Men whose hair feels limp, flat or damaged and who want it to take a textured style more easily. It is a retail shampoo for everyday home use, and it is meant to be followed by a Fiber styling product: Fiber for short hair, Fiber Cream for medium lengths or Fiber Grooming Foam for longer hair, as American Crew lays out the routine.

Most shampoos only clean, then leave the styling product to do all the work. Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo is built to do part of that work in the shower: American Crew formulated it to strengthen the hair fibre and leave behind texture and grip, so hair that usually falls flat holds a textured style with less product. It still cleans like a regular shampoo and is designed to keep the scalp balanced, and because it skips silicones it does not coat the hair or weigh down fine, limp strands. If you already use Fiber or Fiber Cream, it is the matching first step.

• Wet hair thoroughly
• Massage a small amount into hair and scalp and work up a lather
• Rinse well
• With damp or dry hair, finish with your styling product; American Crew pairs it with Fiber, Fiber Cream or Fiber Grooming Foam

Pros

• Cleans and preps the hair in one step, so a paste or fibre product grips better afterwards
• Brand-stated benefits include added texture, control and strength, with hair left looking thicker
• Vegan and silicone-free, so there is no silicone layer to build up between washes
• Formulated to keep the scalp's microbiome balanced

Cons

• Uses sulfate cleansers (ammonium lauryl and sodium lauryl sulfate), so it is not for anyone avoiding sulfates
• Contains added fragrance and dyes, which sensitive scalps may not like
• It gives texture, not hold; you still need a styling product to finish the look