SEE PART 2 New 5/15/03

Reflections on Slick (Greasy) Hair
PART 1 OF A SERIAL

by Neil


One main observation regarding my many years of experience with slick hair is as follows. From my looking at lots and lots of guys with slick hair, what seems to be far more important than anything is that in order to have a really slick look is NOT whether the guy uses Brylcreem or any other particular product, or even how much -- but what the TEXTURE of the hair is like in the first place. The guy must have REALLY smooth, straight hair in the first place to have an excellent greased look, even before any slick or greasy product is used. Accordingly, it seems to me that, above all other nationalities, many Chinese and Mexican guys (but also other Asians and Hispanics often) seem to NATURALLY have the smoothest, straightest, shiniest hair BEFORE any product is used at all. Some of these Chinese and Mexicans would look very slick even if they simply wet their with water only.

I know of one Chinese guy whose hair is extremely slick from using only spray, and he is not the only one. I've tried a number of products (Brylcreem and more) and I don't always find it easy to get that kind of really slick look with my kind of hair -- no matter how much greasy product I use -- because my hair is somewhat wavy and fluffy, i.e. not perfectly straight and smooth. The only way to eliminate the waves and make my hair REALLY smooth and slick, from my experience, is to use a hair straightening treatment, which contains some extremely strong chemicals you have to be very careful with. These extremely strong chemicals literally change the structure of the hair.

(Black women are the overwhelming users of this treatment; on some occasions, black men. I think it is extremely rare that white men use any sort of treatment like this to make their hair much smoother and shinier, i.e. getting rid of the waves, kinks, etc. I am a one of the few white men who does this.)

Upon treating my hair as above, I end up with a much smoother and shinier hair style, more like Chinese or Mexican men, in which case, any of your products give me the nice slick look I love. BUT -- the hair straightening treatment, as above, is NOT permanent! It lasts only a few weeks or so, and then the waves return. The only way to get rid of the waves once again is is re-treat as above. So, if anyone comes to you and says he wants to get rid of the wavy, fluffy-like texture of his hair, tell them of my experience. If, however, you know of any better idea,
please let me know!

I have additional comments on my many years experience with slick/greasy hair.

(Ed note: We will continue to publish Neil's experiences on this page.)

Reflections on Slick (Greasy) Hair
Greasy Classmates
PART 2 OF A SERIAL

by Neil


A very large percent of my classmates in those days were greasy. I noticed that practically no one ever discussed their greasy hair, or anyone else's, or greasy hairstyles in general. No one ever said, for example, that he likes another guy's greasy hairstyle, or that he is proud to look greasy, or anything like that. In other words, looking greasy was treated practically just like being dressed normally, and that's it.

Seemingly, the only exception to the above was me! I told several guys with greasy hair that I liked their hairstyles. One guy from Pakistan was greasy, and I recall (with a certain kind of nostalgia) that once he used Vitalis, but after that, he didn't use anything--and his hair was still greasy! I told him how lucky he was to be greasy, and I really wish I could be as greasy as he was--in fact I told him I envied him for this! I think I recall that he then said he didn't like to look slick anymore, but he couldn't get rid of the slick look, even though he wanted to!

Another greasy kid, who I was friendly with (Jewish like me) never used any product at all. I told this kid that, likewise, I wanted to look greasy, but whatever I used, it would only disappear in an hour or so. He suggested that if I want to look greasy, eat a lot of food with grease or oil in it. I told him, thanks for the advice, but all that would do is make me fat!

Here is yet another interesting story. We had a transit strike (this was in the 60's) in New York City at one point that I was in college (CCNY). I couldnt take any subway that I usually did, but a greasy classmate (who lived somewhere near me) offered me a ride to and from school through his mother, who drove us both to school. I recall sitting in the back seat with him, and I recall it felt really hot! (not temperature wise). He was blond, and an incredible greaseball! He was always loaded up with a huge amount of Brylkreem. The aroma of the Brylcreem from his greaseball really turned me on. Oddly, I never had the occasion to discuss his terrific greaseball with him.

Once again, you came up with interesting thoughts in your reply to mine. If I really wanted to look like one of those greasy characters you have on your site, I could give my hair the straightening treatment that I mentioned -- and even without using any other product, my hair will be slick and shiny, like a Chinese or Mexican greaser. But as I said, this is not permanent. Furthermore, if I really then loaded up with so much greasy stuff that I REALLY look very greasy, there is a drawback. (I may have mentioned this to you some time.) My scalp would end up with lots of dandruff after a couple of days or so. I am sure that some other men's scalp, in addition to mine, acts this way. That's why I don't try to grease my hair all that much. Fortunately, it's not some kind of horrible disease--and it's no great tragedy if I can't always look exactly that way, but I'm just making my point.

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