For decades, the male hair styling scene has been dominated by grease, a product based on water, beeswax and mineral oils (that is to say petroleum jelly and liquid paraffin, nowadays known as petrolatum).
Marketed since 1928 by a British company, its use exploded in the Fifties and the Sixties also thanks to the movie stars: it became a symbol of the fashionable man, who cared about his appearance and always being flawless.
Many Barbieria customers used to request the application of this product at the end of the hair treatment; moreover, it was often used for the styling of the actors brought to our salon by Luchino Visconti.
Even though a number of people are still fond of it nowadays, grease has gradually been replaced by other products.
In our shop we have chosen to use the Black Fig Hair Gel and the Extra Strong Hold Hair Wax for fixing: both products are water-based, which means they can be easily washed out without any shampoo, making them suitable for a daily use.
The Gel, already in use with Franco Bompieri since the Eighties, helps achieving a matte finish without any stiffness; the Wax, introduced by Francesca Bompieri with the new millennium, provides hair with a strong hold and a sleek look.
Black Fig Hair Gel by Antica Barbieria Colla
For a proper use of these products, our barbers suggest to:
- use the right amount, starting with a small one. Applying too much product causes residues to build up on the roots, making the hair heavy and difficult to comb and in the long run it could also lead to flaking of the scalp;
- avoid combing the hair after getting the desired style, especially in the case of using a strong hold product: the hair could break and the product liquefy coming into contact with the skin and worsening pre-existing rashes or dermatitis;
- wash your hair before going to sleep to allow the scalp to breathe and prevent product residues from combining with the sebum causing irritation, itching, dryness, increased dandruff; this is also a good habit because massaging the skin with the fingertips during washing and combing the hair afterwards reactivates blood circulation, favoring the supply of oxygen and nourishment to the hair.
Finally, we would like to reiterate the importance of paying attention to the quality of the products used, avoiding that they turn into threats to hair health: gels and waxes are not in themselves the cause of hair loss, but poor formulations can be aggressive, leading to irritation, erythema, itching and, in those who are predisposed to baldness, worsening the phenomenon of hair loss.