If you don’t know your wax from your gel from your pomade, don’t worry. Men’s hair products have expanded, giving you tons of choice and quite possibly a headache. It can be overwhelming, but we’ve distilled down the basics of hair glop for you.

Wax: Adds shine/control to shorter styles

Terrific for guys with wavy or straight hair, it’s a versatile product that lets you style your hair with out it looking TOO styled. You can find either matte or shiny finishes. Also, it’s malleable throughout the day, perfect for if you want to change things up from office to night out. Look for a water-soluble wax that washes out easily.

Putties/Clay: More disheveled and/or longer hair

These are the hardcore variation on wax, being both strong-holding and matte. Terrific for maximum control, while achieving true bed-head style, and for adding thickness.

Pomade: Sleek, shorter styles

Pomades fuse hold with shine, and are great to go for that slicked-back Mad Men/Great Gatsby pompadour. They tend to work best on straight or wavy thicker hair. Pomades differ from waxes by being shinier and stronger-holding.

Cream: Controls frizz, great for curly hair

Styling cream is quite different from wax/clay/pomade products. It’s a thick liquid rather than a waxy solid, and works great fo