After a few days of experimenting, and going through the majority of a box of Knox brand gelatin, I felt like it would be beneficial to write this out for other people to read, saving trouble and headaches.

On gelatin:

Do you remember back when you were little, when your mom made Jell-O for you? If your childhood was troubled, just pretend. She would boil water, mix in the packet of Jell-O and then add a cup of ice water? Gelatin dissolves best and easily at higher temperatures, so it would stand to reason that you'd mix it with boiling water to dissolve it best. Conversely, gelatin firms up best when cold, which is why you'd refrigerate it. Mixing in the ice water with your Jell-O is a useful step, because it takes a fair amount of time to cool down boiling water in the fridge. Plus, the heat the warm Jell-O gives off is not the greatest thing for the other items that should remain cold. The Jell-O will always firm up fastest when it goes into the fridge cold.

The same reasoning applies when it comes to using unflavored gelatin. Hot water will dissolve it best and keep it the most fluid, easiest to apply, and require as little drying as possible.

A few reminders before you do anything: water stores heat better than most metals. If it is hot, it can transfer the energy into your hand and burn you. Exercise caution when dealing with water hotter than what comes out of your showerhead.

First:
  Get a bowl that could be used for cereal. Use something cheap, you don't want to ruin anything decent. Any size bigger is kind of wasteful. If it's too shallow, it'll cool down pretty quickly. You could even use a ceramic mug. You will also want to choose one that would be easy enough to stir hot liquid in, so if you've got shallower bowls, pass them over in favor of a deeper one. Microwave safe is a plus.

Second:
  This applies to all bowls, but ceramic ones in particular, as they have a greater capacity to absorb the heat of the water. Get hot or boiling water, and use it to warm up the bowl, so if you're undergoing a long operation, it slows the cooling quite a bit. After having heated up the bowl, add about 2 packets (roughly half an ounce, ~14gm) of unflavored gelatin and then about a third of a cup of hot water. Stir. Do not add any more Knox after the initial combination with the water; it will get clumps in it that will be difficult to remove. You can definitely play around with the strength; you'll want it to be stronger for longer hair and firmer holds; weaker for easier cleanup.

Third:
  Put a towel over your shoulders. If you would like, make sure to wear a shirt that will easily fit over your finished hair style. Button-down shirts are a great choice, but don't use a nice one; your dad might kill you. Floral print Hawaiian shirts are cheap at thrift stores. The Knox will get on your clothing or the towel, but will come out with hot water.

Fourth:
  Apply Knox to your hair at the highest temperature your fingers and scalp will tolerate, and comb it through. You have very little time to comb your hair before it sets. If you let it cool too much, it will get rubbery in the bowl. Style as desired, and blow dry until firm. Use the "Cool" setting so the Knox will strengthen as quickly as possible. Make sure you get the roots. If the knox begins to cool and harden, avoid adding hot water to dilute it. It will indeed warm the Knox back up, but it will dilute it. Consider microwaving it instead. The gelatin will set very quickly, and you might want a friend to help if your hair is long. While it is still wet, you will be able to wash it out without much trouble in the shower. After it has set and dried, it will be just short of bulletproof. You do not get this kind of hold from commercial styling products.


If you're making large spikes sticking out at all angles from your head ("Liberty Spikes", as in the Statue of Liberty), you'll want to definately wear a buttondown shirt. My stepbrother got them, but his t-shirts underwent a fair amount of stretching to remove. We used roughly 16 to 20 packets experimenting on his hair alone, which I also do not reccommend. His hair was hard like fiberglass, and he was unable to bend them at all. Furthermore, they required a long time in the shower with hot water to remove. When lying down, he could literally support his head with them.

My mohawk proved less problematic. We used four packets of Knox mixed with hot water, combed it through and applied it well to the roots. It will last virtually unchanged for about a week; I've never left it in for longer. Because it is rather difficult to remove from your hair, I would not recommend it for anyone interested in a temporary (less than a day or two) hairstyle. After blowdrying firm, the hair becomes stiff but not brittle. It will take roughly two more hours to dry your hair out completely; I recommend you do not go to sleep during this time period. If you used a large amount of Knox, it may take longer. Use only as much knox as you need to make cleanup faster. Even so, Knox is not for the faint of heart. You will have a very strong control over your hair for the next week. Happy hawking.