I've used this for several years. It tames the fuzzies without the stiffness of a gel. When my hair was longer, it would put it on after shampooing and then blow dry. Now that it's short, I put it on after shampooing and just let it dry. It dries with a very light stiffness -- not at all like a gel. When dry, I brush it thoroughly. The stiffness goes away and the hair feels clean, but it will lay in the direction I combed it when wet (back on the sides) instead of in the direction it would go naturally (forward on the sides).