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Beauty

2026’s Hottest Hair Trend? All Signs Point To The Slick-Back

The next big thing for your look is sleek, glossy and minimalist.

| Taronish Batty
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It’s impossible to scroll through your feed right now without spotting a celebrity or creator sporting some version of the slick-back. The style has quietly become the beauty uniform of the moment – and all signs point to it dominating 2026. Even if you usually prefer softer, face-framing styles, the slick-back has a way of making any look feel intentional, elevated, and incredibly modern.

Whether it’s the festive rush, shaadi season, a beach day, or a simple coffee run, the hairstyle’s versatility means it works with practically everything. It’s clean, it’s polished, and it instantly sharpens your overall look — no heavy styling required. 

Here are some of the faces leading the charge.

Deepika Padukone 

Deepika has long treated the slick-back as a beauty neutral — something that moves seamlessly between couture gowns, power shoulders, and heritage silhouettes. Her version is precise and sculpted, never severe, and always in conversation with the outfit. It’s the kind of consistency that quietly sets a trend long before everyone else catches on.

Elsa Hosk

Elsa wears the slick-back with that distinct Scandinavian crispness: glossy, controlled, and impossibly clean. It’s minimalism without looking pared down. The finish is so polished that even the simplest tee-and-denim pairing feels runway-adjacent. 

Sofia Richie Grainge

Sofia has turned the slick-back bun into a signature — almost a punctuation mark to her quietly luxurious wardrobe. Tailored outerwear, fluid evening dresses, soft knits… the hairstyle holds everything together with an ease that feels modern rather than styled-within-an-inch-of-its-life. It’s the definition of minimalism.

Sonam Kapoor

Sonam’s slick-back plait is part classic, part editorial. She tempers the graphic sleekness with traditional elements like an angarakha, creating a contrast that feels fresh and fashion-forward. Proof that the slick-back isn’t just for Western silhouettes; it can elevate Indian wear just as effortlessly.

Alia Bhatt

Alia takes the slick-back into soft-glam territory. With her hair swept back in a smooth, controlled finish, it’s a look that reads quiet, confident, and intentionally pared back.

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