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All About Hair...and So Much More.
340: No Slickback November
A sleek ponytail can be a lifesaver on busy days, but what happens when that daily go-to starts thinning your hairline and flattening your curls? We dig into No Slick Back November with a stylist’s eye, explaining why tension, product buildup, and damp styling quietly add up—and how a few smart changes can protect your hair without giving up the polished look you love. From the origin of the trend to practical steps you can take today, we translate viral buzz into a healthy routine you can actually keep.
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Welcome to All About Hair, where we talk to shop, share stories, and spill the secrets behind great hair and a great career. I'm your host, Denise Keilitz, a former salon owner, educator, and a lifelong hair crusader. Whether you're a new stylist building your book, or just someone who loves learning about all things hair, you're in the right place. Hey there and welcome back to All About Hair. It's Denise, and since this episode is dropping right before Thanksgiving, I want to start by wishing you and your loved ones the warmest, happiest holiday. I hope your day is filled with good food, good people, and a little extra rest because you deserve that. If you're like me, you've been hustling trying to get ready for all the people in your house, or maybe you're going somewhere and you have to create a recipe, just remember to relax, give yourself a little bit of grace, slow down, and enjoy the day. Okay, let's get on with this show. Even though I'm not on TikTok myself, my inbox has been full of questions about something that's trending right now. It's called No Slick Back November. So today I'm breaking it down for you. What it is, why are people talking about it, and whether taking a break from tight, sleek styles might actually make a difference for your hair. So let's just start where this whole thing came from. I guess this trend took off when an influencer, her name's Joy Burnett, uh, her handles at that girl with the curly hair. She noticed she was getting breakage around her hairline and her curls weren't snapping back the way they used to. And she realized her daily slick back styles were a big part of the problem. So she challenged herself to go one full month without any tight, gelled-up looks, and she shared her experience online. Fast forward to this year, and even though I'm not scrolling TikTok personally, you have kept me in the loop. Enough listeners and clients have asked me about what I thought about it, so I said, okay, let's talk about this. And honestly, I think it's a conversation worth having. So let's just go ahead and say it. Slicked back hairstyles are gorgeous, they're clean, they're polished, they're effortless, and they save the day on those not so fresh hair mornings. And if you know me, I wear my hair back a lot because sometimes, well, most of the times, I just don't want to shampoo it. Come on, we're all human. Um, and and it's not the shampooing, it's the blow drying and the styling. I say there's absolutely nothing wrong with loving that slicked back hairstyle look, especially when you're just trying to pull yourself together and get out the front door. But the problem is, is when a style that's so easy and flattering, we lean on it a little too often. And that's where problems show up. Some of the problems are thinning or shedding along the hairline, or you might see breakage right where that ponytail sits, and it's from your hair tie being a little bit too tight. You can experience dryness from the strong gels that you use or the hairspray that you use to keep it slicked back. You could have product buildup and scalp irritation from not shampooing often enough. Me. Um, and for your my curly haired girls, um, your curl patterns could stretch out and you can lose definition. That is a thing. Look, your hair is always going to tell you the truth, you just have to listen to it. So, who's most prone to this? Well, this trend doesn't just specifically target one hair type. It's more about how your individual hair reacts to tension. People who tend to see more stress from slick-backed hairstyles include those with fine or low density hair, anyone with delicate baby hairs, uh, or maybe you have a texture you're uh maybe curly or uh that just runs kind of naturally dry. Uh somebody who wears their ponytails slicked back several times a week, you might be prone to damage. And oh, this is a big one. Anyone smoothing over knots to make it work without detangling. Oh my goodness, don't do that. Don't ever do that. And you know what the biggest mistake is when you're doing this? Is if you pull your hair back tight while it's damp. Damp hair stretches more and it snaps more. And can I tell you, when I was in my 20s and I was just figuring out how to deal with my curly hair, I used to do this when it was damp still, because I just didn't know how to style it and I didn't feel like round brushing it and blow drying it the whole way. So I would just pull it back in a ponytail, slick back with gel, call it good. Yeah, let me just say it was back in the early 90s, so I probably had some kind of backcombing in there too, like on top, but don't tell anybody. All right, so how do you enjoy this look without damaging your hair? Well, there is good news. You don't have to break up with your slick back hairstyle. You just have to be a little bit more mindful. First and foremost, don't wear this hairstyle every single day. Two or three tight styles a week is plenty. And if your hair is fine or dry, even less. Okay, so maybe just change it up like um fresh blow dry one day, next day half up, half down, or a braid the next day. You know, you can you don't have to shampoo your hair every single day. You could do your slick back style like every fourth day. I mean, it's a thing, just don't do it every day. You want to make sure you're using tools that treat your hair well. So for sure, a soft bristle brush, you want to use satin scrunchies or those spiral ties that you see, those actually do uh protect your hair from breaking. You definitely don't want to use rubber bands or anything that snags your hair. If you're taking your um hair um tie out of your hair and you see hair tangled up in it, that's a sign, okay? It's either a sign that you've just pulled it out of your hair wrong or that it's actually snagging your hair. Okay, here's something else you could do. Moisturize before you style your hair. You don't, like I said, you don't ever want to slick it back wet and put it in a ponytail, but you do want to add a little bit of leave-in conditioner or oil to your mid shafts and your ends just for protection. Okay, you also want to keep your scalp happy. A weekly clarifying rinse or scrub keeps buildup from creating irritation. And if you've not tried one of these scalp scrubs before, oh, you should. And you should do it weekly. Your scalp will thank you. And if you're if you're like me and your, you know, hormones, we're all at that age, uh, and your hair's thinning from what uh other reasons, not maybe slick-backed hairstyles, a good scrub will actually freshen your hair follicles. And so you can actually your hair, your hair will just thank you. If your scalp feels tight or tender, a calming serum can help as well. So they do make those. Um, I've not actually used a calming serum before. I don't think, but I have used serums on my scalp that feel good, and they're out there. If you need suggestions for any, just let me know. Um, also, you want to change up the placement of where you put your ponytail. Wear a high ponytail one day, a low bun the next. That'll work wonders if you can't get past this slick back look. Just switch it up or switch your part. You can try a clip, but just keep that pressure point moving because that's what you're creating every time you create a slick back hairstyle, is a pressure point. Um, so just if you move it every day, your hair is gonna thank you. I think it'll probably feel better. And then also treat yourself to some off days for recovery time. Basically, wash days, your hair's moment is to reset. You use a strengthening shampoo, nourishing conditioner, and a weekly mask. And like I said, if you want to throw that scrub in there too, that'll be really nice. Here's the question: Does a month off of slicked back hairstyles actually help? Yes, in a big way. A month of lower tension can actually reduce breakage, minimize shedding, and it gives your hairline a chance to recover. But honestly, the bigger benefit is perspective. You start exploring different styles, you embrace your natural texture, which is wonderful, and you give your hair a real voice in how it wants to be treated. It's a great reset, actually, especially heading into the holiday season. Even though I'm not personally on TikTok, and even though I've not personally seen this post, I love it when my community brings me things like this to talk about. It means you're paying attention to your hair and you care about keeping it healthy. And that's exactly what this space is all about. If you want more hair tips, behind the chair stories, or just a little weekly encouragement, make sure you check out the link in my show notes and join our email community. And as always, remember, when you know better, you do better. Thanks for tuning in to All About Hair. If you loved this episode, hit subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with a fellow stylist or hair loving friend. You want more tips, tools, and behind the scenes goodness? Follow me on YouTube or head to my website at deniseKeilitz.com. Yes, I know it's hard to spell, so don't worry, the link is in the show notes. Until next time, keep learning, keep creating, and keep loving what you do.
