The Modern Mohawk

Pump up the volume! Once a wild style firmly associated with rocker types, mohawks are now a mainstream staple, popping up on playgrounds, red carpets, and runways. The spiked strands have evolved into a cool and ultra-chic way to add texture and va-va-voom to your look. Don't know which style will fit you? See a few of our favorite ways to rock the edgy effect—no razor required!

FAUX HAWK

Ideal for shorter length locks (i.e. Evan Rachel Wood's pixie cut, left), you can create a faux hawk in the front by keeping the top strands a little bit longer than the rest of your tresses. Style the front hair in a forward flip or loop back and tussle the ends with your fingertips.

FRO HAWK

Who says a hawk has to be spiky? If you have curly hair, modernize the Afro by tightly pulling (or cornrowing) sides to the center and securing with bobby pins. Don’t worry, your ringlets will hide the pins. Tease and scrunch ends with a curl-boosting spray for a bigger finish.

BRAIDED MOHAWK

Get the same up, up, and away effect with a simple French braid like Willow Smith (left). Roughly backcomb hair at the roots to create a poufy base, then loosely braid ends.

LONG MOHAWK 

For flowing locks, use a strong gel to slick the sides back to slightly above the nape of your neck and secure with pins. Tie the remaining ends from the sides into a small knot, or leave them hanging loose with the center section of hair. Tease hair at the top and down the center section for more volume.