Hair Wax Guide for Women: What Products to Use and How to Style (2024)

Hair wax is a product known for its ability to mold and shape hair. Containing little to no water, hair wax is typically used on men’s hair but it’s also an incredible styling product for women.

If you want to do a few put-together hairstyles while you’re spending a lot of time at home, hair wax will be your best friend. The product is super easy to use and it works with your strands to enhance texture while also creating that coveted defined look. Our favorite part: Hair wax can create quick and easy hairstyles. You really only need a small dollop of product, then you’re on your way to a fierce new look.

Ready to rock that wax?Read on to learn more about hair wax and how you can use it to enhance your next ‘do.

Hair Wax: A List of Our Faves

What is hair wax?

Hair wax is a hair product with a paste, balm, or clay-like formula. It’s perfect for creating different kinds of texturized looks. Most hair waxes have a rubber-like consistency that enables you to restyle your hair during the day even after the product has “set” on your hair.

One of the best things about hair wax is its versatility; you can use it on damp or dry hair. To create a long-lasting, natural look, apply it to damp, towel-dried tresses so that the product gets absorbed as your hair dries. Distribute it through your locks using either your fingers or a comb. Alternatively, you can use hair wax on dry hair to retouch or restyle your ‘do throughout the day.

Here’s a list of our fave waxes that cater to certain hair types and styles:

1. Bed Head by TIGI Wax Stick

Bed Head by TIGI Wax Stick is a great option for styling that requires a lot of hold. We love this product for taming baby hairs and creating a slick, smooth shine to your style. While the hold is firm on this product, it will still have a natural finish.

2. Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator Cream

This wax cream is designed for maximum texture, so it’s perfect for a wavy style or any look in need of lots of volume and hold. Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator Cream works to build texture between hair fibers to create thicker-looking hair.

3. Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator Matte Cream

For more street style looks, we like the matte consistency of Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator Matte Cream, which texturizes and gives an edge to either wet or dry hair without too much traction. This cream will also defy high humidity with its matte finish.

4. Emerge My Everything Hair Styling Butter Cream

For ladies with curls who need a lightweight product similar to wax but not as stiffening, we suggest Emerge My Everything Hair Styling Butter Cream. This cream product is infused with pequi oil and almond milk to maintain moisture while giving curls bounce and hold.

How to Style Short Hairstyles With Hair Wax

Finding the best hair wax to keep a short hairstyle in place does not come without its challenges: First and foremost, these products have to be reliable. Short hair has little to no Plan B if their style goes south at the end of the day! Plus, making sure you get the most out of the product when styling is extremely important. Scroll down to find out how to use hair wax on short hairstyles.

1. Pixie Cut

If effortlessly chic, just-rolled-out-of-bed hair is what you’re after, then hair wax will be your go-to product. Distribute the wax through your hair before twirling individual strands around your fingers to help create a softly-tousled, undone look. You’ll love how you can effortlessly mold and sculpt your layers into your desired style with just a few slicks of product. You can also use hair wax to have fun with your part and mix it up whenever you want.

2. Bob Haircut

The classic bob doesn’t need too much product, but wax is a great way to play with texture. If you have short, fine hair lacking in volume, work a very small amount of product into your roots, then blast your hair with a hairdryer. The combined power of the two styling tools will lift your hair at the roots, providing glamorous volume.

3. Mohawk

You go, girl, with your edgymohawk! Keep that look styled all day long with an extra-hold hair wax, which not only helps give that slicked-back height but also holds its ownduring various weather conditions, particularly when cocktailed with some hairspray.

How to Style Medium-Length Hairstyles With Hair Wax

You can use hair wax products to create a fuller appearance on medium-length tresses. This is when it’s critical to make sure you don’t use too much, as it can weigh down your locks or give a stringy effect if you don’t spread it out evenly. Using a firm hair wax, glide your fingers over the product to pick up a tiny amount. Then you can massage your fingers into your roots, working upwards—it helps get that bit of lift that will make your hair look thicker. Find out more ways to use wax when styling medium-length hair.

4. FunLobs

Use wax to create or enhance waves on that second-day look onmedium-length hair. Simply scrunch your fingers together as you work the product throughout tresses. Just because your cut is wash-and-wear doesn’t mean you can’t play around with some texture! Rub a light-whipped wax onto palms and mat down problem areas as desired.

Ed’s note: Want to get in on the trendy wavy lob?A sophisticated style favored by A-listers, the wavy lob is one of the hottest hairstyles of past seasons, and can easily be achieved using hair wax. After lightly curling your hair, simply use your fingers to run some wax through the waves, separating them as you go.

5. Side-Swept Glam

Cuts with longer hair on the fringe area can be styled with the bangs sweetly parted to one side and the rest of the hair combed in place. For some hold and shine (and a bit of lift), start with a blowdrying lotion before blowdrying and finish with a tiny amount of wax balmdistributed near the roots. Comb it through your strands in a downward motion using your fingers for some modern tousle.

How to Style Long Hairstyles With Hair Wax

On longer hair, you can get the piece-y look by applying hair wax to just your ends. You can do this on wet or dry hair, depending on the look you are going for. Applying wax to the ends of wet hair will help to get that laid-back beachy look. Conversely, applied to dry long hair, wax gives you that super cool rock and roll feel that isn’t too polished. Use a pea-sized amount of wax and twist random sections of hair, focusing on the last few inches. Keep scrolling to find more ways you can use wax when styling long hair.

6. Sleek Long Hair

Achieve the ultimate in straightness with hair wax. Place a small amount throughout your hair to help reinforce strands during a blowout.

7. Texturized Long Hair

Hair wax is amazing for texturized, layered locks. You can use it to play with your length as you sculpt and mold your tresses in various directions.

8. Dreads

Sculpt those directional dreadlocks! Waxcan work to bind together any loose dreads and also create new dreads as they fuse together.

Hair Wax for Curly Hairstyles

When it comes to looking for wax to use on curly hair,the challenge lies in finding formulations that define your ringlets without deflating them or imparting a crunch, crispy look that just screams “done.”

In terms of end results, waxes and pomades are more pliant and malleable throughout the day, giving a more matte or velvety-looking finish. They also don’t make hair feel sticky, which is one of their main advantages.

The best wax for curls is one that is more rubbery or tacky in texture rather than hard or pasty. Look for formulations that separate easily between your fingers, with a slight stickiness, but with an overall lightweight feel.

For short curls, you can opt for hair wax instead of mousse to define your ringlets. To help keep your natural curls looking springy, lightly coat them with a smooth wax. This can help retain their bounce, without having them losetheir flexible texture.

Hair Wax Hack for Curly Hair

If you really want to get some mileage out of your product, it’s best to take a finger-swipe of the product and rub it between your palms so it warms up and effectively softens. Concentrating the product more on your fingertips, coil sections of curls around your fingers, coating them with the product as you do so. You can also scrunch the hair with your fingers, lightly packing on the product as you texturize your coif.

Hair Wax Hack for Smoothing Updos

You can also employ this trick when you want to refine and smooth down the base of a curly updo. After gathering your hair into a ponytail or bun, take a small amount of warmed-up wax in your palms and pad down any frizzies or stubborn flyaways that go against the grain for a pristine, locked-and-loaded finish.

Whether you’re trying out hair wax for the first time or looking for a new product to use, you’re sure to find an option and style that works for you!