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Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to stiffen hair into a particular hairstyle. The results it produces are usually similar to but stronger than those of hair spray and weaker than those of hair glue or hair wax.
Invented in 1936 many brands of hair gel in North America and the UK come in numbered variants. Higher numbered gels maintain a greater "hold" on hair, while lower numbers do not make the hair as stiff and in some products give the hair a wet look.
Some forms of hair gel include temporary coloring for the hair, including variants in unnatural colors associated with various subcultures, and is popular within the goth and raver subcultures.
Cationic polymers are a main functional component of hair gel. The positive charges in polymer cause it to stretch, making the gel more viscous. This is because the stretched-out polymer takes up more space than a coiled polymer and thus resists the flow of solvent molecules around it. The positive charges also bind the gel to the negatively charged amino acids on the surface of the keratin molecules in the hair. More complicated polymer formulas exist, e.g. a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone, methacrylamide, and N-vinylimidazole.
Some well-known gels include, Alberto, Dippity Do, and Dep
Hair wax is a thick hairstyling product containing wax, used to assist with holding the hair. It has a stiffer, drier texture than other products such as hair gel. Hair wax has been used for many years and is currently experiencing an increase in popularity, with many manufacturers releasing versions, referred to as pomade, putty, glue, whip, and styling paste.
Hair mousse is a toiletry consisting of aerosol spray foam which is added to hair for extra volume and shine. It often comes in either spray, cream or mousse form. It can be combined with hair styling gel to create a smooth, stiff, wet, shiny look.
Hair spray (or hair lacquer) is a common household aqueous solution that is used to keep hair stiff or in a certain style. Weaker than hair gel, hair wax, or glue, it is sprayed using a pump or aerosol spray nozzle.
Hairspray was first invented and marketed in 1955 by the hair products company Helene Curtis, based in Chicago, Illinois, under the trademark Spray Net.
Its active ingredient is a suitable polymer; e.g. the chemical elastesse, a form of liquid elastic that keeps the hair stiff and firm without snapping it and pytocalcious which lowers the amount of minerals in the hair root causing the hair to become stiff, or polyvinylpyrrolidone. Most hair sprays are scented.
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