Slicked back hair comes in trend cycles through hairstory, and never goes out of style in Black and Latinx beauty. But it's safe to say that in the last few years, its been having a widespread moment, peaking in the era of the 'clean girl aesthetic'. Whether you're going for the quiet luxury of a Sofia Richie-Grange centre-part low bun, a sleek straight-back pony for a Kardashian high-drama style, or bursting into curls like our homegrown Maya Jama; slicking is an essential hair skill.
Luckily for you, the person that has worked on the heads of all of the above, has taken the time to chat to us about how to perfectly slick your hair. Celeb stylist Jay Birmingham took the time away from his jaw-dropping client list to break it down for us, step by step.
An expert guide to slicked-back hair
We'll start with what you need to hand, but do not fear, not everyone will need all of these things; it's dependant on hair type, and you'll likely find you can substitute some with what you have at home.
Toolkit
- Large paddle brush
- Small barrel brush
- Light tail comb
- Hair ties
+ for curly and coily hair
- Detangling hair brush
- Hard brush
Products
- Hair oil
- Strong hold hairspray
- Shine/humidity spray
- Light conditioning spray
- Hydrating shampoo and conditioner
+ for curly and coily hair
- Gel
Prepping hair for a slicked style
Hair health is key for this look according to Birmingham, who warns against; "not giving hair the TLC and preparation it requires pre-styling, to ensure it is in the best condition possible." While you don't have time to give your hair a health overhaul on the spot, prepping with a hydrating shampoo and conditioner is a good start. "Treating hair to hydration and plenty of nutrients will always add to any style. The key to a look like this is high shine – you want to ensure you have that real luxurious feel, that is long-lasting and simply stunning at all times."
Jay's Shampoo and Conditioner
Detangling
Always detangle your hair thoroughly before getting going, as a smooth top layer won't be able to mask underneath; "Every layer and lock of hair matters for sleekness. Setting the foundation and lower sections of the hair accordingly is vital to ensure the top layers of the hair carry this through, allowing the hair to be styled perfectly," says Birmingham.
For straight hair, you can use the same paddle brush as you'll need for the slicking, but for curly or coily hair you may find it easier with a detangler like a Tangle Teezer. A light conditioning spray or a product for slip is needed to detangle textured hair, but try to concentrate the product to the ends.
Denman D83 Paddle Brush - Arctic Grey
Mielle Organics White Peony Leave-In Conditioner 240ml
If you're wearing natural curls or coils out in the ponytail, you'll need to skip full detangling in order to retain your curl pattern. Instead you'll work through smoothing out tangles in the hair that is being slicked. This can be done now or in the brushing back step (up next). Try to avoid creating knots below the tie point and tease these apart with fingers if need be.
Brushing back the hair
After choosing where you want to position your ponytail or bun, it's time to begin gathering the hair. For a classic full slick back Birmingham says to; "Start off with a large paddle brush, bringing all the hair on to the crown [or other chosen placement], then as you get closer to a sleek look, use a smaller barrel brush, working with the hair to ensure there is no bumps or loose areas. Depending on the thickness of the hair, I tend to gather the back first and then work anticlockwise. Take your time and gather the hair in small sections as you go; this is the easiest way to handle and get it right with no bumps.
"Remember practice makes perfect and don’t be disappointed if this takes time."
While Birmingham says overloading the hair with products is one of the most common mistakes, a modest amount of light conditioning spray and hair oil will help with the process of getting straight or wavy hair sleek. For curly, coily and kinky hair we suggest a light gel applied while brushing back, and you'll likely benefit from using a hard brush instead of the paddle/barrel brush, to penetrate the layers – particularly if your chosen style means you couldn't detangle throughout prior.
ghd Ceramic Vented Radial Brush Size 1 (25mm Barrel)
Magic Collection Hard & Soft Double Club Brush with Natural Boar Bristle
Slicking with a parting
But what about with a parting? "It’s not as hard as it looks – honest!" says Birmingham, who explains that for a centre-parted slicked style much of the same technique applies, but you need to "pull the hair back to a centred ponytail avoiding the parting and creating an all-over slicked back look. If working with a lower, more relaxed bun you can also work with a side parting depending on the general depth of the look."
Tying the hair
Once you're happy with your smoothness, fasten into a ponytail with a hair tie. If you get any looseness or bumps while fastening, see if they can be brushed into place, but it may well need to be re-tied a couple of times, even for the pros! Pulling tight from the ponytail can cause bumps says Jay; "Therefore if you are lightly pulling the hair do this very carefully – do not pull all at once. Remember, less is more."
For textured hair in particular, carefully going over with your hard bristle brush, once tied, will get you that smooth perfected result, aligning the strands.
This ponytail can stay as a ponytail or become the base for a bun, plait, updo or a hairpiece. The possibilities are endless.
Finishing the hair
Many think the key to these styles is loads of product says Birmingham. "This can often be seen as the best way to keep hair in place and to lock in the style. However, for me, I still believe that less is more – in every aspect!"
He instructs smoothing over using a light tail comb to bring in any flyaway hairs, which humidity spray will keep at bay. To finish, lightly spray the hair with a strong hold hair spray to lock in the look, recommends Birmingham, plus a professional shine spray; "to add that beautiful touch of luxury."
Andrew Fitzsimons HARD Strong Hold Hairspray for Maximum Control, 200ml
Color WOW Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray 162ml
You'll likely be able to find products that combine the above tasks, making it easier to stick to Jay's less is more product ethos. For example this humidity, shine spray.
KMS HairStay Anti-Humidity Seal 150ml
Touch-ups and repairs
Now, while Birmingham told us; "If the style has been prepped correctly, this should absolutely last the duration for any event, and require minimal maintenance throughout," we also made sure to get his advice on how to polish up the style if needed. "A small spritz of hairspray and, if required, a pea-sized amount of hair oil will sleek back any loose hairs."
At Cosmo, we're also big fans of slick gel touch-up wands for freshening up during the day, and this TIGI wax stick is a miracle worker for stubborn hair.
Slicked Hair Touch Up Heroes
So, however you choose to part it, style it, whether that's pony or bun, low or high, with added edges, maybe even dye in some skunk stripes; go forth and master the slick my friends. And never look back.
Unless it's in the mirror to make sure it's flawless.
Follow Elena on Instagram
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn.
