The slick back haircut is one of the most classic styles around; it's been around for years and even though we've seen a move towards natural, messier styles recently it's still not going away anytime soon.

If you're looking for a hairstyle that keeps you looking professional and stylish at all times, then the slick back could be the one for you.

From pompadours to fades to the classic look of old, the slick back hairstyle can be worn in almost any way. Here's our guide to 8 ways to cut and style the slick back haircut.

Slick Back Haircuts For Men

Classic Slick Back

Many a gent in the past has rocked the classic slick back, and many more will into the future as it's a timeless classic that's easy to wear and style. All you'll need to style the classic slick back is to get yourself a round brush and a water based pomade for the high shine, wetter look.

Slick Back Pompadour

One of the more difficult slick backs to style on a day to day basis, but if you're happy to put in time with the blow dryer then the slick back pompadour could be a great style for you. Before David Beckham's more recent shorter styles, the slick back pompadour was probably considered one of his most popular styles for gents to request. 

You need some length on top, around 4 to 5 inches at least and you can keep the hair slightly less structured than a lot of the styles on this list, with a messier look.

 

Slick Back Undercut

The undercut regained popularity a few years back, and was given real momentum by people like Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Brad Pitt in Fury. In the more classic version, like these gents popularised, the sides are normally taken to one length all over, but in 2018 the undercut can be paired with a softer fade on the back and sides to make the haircut appear less harsh. 

 

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Long Slick Back

For most men that have thought about growing their hair out, the long slick back has probably come up somewhere amongst their inspirations. Most notably worn by Charlie Hunnam's character Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy, it's an iconic look for any man growing longer locks.

The most important part of this cut will be growing the length and having shape and textured added to the hair as you go.

READ - How To Grow Out Long Hair Past The Awkward Stage

Slick Back With Fade

The slick back with a fade is a modern interpretation on the classic slick back style, paired with one of the more popular styles of recent times - the fade. You can take the sides down as short as you feel comfortable with, with many men going down to a skin fade. This is a versatile style and the top can be worn pretty much how ever you like.

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Slick Back With Taper

A softer version of the slick back with a fade is the slick back with a taper. If you want to know the difference between a taper and a fade read our post here, essentially though to sum it up quickly a taper is a very low fade. This is a cleaner version of the slick back with fade for those gents that don't want to go as short.

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Slick Back Side Parting

The side parting can be worn with most of the styles on this list, but it is a nice way to switch up your style. Use where your naturally parts to find where your parting should go. If you want to really commit to the side parting then you could also add a hard part to make the hair easier to style, but be aware as although it will be easier to style, a hard part will make it difficult to change your style up and will also require more regular maintenance. 

 

Slick Back Man Bun

If you're looking for an ultra low maintenance haircut with plenty of length then the man bun could be for you. While it has received a lot of negative attention over the past few years, the man bun is actually a relatively cool style for those who wear it right. The most important element of the man bun style is going to be length, so you'll need to grow your hair for a year, maybe more, depending on the length you're starting from. Once you're there though, it will be plain sailing as the man bun is a simple and easy style. If you are already there then you could easily achieve this style with a little bit of leave-in conditioner instead of using a hair pomade. You want to keep the bun loose to avoid it being too tight and damaging the hair.

What You'll Need To Style A Slick Back Hairstyle

For a slick back haircut you'll need to get yourself a round brush and style with a pomade (preferably water based), like the Regal Gentleman Vintage Pomade. Get exclusive access now. A lot of the styles on the list will also be best styled with a blow dryer to get into shape, so make sure to brush up on your blow drying techniques too. You could also invest in a pompadour comb if you wanted to take your pomp game up a notch.