Oh, how I hate a pesky back hair part. My hair parts in the back of my head naturally, and I feel like it makes any hairstyle I do look sloppy.
Over the years, I have found solutions to fix the hair parting in the back. I’ve also learned how to avoid getting a back hair part in the first place. Fortunately, it’s way easier than you think to correct this annoying problem! Read on for my tried and tested tips to get rid of a hair part in the back of the head.
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The Back of Head Hair Part
On the left is a picture of my unsightly cowlick/back parting that often shows up in my hair. I use the tips shared below to fix and prevent this back part, and the results are on the right!
Why does this affect me? After dealing with this for so long, I’ve come up with some hypotheses.
What Causes a Back Part In Your Hair?
Sometimes, this is just the natural way that your hair grows. But I believe there are 3 things that can exacerbate the problem and make this hair part look worse:
- Oily Hair, Limp Roots
- Sleeping On Your Back
- Air Drying Hair/Not Styling It
Now, let’s jump into how to fix a back hair part if you are dealing with one, as well as the best tips on how to prevent them in the first place!
How To Fix Back Hair Part
Step One: Use a flat iron to fix the hair part. I brush the hair around the part all downward, so the back part is covered. Heat up a flat iron, get it very close to the root, and straighten the hair down + outwards. The heat redirects the way the hair lies so it won’t fall back into its parted pattern.
Step Two: Tease hair at the back part. After I iron it, I tease or backcomb the hair roots at the part. This keeps them from flattening down into the cowlick pattern, and makes the texture rough so it also won’t fall limp. Instead, you have given the hairs something to stand up straighter with.
Step Three: Add hairspray/texture spray for more camouflaging! After teasing, lock it into place with hairspray! You can also add texture spray before teasing to give the hairs more grip. When hair is lifted, the hair part/scalp is totally hidden.
Check out the demonstration here:
How To Prevent Hair Part in Back of Head
Do you find yourself constantly trying to get rid of a back hair part? Make these changes to avoid getting them in the first place.
Avoid Sleeping on Your Back
If you sleep on your back, (like I do,) I think you will be more prone to this pesky hair part. Think about it – if you press the back of your head into a pillow all night, the hair will naturally get flattened into a single position. If the hair naturally wants to part at the back, putting all the weight of your head into the part just reinforces how the hair lays.
- Try to not sleep on your back to avoid a back part, or sleep with your hair loosely swept up into a top knot/bun.
What is EVEN WORSE is sleeping on your back with wet hair. This brings me to my next point:
Blow Dry Your Hair When You Can
Or, at the very least, blow dry your back hair part or cowlick in the back of your head when you get out of the shower. I noticed that when I try not to use any heat on my hair, it air dries in a really ugly way.
Wet hair strands are heavy. I believe that this causes my hair to be weighed down and dry in a limp, droopy position. Even more, this reinforces any existing hair parts my hair wants to fall into.
Compare that to when hair is blow-dried and given some lift at the root. The hair is fuller, bouncier, and camouflages a back hair part better.
The Correct Way to Blow Dry the Back Part
Take a brush, grab the section of hair where the back part is, place it at the root and blast the heat right on it. Dry it in a way where the hair strands are directed standing straight up. I even try to take the hairs on each side of the scalp part, and blow dry them in the opposite direction to reset the pattern the hair strands want to fall into.
This is also a good way to blow dry cowlicks in the hair.
As mentioned above, sleeping on your back exacerbates a back hair part. But if you go to bed with wet hair, this basically cements the back hair part as it will dry in this position. It makes it a LOT harder to make the tips I mentioned above work to get rid of a back hair part.
Shark Dryers are more affordable than Dyson and will dry your hair with less damage. Crucial if you are going to be constantly blow drying the hair to avoid a back part.
Retrain Hair With a Small Ponytail
After I blow dry the back hair part, I divide all my hair into two sections. I make a horizontal part from the back of ear to the back of the other ear. The part should fall right below where the back part ends. Then, I brush all the hair of the top section upward. (I usually leave the bottom section loose). I make sure to really dig the brush into the roots especially at the back part area and then make a bun on top of my head. When doing this, I really want to get those hair strands redirected into a different pattern and give it lift at the root so the back part will be camouflaged.
- The idea of this is to prevent your hair from falling into the back hair part and to provide a hairstyle to sleep in (great for back sleepers).
Refluff your Part Throughout the Day – With a Brush, Not Fingers
If you find your hair falling back into the dreaded back part, use a brush to stimulate the roots again. Brush your hair over the back part. Brushes only though, because if your use your hands to refluff the hair, oils from your fingers will end up weighing down the roots. Then, your hair will want to just lay flat and limp. This will expose the back part.
Try not to wear hats which also press down the hair and flatten it! Lifted, bouncy hair is the key to camouflaging the part.
Once you get into the swing of it, these preventative tips will be easy to implement in your hair care routine. Do these if you want to fix and prevent a back hair part, or cowlick in the back of the head!
Want more hair tips & tricks? Check out these blog articles:
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Best, Mia
This content is for informational purposes only, and what has worked for me personally based on my own opinions. I am not a professional/medical doctor, and you should always consult your doctor or dermatologist on what will work best for you. The information presented here is not legitimate, official advice from a professional. If you choose to rely on any information from this blog, you do so at your own risk. Please refer to the “Blog Disclaimer” tab in the menu bar to read more information and the official disclaimer statement.