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How to Train Your Hair to Go Back | Step-by-Step

Hair frizzing, puffing, and curling in different directions is the predicament many face at their slightest attempt to train their hair to go back. Does your hair seem to have a mind of its own, refusing to slick back in a neat compact style?

If yes, you are one of many! Want to know how to train your hair to go back? Here is a step-by-step process of how to do just that.

Read Next: How to Tease Your Hair

Training Your Hair to Go Back: A Summary

It’s possible to train your hair to go back. It requires a lot of patience. Your hair may favor a direction due to styling habits and growth patterns. If you want to slick your hair back for a special occasion or keep up with trends, you must learn how to train your hair to fall back.

The Short Answer

  1. Hair Length Matters
  2. Comb Your Hair When Damp
  3. Blow Dry Your Hair on a Low Heat Setting
  4. Use Quality Styling Products
  5. Use the Right Hair Accessories
  6. Use a Glossing Serum for the Final Touch
  7. Clarify With Shampoo Regularly
  8. Rinse and Repeat

Ever wondered how your favorite celebrity manages to train their hair back perfectly? Irrespective of your hair type and pattern, your hair can go back, but only with some pro-activity and patience. 

How to Train Your Hair to Go Back in 8 Easy Steps

Usually, it takes a few weeks of relentless training for your hair to go back. Here’s what you should do.

1. Hair Length Matters

The shorter your hair is, the harder it will be to train it to go back, especially if your hair follicles do not favor the backward direction. You’ll have an easier time training your hair to go back if your hair length is about three inches or longer.

Longer hair is easy to maneuver without using many products and accessories, while with shorter, thicker hair, you may require more products and accessories to keep your hair pressed down.

If you opt to cut your hair shorter, remember not to cut off too much so that it becomes impossible to maneuver your hair. This step applies mainly if you have tight curls.

2. Comb Your Hair When Damp

Damp hair is much easier to work with compared to dry hair. During a shower or routine hair wash, comb your hair in front-to-back motions while you clean and condition your tresses.

While towel drying your hair, remember to follow the same backward motions and avoid being too vigorous.

Otherwise, you will undo your efforts and make your hair frizzy. Combing damp hair backward sets the best stage to direct your hair to follow the same direction during blow drying.

3. Blow Dry Your Hair on a Low Heat Setting

The temptation to set your blow drier on maximum heat can do your hair more harm than good. Natural hair can quickly get heat damage from frequent blow drying on high heat settings.

If you want to master how to train your hair to go back, you must master how to use a blow drier on low heat to modify the direction of your follicles.

Start by drying the sides of your damp hair and gradually work towards the center of your head, where the hair is longer. Use a wide toothcomb to guide your hair and the blow drier in consecutive Front to back motions.

Training your hair to go back using a blow drier requires several takes before your hair can slick back on its own. Schedule enough time every day to wash and blow dry your hair to train it to go back. Keep up the same routine until you achieve desirable results.

4. Use Quality Styling Products

Your quest to train your hair to go back is near impossible without using quality styling products. Pomade or wax helps your hair slick back and stay put after blow drying.

Pomade is a dark-colored greasy hair product used over the years by men and women who want their hair to look nice and shiny. It is the ideal choice to keep hair glossy, compact, and in place. If you choose the hair wax route, consider choosing a product with the strongest hold.

Hair wax is a gel-like hair product that has a hold of between 3 and 10. If you have tight curls, you must go for hair wax with a maximum grip to train your hair to go back.

Don’t be intimidated by the high price tag on most hair products. You’d much rather buy an expensive product that’s high quality. One that works and supports optimum hair health. Plus, a little goes a long way. When using the right products, the results are phenomenal.

5. Use the Right Hair Accessories

Hair pins, hair bands, ties, durags, hair nets, silk scarves, and spandex caps are accessories you can use to hold your hair backward towards the nape of your neck. Try different hair accessories before choosing what works best for you.

The best thing about hair accessories is that they are affordable, easy to use and do an excellent job of holding your hair in place for as long as you like. Hats and Headbands are ideal accessories to train your hair to go back.

When you’re planning to stay indoors all day or head out for a casual evening doing errands, wearing a hat or a headband serves the same purpose as a durag, hair tie, or hairpin. Generally, hair accessories make training your hair to go back much easier and faster.

6. Use a Glossing Serum for the Final Touch

The right pomade and wax will add some shine to your hair. However, a hair serum is a must-have if you want to add more shine while supplying your strands with more nourishment.

A dime-sized portion of serum is enough to spread throughout your hair. Start by pouring the serum on your palm, rub your two palms together, and gently apply it through your hair.

Be sure to spread the serum evenly. The serum helps tame your hair by counteracting flyaway strands and frizz. Avoid using more serum than is necessary to prevent your hair from getting too oily.

7. Make Clarifying Shampoo Part of Your Bi-Weekly Routine

Assuming you are using many products to train your hair to go back, shampoo alone may not be sufficient to eliminate product build-up. A clarifying shampoo helps remove excess build-up of dirt and styling products in your hair.

Use clarifying shampoo only once every two weeks. Due to how harsh clarifying conditioner is on your hair, using a moisturizing conditioner should be part of this step.

Moisturizing conditioner helps restore luster and protect it from excess dryness. Failure to use clarifying shampoo properly can cause breakage and significant damage to your hair.

8. Rinse and Repeat

Patience is essential when you want your hair to go back. Training your hair to go back takes a long time. The first try is the most challenging, but if you keep up with your daily routines as detailed in the steps above, things will get easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Woman showing us how to train your hair to go back by brushing her hair with a square brush

gpointstudio/Shutterstock

Here are some commonly asked questions on how to train your hair to go back.

What factors should I consider to train thick hair to go back?

Straight or curly, if you have a head full of hair, it must be pretty challenging to train it to go back without the help of your stylist. The blow dryer helps make your hair more manageable as you prepare to apply a product.

Note that you may need to use more products than the average person with less hair and choose the right tools and accessories suitable for thick hair.

Can training my hair to go back grow it longer?

The rate at which your hair grows depends on how well you take care of it. Straight hair seems to grow faster than curly hair but can suffer the same damage as other hair types if you don’t have a good hair routine.

Training your hair to go back with the help of quality products and sticking to a healthy routine can help grow your hair longer.

When should I use hair products for the best results?

Wet or dry. The best time to use products depends on your hair type. If your hair is thin, oily, and straight, pomade or wax works better when your hair is dry. However, if you’ve got thick and curly hair, you’ll get better results using quality hair products on damp hair.

How long does it take to train your hair to go back?

If you follow the steps to the T, it should take at least two weeks to get your hair to go back. If, after two weeks, your hair is yet to get flat enough, consult your stylist for alternative products that work better for your hair type.

How can I slick back curly or wavy hair?

Thick curly hair takes the longest to train when you want your hair to go back. Using lightweight products is the trick to achieving the best result within the shortest time. It’s also important to use hair products and tools that make it easy to maneuver your hair texture and prevent frizzing.

So, How Do You Train Your Hair to Go Back?

Hair type and growth pattern should not limit your quest to train your hair to go back. Consistency, temperance, and quality hair products are the keys to success as you learn how to train your hair to go back.

Avoid experimenting with your hair. Consult your stylist about what you’re unsure of before introducing changes to your routine. Happy styling!