The Story of the Slickback

Written by Reagan Steffey

The slickback. Once women found out a hairstyle that works best with greasy hair, there was no way we were going to let this trend die off. Let’s be so real, it’s hard keeping up with your hair washing routine. First, you have to get in the shower, then you have to shampoo, condition, detangle, and if you have a wave or curl pattern, oh honey… that’s at least another hour of adding curl cream, gel, mousse, scrunching, and diffusing. 

This routine usually takes place on Sundays to start the week out fresh. However, once the middle of the week comes, around Tuesday night, our hair crosses the line from chic, to greasy. This is how the term “slickback wednesday” was born. The slickback first became a popular trend on social media because it was something most women could relate to. It helped women realize that they’re not alone in having trouble finding the time and motivation to wash their hair. I’m not trying to get all deep and philosophical, but when us girls see another woman rocking a slickback, we feel a universal connection and understanding. 

This feminine connection with hair is nothing new! Looking at hair through a historical lens, women have connected with each other through hair throughout history. For decades we’ve been braiding and brushing each other’s hair, recommending hair care practices and products to each other, even just talking about different hair styles.

Even though the slickback may seem like a new trend, Black, Brown, and South Asian cultures have been oiling and slicking back their hair for centuries. They didn’t just oil their hair to hide grease, they did it to promote growth, moisture retention, and scalp health. But in the past few decades of western culture, there wasn’t a hairstyle that was trendy if you had greasy hair; women just had to suck it up and wash it, which can be very damaging to their hair health. One could argue that it doesn’t matter what someone’s hair looks like, but in the patriarchal society we’re living in, a woman’s looks are perceived to be very important to their value as a human being. The more outwardly attractive a woman is, the more opportunities she is given and the better she is treated by men and women. 

Which is why it’s no small feat that women have changed the narrative of greasy hair from “lazy” and “gross” to “chic” and “clean”. Now, when a woman has greasy hair, she can do a quick slickback, and she’ll be perceived as stylish and elegant. And let me just say, I’m so here for it. 

No matter our hair type or length, we’ve long been aware of the effort it takes to wash, dry, and style our hair. It can be hard to fit hair washing in our schedules while trying to achieve our goals and dreams. We have school, career building, jobs, internships, side gigs, exercise, sleep, eating, socializing, we don’t have time for a whole hair routine while making a name for ourselves. 

So when Tuesday night comes, and you don’t have an hour or two to stick to your hair washing routine, just brush it into a slickback and use that time to work towards your dreams, babe.