade is the classic. It's been around since the early 1900s and it's the product most people picture when they think of a well-groomed man — slicked-back styles, side parts, and that clean, polished look. Traditional pomade is oil-based, which means it gives strong hold and high shine, and it stays workable throughout the day. You can run a comb through your hair hours after application and restyle without adding more product.
The downside of oil-based pomade is that it's difficult to wash out. It can take two or three shampoos to fully remove, and heavy use can build up on the scalp over time. That's why most modern pomades are water-based. They offer a similar look — medium to high shine with flexible hold — but rinse out easily with regular shampoo.
Pomade works best on straight to slightly wavy hair that's at least two to three inches on top. It's the go-to for classic styles: the slick back, the side part, the pompadour, and any look where you want your hair to lay smooth and stay in place with a visible sheen. If you want a polished, put-together appearance for work or a night out, pomade is probably your product.
Where pomade falls short is with texture. It smooths the hair down rather than building it up, so if you want a messy, natural, or matte look, pomade isn't the right choice.
Wax: Structure and Flexibility
Hair wax sits somewhere between pomade and clay. It typically offers medium to strong hold with a low to medium shine — enough to keep your style locked in, but without the wet, glossy finish of pomade. Wax is thicker and tackier than pomade, which makes it good at holding individual pieces of hair in place and creating defined, structured styles.
The biggest advantage of wax is versatility. It works on most hair types and lengths, from short textured crops to medium-length styles that need some lift and separation. You can use a small amount for a natural, barely-there hold or load it up for a stiffer, more sculpted result. Wax is also good for taming flyaways and keeping the sides flat on a fresh fade — a dab smoothed over the temples can keep everything tight between visits.
The trade-off is that wax can feel heavy in fine hair. If your hair is thin or lacks density, too much wax will weigh it down and make it look greasy rather than styled. Men with fine hair should use wax sparingly — start with a pea-sized amount, warm it between your palms, and work it in from the back forward.
Clay: Texture and Matte Finish
Clay is the modern favorite, and for good reason. It gives medium to strong hold with a completely matte finish — no shine at all. That means your hair looks natural and textured, as if it just happens to fall perfectly without any product in it. Clay also adds volume and thickness, which makes it the best option for men with fine or thin hair who want their style to look fuller.
The texture that clay provides is its real selling point. It separates the hair into natural-looking pieces, adds grip and body, and creates that effortless, lived-in look that's become the default style for most men under forty. If you want a textured crop, a messy quiff, or a natural-looking side part without any slickness, clay is the product to reach for.
Clay works especially well on shorter to medium-length hair — roughly one to four inches on top. On longer hair, it can dry out and create a stiff, chalky feel. It also doesn't redistribute well throughout the day the way pomade does. Once clay sets, it stays put, which is either a feature or a drawback depending on what you need. If you like to restyle during the day, clay isn't ideal. If you want a set-it-and-forget-it product, it's perfect.
What About Paste, Cream, and Gel?
These three deserve a quick mention because you'll see them on shelves everywhere. Paste is essentially a lighter version of clay — similar matte finish with softer hold. It's good for men who want a natural look without much structure. Cream is the lightest option of all — low hold, low shine, and a soft, flexible result. It's best for longer hair that just needs some shape and moisture without stiffness. Gel provides the hardest hold with the highest shine, but it dries stiff and can flake. Most barbers will tell you to avoid traditional gel unless you specifically want that wet, crunchy look — and most men don't.
How to Choose Based on Your Hair Type
If you have thick or coarse hair, pomade and wax are your best friends. Thick hair can handle heavier products without being weighed down, and it benefits from the control that pomade and wax provide. Clay works too, but you may need more of it to get thick hair to cooperate.
If you have fine or thin hair, clay is almost always the right call. It adds volume and texture without the weight that pomade and wax bring. A small amount of clay worked into towel-dried hair can make fine hair look noticeably thicker and more styled. Avoid pomade on thin hair — the shine will make it look even thinner.
If you have wavy or curly hair, cream or a light pomade works best. Curly hair needs moisture and definition, not structure and stiffness. A water-based pomade can help define curls and reduce frizz without weighing them down. Clay tends to dry out curls and create a rough texture that fights against the natural pattern.
Application Tips from the Chair
No matter which product you choose, the application matters as much as the product itself. Start with less than you think you need — you can always add more, but you can't take it away. Warm the product between your palms until it's evenly distributed, then work it through towel-dried or dry hair starting from the back and moving forward. Style with your fingers first, then use a comb if your look requires it. And don't apply product to soaking wet hair unless you're using a cream — most products dilute and lose their hold on wet hair.
At City Barbers, we finish every haircut with the right product for your hair type and style. We'll show you how much to use, how to apply it, and which product we recommend. If you've been struggling with your morning routine, come in and ask — we're happy to walk you through it.
We're at 223 E 74th St on the Upper East Side, open seven days a week. Walk-ins are always welcome, or you can book online through Square. Whether you're a pomade guy, a clay convert, or still figuring it out — we've got the product and the expertise to help.
City Barbers is at 223 E 74th St on the Upper East Side. Men's haircuts start at $40 — we'll style you with the right product before you leave the chair. Walk-ins welcome 7 days a week. Call (212) 794-3267 or book online.
