7 Ways To Train Your Hair To Go Back

The SLICK BACK style is now back in. It’s not just for Danny Zuko (Grease is the ultimate slick back style of its time).

So how do we actually train our hair to go into a slick back? Is it possible to change your hair to lay in a new direction?

Absolutely, the key to training your hair to go back into a slick back is simply time and patience. Alongside this, you can use naturally easy methods such as using a wide-tooth comb, your products, growing your length, style only clean hair and using low heat settings on your blow dryer. 

Follow our tips on the easiest way to train your hair to go back whilst following our recommendations on the best products to use and how best to style your hair once you have trained it to stay.

Top Tips to Train Your Hair to Go Back

 1. Use Your Wide Tooth Comb On Wet Hair

It’s essential you have clean hair to style, so washing your hair first in the shower will make all the difference. Whilst in the shower be sure to comb your hair with a wide-tooth comb whilst you condition your hair.

 2. Towel Dry Hair

You will want to lightly dry your hair with a towel, enough to stop it from dripping but still damp enough to style with a blowdryer.

 3. Use Your Blowdryer – On The Lowest Setting

Using your blowdry on the lowest settings is used to set your hairstyle in place. It’s also better to use low heat on your hair as this will cause less damage, whilst helping to SET your chosen slick back style.

Simply use your brush or comb to tame your hair in the new direction you want it to go in and slowly dry your hair in parts pulling it backwards.

Doing this repeatedly will help to train your hair to stay backwards in a slick back. The more you use this style and blow dry it in this way each time it will get easier and naturally form this way.

4. Use Your Products Correctly – Do Not Overdose

Sometimes by using too much product whilst styling your hair you can ruin your style before you have begun. Try following the rule of not using more than a dollar size amount in your hair and this way you won’t overdose on the product. According to Hello Magazine, a pea-sized amount of products is plenty to style your hair no matter what you choose to use.

5. Comb Your Hair It’s Natural Way

Although you are trying to train your hair to go a different way it is used to going, you will still have a natural path your hair will take and it’s essential when combing your hair you follow this natural way. This will make it easier to keep this style.

6. Use a Clarifying Shampoo Regularly

Using a clarifying shampoo regularly will help strip all the extra products you may not normally use so often. Clarifying shampoo will detox your hair keeping it light and healthy which is what we are aiming for to style your hair back.

Take a look at our sister site for the 9 best clarifying shampoos you can choose to detox your hair.

7. Hats and Headbands

Even if you are not a hat/headband person this might be something you should invest in. It’s an easy way to make your hair stay down in the style you have put it in.

I mean we have all heard of ‘hat hair’ right? Well, this is what happens when you have pressure on your hair all day your hair starts to stay that way (Just what were aiming for).

How To Style Your Hair Into Your Slick Back

1. Always Comb From The Ends Up

If you have a bit of length to your hair, you need to keep this length as healthy as possible avoiding as little damage to your hair as possible.

So combing your hair from your ends up is the first step to keeping your hair healthy and avoiding split ends. It will help safely remove any knots or tangles along the way.

Once you are happy your hair is ready to be styled, the comb is back the way you want it to fall and STAY.

2. Let Your Hair Sit For A Few Minutes

Before moving on to adding products to your hair it’s important you let your hair sit for a few minutes, this will help you see if your hair is going to need more product in certain places. Depending where your partings fall will depend on how your hair stays slick back.

3. Choose The Right Products for Your Slick Back

Choosing your product is one of the most important steps to achieving your slick back style. The list you could choose from is endless.

So be sure to check out our recommended products before providing shine and hold. Different products are out there for different hair types so be sure to choose the right one for your hair type.

Check below for a review on our favourite products.

4. Pat Your Hair (Don’t Rub)

PAT don’t RUB. It’s simple physics. If you rub your hair then you will cause static and make your hair hard to style. By patting your hair dying your hair whilst keeping it manageable.

5. Apply The Product Evenly

Apply the product evenly by simply putting the product onto the palm of your hand and rubbing it in. This is when you can run your fingers/hands through your hair to help spread the product throughout the whole of your hair.

6. Comb Everything Back (Where you want it to stay)

Start using your comb from your forehead slowly brushing all the way back to your neck to swoop your hair in the right direction for your slick back style. This is your opportunity where you will comb it into its final place so make sure it’s right.

7. DONT TOUCH IT

As tempting as it may be, it’s essential to not touch it. Once you have added your products and styled them into your slick back just leave it. This is where you want it to stay, move on to the last step and QUICK.

8. Make Hairspray Your Best Freind

Once your style is in place it’s best to lightly mist your hair with your chosen hairspray, as this will help your style to stay put (spray from at least 8cm away from your hair for the best results).

Best Men’s Products For Slick Back Styles

When searching for the best products to use for your slick back style you have many different options available depending on how much hold and shine you want your hair to have. It will also be down to your individual hair type. We have found something for everyone (so DON’T panic).

This Pomade for men is a classic styling product that won’t let you down. For a budget price, you will get a firm hold for your slick back look.

This styling texture powder is perfect to add volume to your slick back style and for around $10 this is a bargain price.

Hair Types And Slick Back Training

Hair types can really have a big impact on how easy and how quickly you can train your hair to go back into the desired slick back hairstyle.

We have looked carefully at how you can support each different hair type with different types of products and different ways to physically style it. Can you find your hair type?

Curly or Wavy Hair –

This is one of the trickiest hair types to train to slick back and slapping a load of gel onto your hair is just going to weigh it down, make it sit where it shouldn’t and make it become heavy.

We would recommend finding a lightweight product like a paste so you can run this through your curls to help get the product through your curls but without disturbing your hair pattern.

Our favourite is AQUAGE Transforming Paste helps to hold your style instead even with the curliest of waves.

Thick Hair –

Thick hair is not used as one hair type we know this but I feel no matter your type if you have thicker type hair, curly or straight we would still make the same recommendations.

NO 1 – get to a hairdresser, before trying to achieve this style get your hairdresser to thin your hair as this will help you achieve a lighter style that stays in place a lot easier.

Be sure to keep your hair healthy by using regular hair masks and conditioning your hair as the healthier your hair the flatter and more willing it will go the way you are trying to train it to go (BACK).

Thin Hair –

If you already suffer from thin hair then you MUST stick to lightweight products to make sure you dont cause any further strain on your hair. Paste’s are the safest option to use on your hair, they will provide enough hold to slick your hair back but are still lightweight enough.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the main message you need to remember to slick back your hair is to BE PATIENT. If you follow our step by step guide on how to train your hair to go back, it will stay there in the end.

You need to use the right products for your hair type, use the correct amount of product, style it correctly and only use the low heat settings on your blow dryer.

We hope you have found the guide on 7 ways to train your hair to go back into a slick back useful, as well as finding the correct products for your hair types. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us, we love to hear from our readers.