If you’re in the market for a new mohawk hair look, you’ll need to know what to say to your barber. But first you need to decide how you want your ‘hawk to look! Read on to learn how to decide on your specific mohawk hair style, and how to ask your barber for exactly what you want.
The Modern Mohawk Hair Look: How To Get The Exact Cut You Want
The two major decisions you’ll need to make when it comes to mohawk hair is the length on top and on the sides. It’s one of those mix-and-match haircuts that we love so much. You can choose to have it long on top with faded sides, or short on top with an undercut. The possibilities are endless!
Length on top
The first thing you’ll need to describe to your barber is how long you would like your hair on top. Will you style your hair in a super tall, old school mohawk? Or do you want your mohawk hair to be on the shorter side? You’ll also need to decide if you want the actual mohawk to be tapered (as in, longest in the center and shorter on either side) or all one-length. The latter can give you a subtler, more modern look, where the tapered cut gives that perfect triangular look when styled.
Undercut or fade
The second decision boils down to how do you want the sides to look. Traditionally, a mohawk is paired up with a super-short undercut, sometimes even totally shaved. Modern mohawk hair tends to blend seamlessly into a fade. You can wear a short fade that goes all the way down to a shave, or a longer fade for a fauxhawk look. An in-between cut would be a buzz: a bit longer than your average undercut, but not faded at the edges.
Talking to your barber
Now that you know what you’re looking for in mohawk hair, it’s time to make the cut! First read through these barber terms so you and your stylist will be on the same page. When you get in the barber’s chair, say that you would like a mohawk haircut, and describe exactly what you want. For instance to get the curly top mohawk, above, ask for a short, tapered mohawk, with a longer buzzed undercut. If that is too much haircut jargon, it’s always a good idea to take a photo with for reference.
Styling your mohawk
When you see your barber or stylist, you should have an idea of how you’d like to style your mohawk hair. For a strong look with hair that won’t fall flat, you’ll need to use an extreme-hold gel, such as Axe Spiked-Up Look: Extreme Hold Gel or Bed Head by TIGI Hard Head Mohawk Gel. For a more tousled look, we like Bed Head By TIGI Manipulator Matte Cream, for a more refined, non-greasy finish and an allover more laid-back style. Need more mohawk hair information? Check out our article on the resurgence of the mohawk haircut.
