This genius dental floss hair hack has 40 million views on TikTok

There’s a dental floss hair hack blowing up on TikTok right now with 40 million views and counting, and it may be the answer to all your flyaway woes. Whether you’re looking to create a Kim Kardashian-esque sleek ponytail, or smooth down a Y2K inspired poker straight look, this budget trick promises to get you there. 

The technique? Simply using a piece of waxed dental floss to smooth your locks down to frizz-free perfection.

While the origins of the trend are unclear, it’s been pioneered by the likes of New York hairstylist Matt (@mattloveshair), who boasts over 1.5 million followers on the social media platform. 

In a demo video, Matt is pictured with a middle-parted ponytail that has some visible flyaways, before introducing ‘one of my favourite hair hacks’ and taking a piece of dental floss which he then runs right over each side of his head. The difference is clear, with the flossed-down side akin to the kind of pared-back pony you’d see at a red carpet event. 

But does the floss hair hack works as well for others who are trying it out? 

In some cases, it seems to be very popular. User @savvy_skincarebeauty tried it out on her baby hairs, while her hair is tied back in a bun. The difference is immediately clear: “It’s a thumbs up from me!” she concludes.

Hairstylist Andrew Dylan (@andrew.dylan) is also a fan – and gives a step by step guide on how to carry out the look, including using tension and a little hairstyling product to aid the hack.

But not everyone is as convinced…

One user, @fancyeatss, seems less than impressed, trying the technique with loose, middle parted hair – and spraying her locks with hairspray before trying.

“Did this work?” she questions, sounding uncertain, before concluding “I guess it did help a little bit… cool trick.”

It seems the trick is going down less well among those who try it with loose hair, as user @jacquelinekilikita is similarly non-plussed.

“Although my hair was a little more smooth, I think the results would be short-lived,” she says. So the jury is out… but if you’re intrigued, there’s more than enough evidence to suggest it’s worth giving it a whirl.

In the interests of journalistic integrity, I decided to try this trick out during the writing of this story (using the ponytail method). It sorts out my bad hair day and makes easy work of the baby hair and frizz that usually surrounds my attempts at a middle-parted low ponytail. While staying power is yet to be seen… it’s certainly a shortcut to the sleek ponytail look, and a technique I’ll personally be trying again.