Punk Hair Styles
A guide to the Mohican
Punk hairstyles were born in the 1970s amid anarchy, anti-establishment and lawlessness. The aim of the
style was to shock and, as such, the hairstyles incorporated bright colors, uneven shapes and distinctive
styles. Think of punk hairstyles and you immediately think Mohican; a mostly shaven scalp with one large
section of hair which runs from the front of the head to the back. However, whilst this was the style of
the 1970s punk movement, today punk hairstyles are a lot more varied and the Mohican itself appears in many
different guises. Here's a lowdown on today's styles and how to achieve them.
Dread Hawk
The Dreadhawk is exactly what it sounds like, a mix of dreadlocks with the traditional Mohawk cut.
The hair is shaven as per the conventional Mohawk but instead of being sculpted into a fan shape, the
remaining hair is platted into tight, matted sections that are positioned upright and held in place with
copious amounts of gel and hairspray.
Chelsea Hawk
The Chelsea Hawk is a cross between the "Chelsea hairstyle" and the Mohawk and is known as the female
Mohawk due to its slightly longer length. The style has a fringe or long bangs at the front in addition
to the usual Mohican strip of hair at the back.
Fanned Hawk
As far as punk hairstyles go, the fanned hawk is the generally the most instantly recognizable Mohawk and
the one which is most aligned with people's perceptions of the style. The mode, as suggested by the name,
involves shaping the hair into a fan shape that runs from the front to the back of the head. Variations of
the style include the bi-hawk and the tri-hawk (two or three separate fans placed an equal distance from one
another on the scalp). Some punks dye the fans with bright colors, producing Glow-fans or Glow-hawks.
Fawhawk
This style is actually a toned down Mohawk. It is literally a shortened version of the fanned hawk with
longer back and sides. Currently very popular, the style allows for a contemporary version of the
traditional punk hairstyles, offering an edgy look that doesn't offend.
Liberty Spikes
Liberty Spikes are named after the Statue of Liberty, simply because they resemble the crown worn by this
well known US landmark. The hair is shaven as per the Mohican but the remaining hair is sculpted into sharp
points that are held in place with glue. The spikes themselves can run from ear to ear, front to back or may
be randomly placed around the scalp.
Mollet
The Mollet is lesser known amongst the punk hairstyles and is rarely seen on the street. The style is a
variation of the Fauxhawk that incorporates a mullet style at the back of the head.
Side Hawk
The side hawk is a variation of the Mohican punk hairstyles involving a fanned hawk that runs from ear
to ear instead of from the front of the head to the back. Again, this style is quite unusual and not one
of the more popular of the punk hairstyles.