Men's Hair Care: The Routine Nobody Taught You | The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast Ep. 23

Most men were handed a two-in-one at twelve and never told anything else, so Delena starts the men in her chair with the 18.21 Man Made Wash, a hair, face, and body three-in-one that replaces the drugstore bottle with something that actually cleans the scalp. In this episode Delena, a licensed cosmetologist, lays out the four-step routine nobody taught them: wash the scalp, condition (yes, short hair), style with the Sweet Tobacco Grooming Cream, and fix hat hair with the 18.21 Hair Powder and the Hair Finishing Stick.

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Episode Summary

Most men were handed a bottle of two-in-one at twelve and never told anything else. Delena Markland, a licensed cosmetologist with 25+ years of experience, lays out the four-step routine she gives the men in her chair, starting with the 18.21 Man Made Wash, why conditioner is not optional for short hair (it is more exposed to the elements, not less), the thirty-second hat-hair fix, and the scalp-first change that stopped her own husband's flaking. Two things changed at once in his case, so no single product gets credit for what came after.

The written companion to this episode: Men's Hair Care: Complete Routine for Healthy Hair. Related listening: Ep. 20, Beard Balm vs Beard Oil.

Full Episode Transcript

Jess: Welcome back to The Pixie Garden Hair Podcast. I'm Jess with Delena Markland. Delena, we've done twenty-two episodes and almost all of them have been for women. Today is for the men, and I know you have opinions.

Delena Markland: I do, and I will start with the product because it is the fastest fix: the 18.21 Man Made Wash. It is a three-in-one, hair, face, and body, and I recommend it because the honest truth is most men will not use three bottles. So I give them one that is actually good instead of the drugstore two-in-one they have been using since they were twelve. But the product is the small part. The routine is the part nobody taught them.

Jess: Why nobody? That's a strong statement.

Delena Markland: Because for most men, their dad did not teach them. Their dad was not taught either. I ask every new male client what his routine is and the answer is a shampoo, some water, and maybe a product he bought because the bottle looked cool. That is not a routine. So here is the one I actually give them, and it is four steps.

Jess: Step one.

Delena Markland: Wash the scalp, not just the hair. This is the whole foundation. Everything about men's hair, the thinning, the flaking, the itching, the greasy-by-noon problem, starts at the scalp. When you wash, fingertips at the scalp, thirty seconds of actual scrubbing, then rinse longer than you think. Daily or every other day. Short hair does not mean you get to skip days.

Jess: Step two, and I already know what it is because I've heard you say it.

Delena Markland: Conditioner. Men hear conditioner and think it is for long hair. It is not. Conditioner is for hair, and you have hair. Here is the part that surprises them: short hair is more exposed to the elements than long hair, not less. Every strand is out in the sun and the wind and the dry air with nothing covering it. Long hair protects itself in layers. A buzz cut has no layers. So the man with the shortest hair is the one who most needs to put something back into it. The 18.21 anti-flake set is a shampoo and a conditioner for a reason.

Jess: Step three.

Delena Markland: Style with something that works with the hair, not against it. For most men I reach for the 18.21 grooming cream. It is a light hold with a natural finish, it does not turn into a helmet, and you can re-work it during the day with your hands. Small amount, rub it between your palms until you cannot see it, work it through from the back forward. Everyone starts at the front and ends up with a greasy fringe and nothing behind it.

Jess: And step four is the one that's going to get the most listens, because it's September and every man I know is in a hat.

Delena Markland: Hat hair. Two products, thirty seconds. The 18.21 hair powder goes at the roots that got crushed, rub it in with your fingers, and the volume comes right back up. Then the Hair Finishing Stick along the front hairline and the sides where the hat pushed the short pieces out sideways. It is an alcohol-free gel in a wand, so it lays those pieces down without flaking or feeling stiff. Powder for the lift, stick for the edges. Keep both in the truck.

Jess: You mentioned thinning and flaking earlier. Is that a routine problem or a doctor problem?

Delena Markland: Often it is a scalp problem, and I will tell you why I believe that. My own husband fought dandruff for years with harsh, almost prescription-strength shampoos that stripped his scalp and never fixed it. He had the itching, the scaling, and his hair was thinning. When he stopped fighting the flakes and started taking care of the scalp instead, he switched to the BOOST rosemary scalp scrub and the 18.21 anti-flake shampoo and conditioner, the flaking stopped. And months later he noticed his hair filling back in. Now, I want to be careful. Two things changed at the same time, so I am not going to tell you one product grew his hair. What I will tell you is that his scalp got healthy and everything else got better after that. That is the foundation point.

Jess: What about the beard? Half these men have one.

Delena Markland: We did a whole episode on it, twenty, balm versus oil. Short version: oil for a short beard or itchy skin, balm for a longer beard that needs shape, and a small scrape of balm over oil if you want both. We carry the 18.21 beard balm. Go listen to that one.

Jess: Biggest mistake you see?

Delena Markland: Washing with scalding water and then towel-drying like they are angry at it. Warm water, not hot. And wet hair has more elasticity than dry, so it can take a little handling, but it does not need to be scrubbed with a towel. Pat it, put your product in, move on.

Jess: Where do they get all of it?

Delena Markland: thepixiegarden.com. The 18.21 wash, the grooming cream, the hair powder, the anti-flake set, and the BOOST scrub are all there. It is the men's shelf from my own chair.

Jess: All linked on this episode's page with the full written routine. See you Monday.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a basic hair care routine for men?

Four steps: wash the scalp with fingertips daily or every other day, condition, style with a light-hold cream worked through from the back, and fix hat hair with a root powder plus an alcohol-free finishing product on the edges.

Do men need conditioner for short hair?

Yes. Short hair is more exposed to sun, wind, and dry air than long hair because there are no layers protecting it. Conditioner puts back what the environment takes out.

How often should men wash their hair?

Daily or every other day, scrubbing at the scalp rather than just lathering the hair. Skipping days does not train the scalp; it just leaves oil and buildup on it.

How do you fix hat hair fast?

Rub a hair powder into the crushed roots to lift them, then smooth the pushed-out pieces at the hairline with an alcohol-free finishing stick. About thirty seconds.

Can a scalp routine help with dandruff and thinning?

A healthy scalp is the foundation, and flaking often clears when the scalp stops being stripped. Hair growth is a separate question; no shampoo or scrub should be credited with regrowth.

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Hosted by Delena Markland, Licensed Cosmetologist and Owner of The Pixie Garden. New episodes weekly. Browse all episodes.