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When it comes to a quick way to style curly hair, a slickback is the first thing that comes to mind for most curly girls. It could be the middle of the week, when your hair has turned into all frizz and no definition, or it’s raining, and no one likes the feeling of wet, dripping curls.
Slickbacks, however, are full of tension. You’re using some kind of smoothing brush and tying your hair back tightly to keep the sleek look. Plus, like all high-tension styles, they can do serious damage to your strands over time.
Here’s where “No Slickback November” comes into the picture. The trend was initially introduced by Joy Burnett, one of my all-time favorite curly hair influencers, @thatgirlwiththecurlyhair on TikTok, who attributed her hairline breakage and curl damage to repeated high-tension slickbacks. (She’s also a fellow Boston student studying architecture at Northeastern!)
The point of the challenge is to go the entire month of November without doing any tight or gelled hairstyles, and instead to prioritize natural hair styling and health. Joy documented her entire experience on TikTok, including trying new hairstyles and different methods to refresh her curls, as well as the days when it felt like a chore.
This year, I was inspired and decided to try this trend out for myself. During my first year of college, I was absolutely partial to the ease of a slicked-back twist into a claw clip, and my hair paid the price.
By winter break, the hair at the nape of my neck was two different lengths from all the twisting and retwisting. My already sparse baby hairs were almost non-existent, and I regret to say that it looked like my hair was receding when it was pulled straight back instead of in a middle part.
I’ve spent the past year trying to grow that missing length to even it out, but when I felt too lazy, I returned to the ease of a slickback. I took this month-long challenge as my way to fully invest in and care for my hair, even when I dreaded it, and to discover new styles I could do without my boar-bristle brush for 30 days.
Now, onto my results and thoughts about the challenge.
I’ve already been somewhat attentive to my hair growth and seeing the fruits of my labor around my hairline, but November was on another level. The length of my baby hairs is around an inch and a half now, and they even curl into a full ringlet! Short wins are still wins in my book.
I’ve had to start styling the hair around my face more deliberately now that I have new curls, but the extra work is worth it, especially when it’s proof that my hair is actually growing.
I also took this month as an opportunity to try out hairstyles that I usually thought would look terrible on me. I incorporated claw clips—smaller this time—as half-up, half-down hairstyles towards the end of the week, and refreshed my curls when I would usually brush them all back. That was another thing I tried to keep up with: I only brushed my hair on wash days when I did my hair oiling routine to reduce breakage from regular brushing.
I also tried two pigtail braids. Not Dutch braids because I was still staying away from pulling on my hair, but just two braids at the nape of my neck. I would just put leave-in conditioner while my hair was wet, braid it, and put oil on the mids and ends to use them as a protective, low-manipulation style.
Keeping up with Joy’s videos also made the month pass by quicker. Every day meant a new video, whether it was a style attempt or a hair update, even while she was traveling for work or influencer events. If she could stay committed while on a trip, I could do it with full access to all my products.
I feel like I had so much success during November that I’m going to keep the “no slickback” attitude for the rest of the year and finish out strong. I think every curly girl should try out the “No Slickback November” mentality, even if it’s not November!
Sometimes a challenge is the motivation we need!
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