Originally Posted by
|Xei
I've used most of these before, so this is from my own experience.
Pomade VS wax
-Wax is generally more sticky, and therefore has more hold, than pomade (though there are some exceptions). I find that pomades are better for scrunching into hair for volume and some texture, whereas wax is better for detailed texturizing, shaping and hold.
-Wax may not necessarily have a harder texture than pomade. This really depends on the amount of hold. For example, a soft-hold wax has a pretty similar texture and consistency to a medium-hold pomade.
-Both wax and pomade usually consists of beeswax or wax of some sort, so shampoo would work the best in getting washing it out. However, some waxes/pomades are water-soluble, so you may be able to get away with CO-washing.
-Neither of these dry completely, unlike gel, so it's easy to reshape and touch up the hair in the middle of the day.
Cream VS Lotion
-Creams have a consistency similar to that of creamy facial moisturizers, but may be thicker or thinner depending on the type you get. Lotions may come in spray form, or it may be a light-weight, thin cream.
-Both are used before styling to help set the hair (eg. straightening, curling, scrunching), and they usually do not have a lot of hold.
-Both are generally easy to wash out, because they're not very sticky, but this ultimately depends on the ingredients.
Balm VS dressing
-I'm not very familiar with balms, since the term seems to be used pretty loosely. But I get the impression that they are a type of heavy styling cream, with more hold than a cream, but less hold than a pomade. Dressing, as far as I know, is an oily type of pomade, though I've seen the terms being used interchangeably.
-I don't know how easy it is to wash out balms, though I'd imagine you'd need shampoo of some sort. Dressing definitely needs to be shampooed out since they usually contain some waxes.
Pomade VS paste VS putty
-Pastes are generally pretty similar to waxes, except it's more creamy than waxy. Putties tend to be a jelly-like (some jiggle when you shake it) consistency, though I've seen some pastes being labeled as putties before. Some putties are glue-like, and forms strings of fibers when you pull it between two fingers.
-Hold-wise, pastes have the most hold, then pomades and putties are around the same level, depending on what you're trying to achieve. Putties are good for doing bed head looks, or even slight wet looks, and pomades I've already explained.
-Paste washes out like a wax, and putties are generally easy to wash out because they are thinner in texture.
-Like waxes and pomades, pastes and some putties do not dry completely, which makes for easy restyling. Some putties might dry completely, and it all depends on the type you got.
Are any of these drying/damaging?
-Unless they contain alcohols, or some other drying ingredient, then no, none of these should be drying. Waxes and pastes may be a concern for damage, because they are really sticky and may do a small amount of damage to the hair follicles. I've used wax quite often in the past on a daily basis, and honestly, I didn't notice any damage from it.
Are their any different appearance, feel/texture, or weight?
-Appearance can vary between brands, and even within brands, two waxes might look different from each other.
-Feel and texture I've already described above.
-As for weight, if ranking from heaviest to lightest, it would go something like:
Paste/wax > Balm > Pomade/dressing > Putty > Cream > Lotion
This, of course, varies depending on the type of hold you're getting. Generally, stronger holds of any product are heavier than softer holds.
Are some of these hard to wash out? Which ones causes build-up the fastest?
-Yes, waxes, pastes, some pomades, and probably dressing can be difficult to wash out if a large amount was used. I personally never had a problem with washing out waxes or pastes. Everything else should be fairly easy to wash out, though regarding the styling balm, I cannot say for sure as I'm pretty unfamiliar with it.
-The ones that are difficult to wash out are most likely to build-up fastest. But, from personal experience, if you shampoo the product out properly after every use, then there will not be build-ups. The trick to washing sticky styling products out is to lather up, then let the shampoo sit in your hair for a minute or two before massaging the product off your hair.
And do you think I could CO, CWC, C-Cow-C, Shampoo Bar, and if all else fails Baking Soda most of these out of my hair?
-With the creams and lotions, you can probably get away with CO-washing, but everything else will probably need to be removed with shampoo, shampoo bars or something just as strong.
What is the difference between these products?
) use them anyway?
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. Yes, less damaging is a definite bonus. I will be sure to look into pomade before the other two. Also, my hair probably won't be that hard to shape up, even though at times it can be flat. The way you described putty and wax almost sounds like concrete. (Ok maybe not that bad! More like hair glue.) I find comfort in finding I can run a brush through my hair after using a product, never take things for granted I say. When I had short hair, it turned out to be so spiky and just 
that I didn't even try to style it, but if I ever cut it short I probably won't be using anything in it anyway. I'm glad my hair is starting to grow now so that I can do much more with it, at least that's just how I feel.
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