November 10, 2011
The Perfect Slick-back, a Tutorial
They ask, “How do you get your hair looking so perfect everyday?” “With hot and painful morning hair-pulling, and a cup of hair spray!” I reply, half-jokingly. Knowing how to do the perfect, sharp slick-back is great to keep in one’s arsenal for that hot date or the occasional black-tie affair, or for those with the same commitment to dandyism as I have, everyday. Admittedly, it does take a little more time and effort than a tousled dirty-wax hairstyle, but with technique and lots of practice, this ‘do can be most certainly do-able.
You might notice the rigor and severity of my technique; I do have to contend with the stubbornness of my horse-thick Asian hair. For those with finer hair, feel free to skip the blow-drying step, or use a gel or pomade with a little less hold. Here’s how to do it:
Begin with your hair fresh from the shower; it is most pliable at this state. Towel-dried until it is very slightly damp, parted where preferred.
Start by blow-drying the sides of your hair closer to the head for a slim, sleek profile. Comb the hair down and back, and follow the motion with the hair dryer. Repeat until dry.
Take time to blow-dry the top portion of your hair that falls right opposite the part: this section will carry the most weight, and blow-drying it would prevent it from collapsing throughout the day. Brush back with the comb and follow with the hair-dryer on high.
When all is dry and set, it’s time for gel or pomade. I like the sharpness and the volume that gel permits, but if you prefer the more throwback, closer-to-the-head sort of slick-back, by all means use pomade. I use about two teaspoons of Goldwell’s mello goo gel, it’s thick as jam.
Rub the product thoroughly between your hands, and carefully shape your hair the desired way. I think having it slim on the sides, with a slight bit of volume on the top-front, gradually tapering down is universally flattering.
Follow through with a comb to distribute the product.
And set with hair spray.
I like to run my fingers through the top about ten seconds after spraying it. It gives my pencil-straight hair a bit of texture and it makes for a bit of a controlled messy look. For something more runway-pristine, skip this step and use more hair spray. Make sure to lay the hair spray on twice as heavy on the top portion right opposite the part; this section needs the most support. Set everything with a hair dryer on low.
As an extra flourish, I like to finish it off with a glossing serum. I use the medium-thickness Nigelle Rx from Hair Mates in the East Village.
Rub a squirt or two vigorously between your palms.
And carefully work it through your hair. That extra glint, that shine when the halogen lights at a gallery opening hit your mane, ah, with that perfectly slicked-back mane you will stand out in the crowd.
Finished. Smile, you movie star you.
photographs by Austin A. Wong
8 Comments
November 10th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Thanks for this! I've been trying to get the quiff right for ages but well, I don't even have a hairdryer so I guess that's a big problem.
November 10th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
you're hair does just amazing matey, i must admit. this will come in handy for the hair bunch. sadly mines thin on the ground and has been since i was about 20. my grandad had hair like yours, probably a bit longer but similar teddy boy style in the 50s. it skipped my generation and i got lumped with curly fly away hair
November 15th, 2011 at 12:17 am
Love it!
Just one question, is it hard to rinse all those products off?
November 15th, 2011 at 12:19 am
chanwit: no, it all rinses out cleanly with water.
February 24th, 2012 at 9:51 am
Great set of pictures and writeup. I’m Asian myself, and trying to go for the slicked back hair look to look more mature and professional. I think the coarsness of our hair makes the task a little more challenging than caucasians. Nonetheless, you demonstrated well on how to tame your hair.
Question: how long, roughly, is the front of your hair?
March 26th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
fantastic. you look fantastic! completely halogen light-ready.
i just have my sides trimmed super nearly-shaved-but-not-short and grow the top. the result is decidedly less fabulous than this.
March 27th, 2012 at 2:10 am
you’re too kind! thank you
April 11th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Awesome! Brilliant! I’m a girl, but my hair cut is short and boyish. I’m also Filipino so my hair is super thick, and for the life of me, I could not figure out how to slick it back without it having absurd height (think Christopher Walken in Balls of Fury). Followed your steps and it turned out perfect. Thank You!
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