How Does Hair Gel Work?

Hair gel is a commonly used hair product that allows users to style their hair in many different ways. The properties in hair gel work to hold hair tightly in place once the product has completely dried around the hair shaft.

Hair gel works by creating a physical bond between hair strands in the form of a film. This film is created while the gel dries, similar to the mechanism of glue. A ton of tiny particles are formed together in large and small shapes in order to create the gel. When the gel is in its liquid form, it looks much like a jelly and will stay that way as long as it is kept in an enclosed container.

Once hair gel leaves the container, the small particles begin to break down and create a larger solid particle. This particle wraps around the pieces of hair and holds them together. As the larger particle dries over the hair, it creates a stiff hard hold that is difficult to break unless met with water.

Hair gel attracts the pieces of hair together with a chemical called Polymer. As the hair gel dries and become a solid form, all other parts of the gel are evaporated like water. Once the other components completely evaporate, they leave behind the film that was created in the form of a Polymer. The Polymer is the hold of gel, hair spray and many other types of hair styling products.