Hairspray Guide: How to Choose and Use It for Your Hair Type

TL;DR:

• Hairspray is a finishing product — it locks in a style after the real work is done, not a substitute for it
• Hold level (flexible, medium, firm) determines how your style moves throughout the day. Choose based on what you need
• Fine hair needs lightweight formulas that don't flatten. Thick or curly hair can handle stronger hold
• For South African humidity: a flexible-hold formula on damp hair plus a firm-hold spray to lock it in works better than one product alone
• Sulphate-free and alcohol-free formulas are kinder to dry or colour-treated hair

Hairspray is one of the most misunderstood styling products. It's not complicated — but choosing the wrong formula for your hair type or applying it wrong explains why so many clients feel like it either doesn't hold or makes their hair stiff and sticky. Here's what our stylists actually recommend.

Meet the experts:
Royston and Warren at Cavendish Square — Judy, head trainer — Lewis, owner — Jackie at Gardens Centre — Debbie and Nikí at V&A Waterfront — Danny and Charlene at Canal Walk — Lynette, Samantha and Dominique at Constantia Village

01 — Understanding Hold Levels

Flexible hold — allows natural movement and can be reworked or brushed out. Ideal for everyday styles, loose waves, and textured looks. Hair still moves and feels touchable. Best for most daily use scenarios.

Medium hold — the middle ground. More control than flexible but not stiff. Good for blow-dried styles, half-up styles, and anything that needs to hold through a full day without being completely locked.

Firm or strong hold — locks the style in place for hours. Ideal for updos, formal styles, anything that needs to survive a full event or South African summer humidity. Hair won't move much. Brush-out is harder and usually requires washing.

"The mistake most clients make is defaulting to strong hold when they don't need it," says Royston at Cavendish. "Flexible hold gives a much more natural result for everyday styles. Strong hold is for specific occasions — weddings, events, formal dinners. For a daily blowout, flexible hold is almost always the better choice."

02 — Fine Hair: Lightweight and Root-Focused

Fine hair is weighted down by too much product. Choose lightweight, flexible-hold formulas and apply sparingly. Focus spray at the roots to build lift and volume rather than coating the lengths, which will flatten fine hair quickly. Hold the can 25 to 30cm from the hair and spray in light, even bursts — not a continuous soaking application.

"Fine hair clients who say hairspray doesn't work are almost always over-applying," says Charlene at Canal Walk. "A light mist at the roots and a quick pass over the surface is enough. More product doesn't mean more hold on fine hair — it means flat, heavy, tacky hair by midday."

03 — Thick and Curly Hair: Work With the Texture

Thick, coarse, or curly hair can handle more product and often needs a stronger hold to maintain a style through South African humidity. For curly hair specifically, apply hairspray to individual sections while hair is still damp and hold your curl pattern as you spray — this locks in the shape without disturbing it. A light flexible spray on wet curls, followed by a quick diffuse, gives defined curls that hold without crunch.

"Curly hair responds better to hairspray applied in sections," says Debbie at the Waterfront. "Spraying over the top of a finished dry style tends to give a dull, coated result. Applying in sections on damp hair gives you hold from the inside of the curl, which lasts longer and looks more natural."

04 — South African Humidity: The Layering Strategy

Cape Town's coastal humidity is one of the most common reasons clients feel like hairspray "doesn't work." The strategy that actually works in humidity isn't a stronger product — it's layering two products. A humidity-resistant leave-in or smoothing cream on damp hair first, dried into the style. Then a medium to firm hold hairspray over the finished look to lock it in. The leave-in creates a humidity barrier from inside the cuticle. The spray seals it from outside.

"Single-product approaches struggle in our climate," says Lewis. "The leave-in does the internal protection work. The spray does the external locking. Together they're significantly more effective than either alone. This is the approach we use in-salon for blowouts that need to last through a Cape Town summer day."

05 — How to Apply Hairspray Correctly

Hold the can 20 to 30cm from the hair — closer than this gives uneven, heavy patches. Apply in short bursts rather than a continuous spray. Allow each layer to dry slightly before applying more. For fine hair: light mist, focused at roots, finished with a surface pass. For thick or curly hair: section by section, closer hold on each section. For updos and formal styles: apply under and around the style as well as over the surface — this locks the hold from multiple angles.

06 — Ingredients Worth Knowing

Look for humidity-blocking ingredients in any hairspray meant for South African conditions — anti-humidity technology, silicone-based shields, or glycerin (in flexible formulas, where it helps attract controlled moisture rather than letting humidity do it unevenly). Avoid very high concentrations of drying alcohols as the primary ingredient, particularly on dry or colour-treated hair. Flexible-hold formulas tend to use lighter polymers that allow movement. Firm-hold formulas use higher-concentration fixatives that set harder.

"The ingredient list tells you more than the hold claim on the label," says Judy, head trainer. "'Extra hold' on the front of the bottle is marketing. The polymer concentration on the ingredient list is information. High-quality professional hairsprays are also formulated with the right pH balance for the hair — which is part of why they perform more consistently than consumer alternatives."

Frequently Asked Questions

What hold level should I use for everyday hair?

Flexible hold for most everyday styles — loose waves, blowouts, textured styles. Medium hold if your style needs to last a full day of work. Firm hold for special occasions, formal events, or styles that need to survive South African humidity all day.

Why does my hairspray make my hair feel stiff and crunchy?

Too much product, too close to the hair, or too strong a hold level for the style. Hold the can further away (25 to 30cm), use lighter bursts, and try stepping down to a flexible hold formula for everyday use.

How do I get hold without stickiness?

Apply to completely dry hair in light, even layers from a distance. Let each layer dry before adding more. Professional formulas with flexible polymers tend to give hold without the residue that cheaper products leave.

What's the best hairspray for South African humidity?

A medium to firm hold spray with anti-humidity technology, used as the final layer over a humidity-resistant leave-in product. The combination is more effective than any single product in Cape Town's coastal conditions.

Is hairspray bad for your hair?

Used correctly and washed out properly, no. The main concerns are buildup from over-application and drying from high alcohol content in some formulas. Sulphate-free or lower-alcohol formulas are kinder on dry or colour-treated hair, and clarifying shampoo monthly removes any buildup.

Shop professional styling products including hairspray at Partners Hair, or visit your nearest salon for a product recommendation. Free delivery on orders over R390.