Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Brylcreem?

RitaHayworth

One of the Regulars
Messages
295
Location
Australia
crwritt said:
Looking through the posts and threads about hair styling, I noticed one or two that mentioned Brylcreem ( a little dab'l do ya!). I spotted it in the drugstore today and I was hoping I could get some tips on using it.
I have thick, medium brown, naturally curly to wavy below shoulder length hair, cut in a u shape with long layers, shortest layer is about chin length.
I color to keep back the gray , and have a few lighter highlights.
Last time I had it cut she razored into it a lot, with the theory it would thin out the bulk. It appears the opposite is true, that when hair like mine is "thinned" like that. it actually becomes more full, especially in humidity.
We've had lots of warm rainy days this summer, and boys o boys do I have big, unpredictable hair!
I would love to just be able to style it in the morning and trust it to stay put all day, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.
So, with the Brylcreem, do you use it on wet hair? Do you dry and style your hair then apply it? How much do you use?
What techniques seem to work best with it?
I wish I could handle my own hair. My hairdresser retired, it seems to me she could do my hair and it would look good for almost a week!
Thanks so much

Run away from that hairdresser who razored your hair!!!

I have naturally curly hair and razoring and/or "thinning" is the worst thing you can do for it!!
 

crwritt

One Too Many
Messages
1,109
Location
Falmouth ME
I finally had enough of the big hair and used a chemical relaxer. After a week of waiting to wash it, and a couple deep conditionings, the volume is definitely lessened, and it doesn't react to humidity as much. I agree I'll stay clear of the razor from now on.
The things we do to our hair!
 

brylcreem boy

One of the Regulars
Messages
260
Location
Tulsa, OK
DutchIndo said:
I remember using that ! I used to grease my hair for Sunday School and who can forget that jingle.

Lol!! My dad used to grease my hair up for sunday school with it as well, that and wildroot. I remember being just about the only kid in 1975 with slicked down hair at church... luckily he relaxed that standard about a year later.. kids at that age can be pretty cruel!!!
 

Girl Friday

Practically Family
Messages
793
Location
Junius Heights, Dallas, Texas
I haven't used that stuff in years. Mostly because there are so many products out now that smell better. It smells fine, but kind of masculine if you ask me. My hair is very coarse and curly, so I do like to use products similar. One of my favs is the Coconut Oil Hair Shine from the Body Shop. Definitely helps with the frizzies.
 

Stanley Doble

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,808
Location
Cobourg
I am sure it can but it will work in better if your hair is slightly damp, as after washing. I use VO5 for gray hair, a drop about half the size of a pea and work it in after I wash my hair.
 

MisterCairo

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,005
Location
Gads Hill, Ontario
My father (born 1920) used Brylcreem religiously. He had thick, wavy hair and it helped keep his "short back and sides" part on the left well in place.

I had similar hair (until my mid-twenties, now I sport the Mr. Clean cut) but much frizzier and used it as well (I was a teen in the 80s). It worked in a similar way.

Until now I'd never heard Brylcreem was the product of choice for 50s greasers, I figured it must have been one choice of course. My dad could be called a lot of things, but greaser wasn't one of them!

If you mis or over use something, it doesn't mean the original purpose is lost. And "old guy stuff" is unfair. My father started using Brylcreem in his twenties. As did most men.

Remember, the character Rick Blaine in Casablanca was 37 years old (Bogey was about 41 or so). And he had something in that hair!
 

samtemporary

One of the Regulars
Messages
176
Location
Fort Lauderdale, FL
I agree with Brinybay... Give Groom and Clean a try, I have used this when I had a classic parted hair style, which I'm going back to. a little applied to damp hair gives control and a little sheen. I would only add that even though its marketed as non-greasy, when you use more than a little dab it will make your hair slick and shiny and wet looking all day, even after re-combing- which is what I wanted, it does wash out easily and I find my hair is softer and healthier after using it and it's inexpensive.

Yep - same here. My go-tos are Groom and Cleen (on weekends) and Vitalis (during the week). Both smell good and handle hair pretty well.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,096
Messages
3,074,034
Members
54,091
Latest member
toptvsspala
Top