5 Men's Slicked Back Hairstyles

When we talk about hairstyles for men, there are for course numerous options to consider. The category of hairstyles I will be talking about today are the men's slicked back hairstyles.

Why would you slick back your hair as a man?

When you hair is getting longer, it can sometimes fall in front of your face. That can happen sooner when you have a widow's peak, because your longer hairs in the front does not have the support anymore it once had and can start falling in your face during the day.

So, it is also very practical to slick your hair back, but it is of course also just a certain type of look you can go for. There are multiple great men's hairstyles where you slick your hair back.

1. Classic Slick-Back

In most cases the classic slicked-back is the hairstyle that people have in mind when they think of slicked back hairstyles for men. A classic slick-back requires the hair to be combed to the back and usually a shiny styling product is used.

The hair on top but also the hair on the sides are brushed or combed tightly to the back. This look can result in a few prejudices, because men with this kind of hairstyle are sometimes considered less reliable or slick. An example of a classic slick-back is the hairstyle of the fictional character Michael Corleone in The Godfather.

When styling this look, you will usually use a water or oil based pomade. These products are a bit more sticky and will help you to keep your hair styled to the back more easily. A water based pomade dries in, so your hair stays put. An oil based pomade stays flexible, but it is more greasy, so it takes more effort to wash it out completely.

Variations on the classic slick-back

A variation you see a lot is the slicked-back undercut, so the sides are short. To create an undercut or in some cases even a fade, will give this hairstyle a more modern look.

You can also pick matte styling products, like a clay or matte pomade if you do not like too much shine. That also creates a more modern slicked-back look.

2. Slick-Back with Man-Bun

The second example is a real hipster look with the hair slicked-back but with a man-bun. To achieve this men's hairstyle you need definitely some length because otherwise you cannot create a man-bun.

Some examples of men that had a slicked-back hairstyle with a bun are Jared Leto, Jason Momoa and even Leonardi DiCaprio at some point. This slicked-back hairstyle is not for everyone, but if you are going for a real hipster look, this is it.

For this men's hairstyle you can also use a pomade or potentially a hair cream with some more hold. The man-bun will help to keep the hair slicked-back, but it still requires some styling. Usually you will style a slick-back with man-bun just with your hands. Do not pull your hair too much when creating the bun, because that is not good for your hair.

Variations for the slick-back with man-bun

You can choose to keep the sides shorter when going for this look and that creates a more extreme version of this hipster look. You can also pick yourself where you want to create the bun itself. It can be a tiny ponytail or you can create it more on top of your head.

3. Slicked-Back Quiff

The first two examples are usually both men's hairstyles that are slicked-back quite a lot and styled with shinier products, but it does not have to be. Nowadays the most popular men's hairstyles are probably the ones with less shine.

The slicked-back quiff is also sometimes called The Pomp. The hair is not going super slick backwards, but it is styled a bit more up to create more volume. This is a very modern slicked-back hairstyle that you cannot go wrong with these days.

This slicked-back quiff is a very flexible hairstyle that you can style however you want. A few celebrities that had this look in the past or still have it are David Beckham, Harry Styles and Justin Bieber.

To style the slicked-back quiff I would recommend using a blow-dryer and a round or skeleton brush to easily style your hair up and back. That way you also create tons of volume.

When it comes to styling you can choose a wax, clay or paste if you want less shine and a medium to high hold. Your hair will stay flexible and you can easily comb through your hair with your hands if a hair strand is falling out of place.

Variations for the slicked-back quiff

This men's hairstyle with the hair slicked up and back can be worn in many different ways. You can go for a very groomed and tight look that has been styled with a comb and a shiny product, but you can also go for a very messy hairstyle and a more natural finish.

4. Comb-over

The first three men's slicked back hairstyles I mentioned all have the hair styled pretty much straight back. The quiff mentioned above is styled a bit up and then back, but the comb-cover is more styled to the back and side.

A comb-over is a very stylish look that prevents hair from falling in your face. You can never go wrong with this hairstyle. You choose yourself what way you want to style your hair. Usually your hair naturally has a way it grows and falls, so you can just work with the natural flow and style is back and to the side.

Justin Timberlake, George Clooney and Ryan Gosling are all celebrities that frequently wear a comb-over. It is a hairstyle that does not require a lot of maintenance and you can easily style it when you have an event or party.

You can just use a little bit of hair wax or paste with a natural to medium shine. You can either use a comb or hair brush to style your hair the correct way.

Variations for the comb-over

The name already mentions that this hairstyle is usually combed or brushed into shape, but you can also use your hands for a bit more messy looking hairstyle. The amount of shine is a personal choice when going for the comb-over.

5. Slick-Back with Side-Part

The last men's hairstyle I would like to mention is the side-part. This hairstyle is styled a bit more to the side than a comb-over, but it still also somewhat slicked-back.

The slicked-back hairstyle with side-part is also a very classic looking hairstyle, like the first option I mentioned. Usually a shinier product is used to style this look, like a pomade or hair cream.

This look is a real red carpet look and many famous actors wore it while going to an important event. Just think of Colin Farrel, Tom Hardy or Brad Pitt for example. In some regard you could say that the slicked-back with side-part is a more classic version of the comb-over.

Variations for the slicked-back with side-part

Nowadays a variation you see often for this look is a little shaved in line called a hard part. That does make this look seem more modern, but it is not always a good idea to create this hard parts, because you are messing up your hairline.

Another variation to keep the hair looking very groomed and styled to the side, but slightly less classic, is using products with no shine for a more natural look. You could try a matte wax, clay or paste that is not too dry.

Conclusion

Hopefully this blog post showed that there are many more slicked-back hairstyles for men than just the classic slicked-back. To slick your hair back is very popular still and now you know 5 options that you can consider.

It does not matter if you want a very classic or a more modern look, there is always a slicked-back hairstyle that fits your hair and personality. Your hair will look awesome and will not fall in front of your face.

In the Moquer shop you can find hundreds of hair styling products to keep your favorite slicked-back hairstyle in place whole day long. We got many matte and shiny products available to bring your hairstyle to the next level.

And then this...

Do not forget to subscribe to our weekly update with new blog posts, discounts and more! On our Facebook and Instagram you can find many more tips and inspiration regarding hairstyles, grooming and skincare!