Hello again, hair gel – from Austin Butler’s tousled curls to Kim Kardashian’s wet look

Once upon a time, hair gel conjured one image: a stiff, shiny, crunchy helmet that threatened to flake at any moment. It was the era of frosted tips, spiky edges and rigid curls, and gel was everywhere, defining the look of entire decades.

Although gel may have seemed to have gone the way of pagers and VHS tapes, it has quietly staged a comeback. Technology has given it a second act, powered by smarter formulations and a shift in how we think about texture. “Old gel formulas left the hair feeling really hard and crunchy. It also made the hair look wet, greasy and stiff, while also causing the hair to feel dry and brittle due to the alcohol content,” explains Emmy-nominated celebrity hairstylist Dean Banowetz, known as the Hollywood Hair Guy.

Tun agrees, noting that soft-hold and memory-hold formulations have made way for products that feel as good as they look. “Brands are now more mindful of avoiding harsh ingredients like high levels of alcohol, which can dry out the hair,” Tun adds. Today’s gels rely on lightweight polymers and humectants that provide control while keeping hair soft to the touch, a concept perfectly aligned with a generation that values texture, imperfection and lived-in polish over rigid flawlessness.

For women, the gel renaissance has been especially transformative in caring for curls. Where gels once left hair stiff, dehydrated or brittle until washed out, today’s curl gels are more conditioning than controlling, designed to maintain bounce and movement. Brands like Ouidad, Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross and Curlsmith have earned cult status for redefining hold through nourishment, blending gels with ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and flaxseed extract to create definition that feels more supple.