How to Style a Mohawk

Co-authored by Marius Morf and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: September 18, 2023 References

A mohawk is a fun, eye-catching hairstyle that’ll help you stand out in a crowd and express yourself. If you have a mohawk, there are many ways you can style it. You can wear it down without product for a formal or relaxed look, or you can style it up into a fan shape. If you want a really unique look, form your mohawk into defined spikes. Once your mohawk is styled, you’ll have a unique look that’ll be sure to impress!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wearing Your Mohawk Down

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Keep your hair to the side if you don’t feel like putting it up. Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair and style your hair in the direction it naturally goes. That way, the hair on one side of your head will look longer than the other.^{[1]
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2
Slick back your mohawk with gel to keep it in place. Take all of the hair in your mohawk and comb it toward the back of your head. Put a coin-sized amount of gel in your hand and work it into your fingers to warm it up. Run your fingers through your hair toward the back of your head to work the gel in. Use your comb to smooth your hair to give it a slicked back look.^{[2]
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- You don’t have to use gel, but it will help hold your hair in place. A firm gel is recommended.
Tip: If you want your mohawk to have a messier look, use your fingers to style your hair and add volume.

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3
Pull your hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of your face. Comb your mohawk toward the back of your head, and grab the hair to secure it in a tight ponytail with a hair elastic. If the hair from the front of your head doesn’t reach back far enough, then use a bobby pin to hold it in place so it doesn’t fall down.^{[3]
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- Put the hair elastic around your wrist so you can easily transfer it onto your hair.
4
Braid your mohawk to add a fun style to your hair. Comb your hair backward and place a bobby pin to secure it to the top of your head. Then split the hair on the back of your head into 3 equal sections. Bring the left section of hair over the middle section and pull it tight. Then pull the right section over the center to start your braid. Keep alternating which side you bring to the center until you finish your braid. Secure your hair in place with an elastic.^{[4]
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- Fold your braid up and secure it with a hair clip if you want to add a fun accessory to your hair.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Fanning Your Mohawk

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1
Wash and dry your hair before styling it. Be sure to use a shampoo that removes all of the grease and oil from your hair so it’s easier to style. Lather the shampoo into your scalp and work toward the ends of your hair. Rinse the shampoo out of your hair completely before you start styling it.^{[5]
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- You can also condition your hair after you shampoo it to help prevent damage.
- Be sure to towel dry your hair before you start styling it.
2
Pull a section of hair straight up with a comb. Grab a section of hair that goes 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) back from your forehead. Use a wide-toothed comb to pull your hair straight up. Just before you reach the ends of your hair, pinch it between the fingers of your nondominant hand and pull it tight.^{[6]
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- Straighten your hair if it’s curly or wavy so it sticks straight up when you fan it.
3
Apply strong hair spray to the sides of your hair. Make sure the can of hair spray is labeled “strong” or “extra strong” to keep your mohawk from falling down. Hold the can of hair spray with your dominant hand about 5–6 in (13–15 cm) from your hair. Start spraying near the scalp and work your way towards your ends with a continuous spray. Use more spray near your scalp since it will support the weight of your hair the most.^{[7]
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- Be sure to spray both sides of your mohawk so it doesn’t fall down.
4
Use a blow dryer to secure the hair in place. Set your blow dryer to warm and work it back and forth from front to back. Start heating the hair closest to your scalp first and work toward the ends of your hair. Switch sides that you’re drying to harden the hair spray. Let go of your hair to see if it holds in place.^{[8]
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- You may need to reapply hair spray and use your hair dryer multiple times to ensure the hair stays in place.
5
Shape the hair with your hands so it sticks straight up. Once your hair stays up on its own, use your hands to flatten the ends of your hair so they look a spread-out fan. If you need to, spray a little more hair spray onto the ends of your hair and work it in with your hands. Follow up with a blow dryer to hold it in place.^{[9]
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- Check in a mirror to make your hair line up in the center of your head. That way, your hair will look perfectly symmetrical on each side.
Keep working with 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) sections of hair to make the process the easiest. Hold it straight up, followed by spraying and drying it. Try to blend in each section of hair with the last one. Keep shaping your mohawk so it has a consistent line running from the front to the back of your head.^{[10]
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Tip: The hair near the crown of your head may take more hairspray since gravity will pull it down naturally.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Liberty Spikes

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Use a wide-toothed comb to work through your hair and untangle any knots that may have formed. Start at your scalp and slowly work toward the ends of your hair. Work from the front of your head toward the back to make sure you don’t miss any spots.^{[11]
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2
Split your hair into 8-9 equal sections with elastic bands. Divide your hair into 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) sections, starting at the front of your head. Pull the hair as tight as you can and then put a hair elastic down to your scalp to hold it in place. Continue working backward until all of your hair is secured in ponytails.^{[12]
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- You can add more or fewer sections depending on how many spikes you want to make.
Tip: Keep your hair elastics around your wrist so you can easily slide them off your arm and onto your hair.
3
Hold the first section of hair straight up as tight as you can. Remove the hair elastic from the first ponytail on your head. Take the ponytail and pull it up straight so it’s perpendicular to the top of your head. Hold the ends of your hair with your nondominant hand so it’s tightly puller away from your scalp.^{[13]
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- Make sure not of your hair falls loose from your grip or else they won’t be part of the spike.
4
Apply a strong-hold hair spray to the spike of hair. Get an extra-strength hair spray so your hair doesn’t fall down throughout the day. Start spraying near your scalp on each side of the spike. Work toward the ends of your hair in a continuous spray so you don’t miss any spots.^{[14]
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- You may need to apply extra hair spray near your scalp since it needs to support the weight of your hair.
5
Use a blow dryer to stiffen the hair spray. Keep holding onto the tip of the spike with your nondominant hand while you blow dry. Make sure the dryer is on a warm setting and heat the hair spray so it stiffens up. Work from the base of your hair up toward the ends to solidify the spike. Try letting go of your hair once you’ve finished drying it.^{[15]
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- Be sure to dry both sides of your mohawk so it doesn’t fall down.
6
Make the tips of your spike pointy with hair gel. Use a fingertip-sized amount of strong hair gel and rub it between your fingers. Twist the ends of your hair together with the gel to form a point at the end of your spike. Shape the spike so it points straight up.^{[16]
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- You don’t have to use hair gel if you don’t want, but your spike may not look as clean.
7
Continue forming each spike on your head. Once your first liberty spike is finished, undo the elastic on the next ponytail. Form the spikes one at a time, making sure they separated from one another so they look defined. Keep working toward the back of your head until your entire mohawk is spiked.^{[17]
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- The spikes on the back of your head may require more hair spray since gravity will pull them down.

Community Q&A

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Question

Will this work with really curly hair, or do I just have to settle with a smaller hawk?

Community Answer

You can always try straightening your hair. If you're against doing that, then you could do a type of buzz cut mohawk with a very short strip down your head. But no matter what you do, you'll look great - how can you go wrong with a mohawk?

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Tips

If you have short hair, you can use a little gel to spike your mohawk or give it a messier look. A very firm gel is ideal.

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