How to Apply Hair Wax

Co-authored by Steven Waldman

Last Updated: October 23, 2022 Approved

Hair wax can help you change your look or accentuate your hairstyle. You can use it to style your bangs, give thin hair volume, tousle your hair, and even shape facial hair. Hair wax typically works best with short or medium-length hairstyles, but you can experiment to find a look that you like. Read on to learn how to apply hair wax!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Wax for Specific Hairstyles

1
Style your bangs. Run your fingers through your bangs to separate the hairs. Sandwich your bangs between your fingers, then wipe all of the wax on to your bangs. Manipulate your bangs: swoop them, straighten them, spike them, etc. The wax will hold your bangs in the position that you shape them.
2
Emphasize layered haircuts. Twirl the ends of your hair between your wax-covered fingertips. Curl or clump the tips of your hair however you like. This will give your hair a lively, fringed look.

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3
Create an "undone" look. Spread styling wax throughout your hair, then tousle it for an "undone" look. Try emphasizing strands of hair by twirling certain strands between your waxed fingers.
4
Create flexible, long-lasting curls. Natural and styled curls alike tend to be springier and hold the style longer after you structure them with styling wax. Work the wax into the ends of your curled hair. Try to follow the natural shape of the curls.
5
Give volume to thin hair. Work small amounts of wax into the roots of your hair. Be thorough, and be sure to cover your entire head. When you are done with the wax, style your hair using a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment.
- Consider finishing your look with a bit of holding spray to keep your hair from becoming flat throughout the day. This especially useful for thin hair that does not hold volume well.^{[1]
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6
Give your hair a blown-back look. Slide your waxed fingers from your scalp up through your hair. This will give it a blown-back look. Keep shaping your hair until everything is right.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Styling Facial Hair

1
Groom unruly eyebrows with wax. Comb your eyebrows so that the hairs run in the same direction, then spread a tiny amount of wax along each eyebrow with the tip of your finger. Waxing is ideal for naturally dark or bushy brows that grow back quickly after shaving.^{[2]
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2
Style your mustache with wax. You can use standard hair wax, but you may also use a dedicated mustache wax product. These are often harder and less goopy than standard wax products. Rub the wax between your fingers until it is warm, smooth, and clump-free.
- For a more natural look, work a moderate amount of wax into your mustache and do not twist the ends. Try using a mustache comb to work it in. Blow-dry the wax on a high-heat, low speed to blend it in.
- For a more ostentatious look—say, a handlebar mustache—apply more product and twist the tips of your mustache into points. If you have a particularly long or bushy mustache, consider grabbing the hairs at the base of your mustache as you twist so that you don't rip any out. When the mustache is thoroughly waxed, work the tips into curls until they hold.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Hair Wax Basics

1
Purchase hair wax. Read reviews of a wax product before you buy it. Some waxes are better for short hair; some are explicitly water-soluble; some are designed to be used on mustaches. Many commercial waxes are petroleum-based, although you can use natural products like beeswax, carnauba wax, and vegetable wax. Decide what you need from your hair wax and find an appropriate product.
- Many hair wax products leave behind a sticky, hard-to-remove residue. Many low-residue products, however, do not hold your hair in place as well as the stickier products. Look for a wax with a good balance of hair-molding capability and low-residue depositing.
- You can find hair wax in pharmacies, salons, and anywhere that sells hair-care products. You can usually order these products online. Make sure to compare prices and read the reviews before you make your purchase.
- Consider using a "natural" wax. Carnauba wax is extracted from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree, and beeswax taken from the hives of honey bees. Japan wax—also known as vegetable wax—is extracted from the berries of a type of sumac bush. In contrast, waxes derived from petroleum are called "mineral waxes" or "cerosin waxes", and they tend to be colorless and odorless.
2
Apply hair wax to dry or slightly-damp hair. Wet your hair and towel it dry. As you dry your hair, try to shape it into an approximation of the hairstyle that you want. This will give you a base style that you can emphasize with the wax. When your hair is dry, you are ready to apply the wax.^{[3]
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- Depending on the texture and length of your hair, putting wax on wet hair can cause the outline, form, and flow of the hair to change when it dries. If you apply wax when your roots are wet, you may lose hair volume.
- Hair wax is drier than many other hair-styling products, and it may hold better when you apply it to slightly damp hair. If you do dampen your hair, it should be almost completely dry when you spread the wax.
3
Make sure that you are fully-clothed when you apply the wax. If you try to dress yourself after spreading wax through your hair, you risk rubbing your hair against a shirt or dress and ruining your hairstyle. Furthermore, you might rub wax off onto your clothing. If you must dress yourself after applying the wax, be exceedingly careful not to brush your hair against anything.
4
Scoop out a bit of wax with your index, middle, and ring finger. You don't need much: a pea-sized amount of wax—about as large as the nail on your little finger—is usually enough for medium-length hair. If you apply too much wax at once, the wax will spread unevenly, making it hard for the wax to bond well with all of your hair. If you find that you need more wax, you can always scoop more.
- You can apply wax with one hand, or two. You may find it useful to keep one hand clean and wax-free, but you be able to cover more hair more quickly if you deploy wax with both hands.
- The wax may stick to your fingers more easily if you wet them beforehand. You should, however, avoid dripping too much water into the wax tin.
5
Rub the wax between the tips of your fingers. Knead the wax until it emulsifies: the wax should be warmed and melted by the heat of your fingers, and there should be no remaining clumps. When the wax is smooth and clump-free, it is ready to spread into your hair.
6
Restyle your wax when necessary. As the wax dries out, it may lose its hold on your hair. If your hair falls out of place during the day, simply wet your fingers and restyle it. Do not wash the wax out of your hair; simply moisturize the wax to the point that you can re-shape it.
- If the problem recurs, consider carrying a small tin of wax with you for quick retouching sessions. You can fit portable wax tins into your purse, bag, or pocket, and you can restyle your hair anywhere with a mirror and a sink.
7
Wash the wax out of your hair. You cannot brush styling wax out of your hair; you need to wash it out thoroughly with shampoo. If you've been walking around with wax in your hair all day, wash your hair before you go to bed. You don't want to sleep with clumps of wax in your hair. Furthermore, wax may clump and flake onto your pillow throughout the night.

Community Q&A

Question

After applying wax, my hair becomes dry. What should I do to keep it glossy?

Community Answer

Use a serum, leave-in conditioner etc. as a pre-styler, then use wax afterward.
Question

What, other than wax, is needed for straightening curly hair with a straightener?

Community Answer

Wax isn't needed for straightening hair; all you need is the heat protectant of your choice.
Question

How many times in a week should we use hair wax?

Community Answer

Use hair wax when you want. Use it when you want your hair to look good for school or some special event.