Punk hairstyles for guys are more than a fashion statement; they’re a symbol of an entire subculture. For almost half a century, punk has served as a complete lifestyle for the restless and ruthless. If you resonate with the values that the subculture promotes, check out all of our favorite ideas for rocking punk hair below.
1. Fanned Mohawk
It would be disrespectful to the subculture if we would have started with any other punk hairstyles for guys than the classic ones. Ever since the 70s, fanned mohawks have been a staple of punk style, with a long and narrow top and shaved sides.
2. Tribal Punk Thick Mohawk with Side Braids
If you’re not up to shaving your head, you could use a tribal punk hairstyle as an alternative. Basically, it involves teasing the top of your hair to resemble a mohawk and braiding the strands on the sides to make it seem as if they were shaven.
3. Blonde Curly Mohawk With Hair Decal
You’ll most often find punk hairstyles on guys with straight hair, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rock one regardless of your texture. For example, if you have natural curls, you can use them to your advantage and get a wider mohawk.
4. Relaxed Mohawk
If you end up getting a classic mohawk, you may not be up to styling it traditionally all the time. Well, you shouldn’t worry because the haircut looks just as good when the hair is left down. Skip a styling day and try wearing your hair like in the photo above.
5. Disconnected Undercut
Some guys want to avoid mohawks altogether but are still looking for a punk edge. If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend opting for an undercut hairstyle. This means that you’ll be shaving down the back part of your head too.
6. Short Hair Mohawk
We never thought we’d use the words Sean Paul and punk in the same sentence, but it just happens that his hairstyle in this shot is exemplary. Even if you don’t have long hair yet, you can gradually start working on a short mohawk.
7. Mohawk with Hair Designs
If you have afro-textured hair, you’ll definitely have a harder time getting a traditional mohawk. However, you can adapt the style to your hair texture with a barbershop haircut. Use sponge twists for the top and shave the sides.
8. Faux Hawks
A popular alternative nowadays for punk hairstyles is the faux hawk. “Faux” is the French term for “false”, so you can guess what the concept stands for. In a nutshell, it’s the easiest way to recreate a mohawk without actually getting one.
9. Spiked Hairstyle
There’s no doubting that Sid Vicious is one of the greatest punk icons in history. Throughout his short yet impactful career, the Sex Pistols bassist was widely regarded for his striking presence. To this day, his super spiky hairstyle is as legendary as his name.
10. Liberty Spikes
Another signature punk hairstyle features liberty spikes. With a name derived from the Statue of Liberty, the hairstyle stands out through long and thick spikes all around. The color of liberty spikes is based on the wearer’s preferences.
11. Punk Hairstyle Fit for School
What if you love punk but you have to abide by a strict set of rules at home or at school? You can try getting a smaller mohawk to avoid getting in trouble. In addition, we recommend that you don’t shave the sides completely for the same reason.
12. Longer Top and Shaved Sides Dyed Electric Blue
Another one of the mohawk’s “cousins” is the edgy longer top and shaved sides hairstyle. By wearing one, you won’t have to deal with the heavy maintenance that comes with a classic mohawk. Moreover, you’ll have more styling options available.
13. Emo Punk Hairstyle
Although emo and punk are two distinct genres, we’ll be regarding the former as a part of the pop-punk category. As a result, you can also consider getting an emo hairstyle, with long bangs swept to the side and over your eyes.
14. Blonde and Pink Mohawk
The multi-talented Jared Leto is no stranger to punk hairstyles for guys. At the peak of his music career with 30 Seconds to Mars, Leto would often be seen with a punk mohawk, sometimes with eccentric color combos like pink and blonde.
15. Messy Forward Sweep Undercut
Above all, a punk hairstyle is all about attitude. That means that you don’t necessarily have to get a mohawk to represent the lifestyle, but an edgy hairstyle that expresses the values of the subculture. An alternative could be the messy undercut hairstyle above.
16. Liberty Spikes Mohawks
Yet another way you can rock liberty spikes is by styling them like a mohawk. It helps, of course, if you already have the base haircut for the style, but you can also consider getting it especially to wear liberty spikes hairstyles.
17. Thick Hair Undercut Dyed … Is that Peach?
While some guys may effortlessly pull off a mohawk with thick hair, others will find a difficult time doing so. In this case, we recommend thinking about a shorter alternative. You can get a buzz cut-like undercut all around and leave the hair an inch long on the upper part.
18. Tapered Pompadour
With rock and roll as the foundation for the larger genre that punk is part of, it’s natural that we would regard the pompadour. The sleek hairstyle is a direct representation of the aforementioned lifestyle, standing out through a carefully styled top.
19. 80s Punk Hairstyle
Although punk has been around for decades, we all have to admit that the British punks of the 80s have formed the general image of the subculture today. To pay homage, you can get an 80s mohawk in the colors of your choice.
20. Greaser Hairstyle
Years before punk was a household term, greasers made the 40s come to life with unconventional style. In our times, the hairstyle associated with the greasers subculture is as stylish and classy as ever for guys of all ages.
21. Layered Haircut With Full Beard
What if you want to add definition and texture to your punk hairstyle? You should leave the center portion a bit wider than you would for a normal mohawk. Afterwards, get the long part cut in layers for a dynamic hairstyle.
22. Slicked Back Top with Undercut
The modern-day punk doesn’t have to rock a mohawk to be considered one. In fact, many guys now prefer gelled back hairstyles with skin fade undercuts as alternatives. Make sure that the hair on top is long enough so you can slick it back.
23. Dreadlocks with Short Dyed Sides
For as far back as anyone can remember, hairstyles have always been a tool for expressing cultures, values, and personalities. That’s why you can mix different elements today and get a truly unique hairstyle, such as dreadlocks with a mohawk.
24. Grunge Hairstyle
If you lean more towards the grunge side of rock music, there’s no better icon to get inspiration from than the late Kurt Cobain. The Nirvana frontman was known for his punk attitude, and also for his shaggy and careless shoulder-length locks.
25. Buzz Cut
Ironic as it may seem, punk hairstyles for guys can sometimes coincide with military haircuts. Well, at least if you know how to customize them. For instance, you can get a buzz cut and give it a punk vibe by dyeing it a nonconformist color.
Note: while we’re showing this image featuring a “skinhead” we would like to acknowledge that some skinhead groups and organizations are morally responsible, non-racist groups. We do not condone violence in any way, we’re just highlighting the skinhead subculture of the punk group.
26. Goth Punk Hairstyle
Step into other subgenres with a hairstyle that’s borderline goth and emo. We encourage you to regard this hairstyle if you have relatively thick and straight hair and you don’t mind spending an extra hour getting ready in the morning.
27. Textured Messy Forward Sweep
With the right haircut and hair gel, you can get an awesomely textured punk hairstyle. Furthermore, you’ll spend only a few minutes putting the messy look together. To get the results you desire, it also helps to have your hair partly bleached with dark roots.
28. Teal Mohawk with Blonde Roots
Out of color inspiration for your punk hairstyle? You know we’ve got your back. Out of the countless shades you can choose from, we advise you to take teal into consideration. It’s a fearless hair color that goes well with most punk personalities.
29. Hard Part Pompadour
Let’s say that you opted for a shaved sides hairstyle instead of a typical mohawk. What can you do to make it look even cooler? For starters, you can contemplate the idea of getting a hard part. To put it shortly, you will be accentuating your natural part by thinly shaving it.
30. Long & Straight Haircut
After talking about punk hairstyles for guys with thick hair, we want to follow up with an example for the opposite. If you have fine hair, you can simply let it grow to shoulder-length (or longer) and leave it down. No stress, no problems.
31. Scene Punk Hairstyle
Another pop-punk hairstyle you can try out is scene hair. Even though it comes in pretty close to the emo hair, due to the silhouette, scene hairstyles stand out through vivid colors. Essentially, you can choose any color of the rainbow for your scene hair.
32. Electric Blue Angular Fringe Hairstyle
It’s almost impossible for us to talk about any popular hairstyles this year without bringing the angular fringe into the conversation. Be that as it may, the punk alternative of an angular fringe is far more daring than the average version.
33. Death Hawk Hairstyle
We’re all on the same page when it comes to mohawks, but what about death hawks? A hairstyle typically associated with death rock, the death hawk is an adaptation of the Mohawk. It features longer and teased spikes, as well as long sideburns.
34. Asymmetrical Long Bangs
Long bangs are an easygoing substitute for showy punk hairstyles for guys. They won’t draw as much attention, but you’ll still be expressing your love for rock music. Optionally, incorporate different colors into your long bangs hairstyle.
35. Mohawk for Older Guys
Punk has no limits when it comes to age, gender, and creativity. Consequently, you can rock a mohawk even if you have reached your senior years. The world became convinced of the fact during the Jean Paul Gaultier Paris Fashion Week show in 2014 (photo above).
36. Rockabilly Hairstyle
Let’s go back to the roots for a moment and talk about rockabilly style. It represents one of the first forms of rock music ever, mixing elements of R&B and country with it. You can represent the movement with one of the associated hairstyles.
37. Messy Mohawk with Head Tattoo
There isn’t a doubt in the world that punk comes hand in hand with a lack of care for society’s standards. Therefore, it’s normal that punk hairstyles for guys would be messy and ruthless, especially mohawks.
38. Afro-texture Punk
Jean-Michel Basquiat is another iconic figure in history that was known for having a rebellious personality. His signature hairstyle serves as inspiration for African American men that want to rock dreads with a punk attitude.
39. V-shaped Undercut
The most effective way to get a faux hawk all around is arguably with a V-shaped undercut. Owing to the shape at the back of the neck, this undercut style can get you pretty close to a mohawk. You can even customize yours with a shaved design.
40. Voluminous Forward Sweep with Short Sides
Unruly hair is a definitive aspect of punk hairstyles. In other words, you can let your hair grow longer, get an undercut to shape the hairstyle and style the longer top as messily as you’d like. You can even bring your bangs forward and up.
41. Pink Mohawk with Black Tips
We have seen a lot of colorful mohawks until now, but not that many appear like the one in the picture above. Instead of dyeing your hair in horizontal layers, you can choose to get an additional color only on your tips.
42. Bowl Cut Bleached Punk Hairstyle
Yet another modern hairstyle with a punk vibe is the messy bowl cut. If you decide on getting this hairstyle, we encourage you to put it side by side with an undercut. You can even pick different tones for the top and underneath.
43. Mohawk for Men with Receding Hairlines
The Clash’s Joe Strummer is proof that you can pull off a punk hairstyle even if you have a receding hairline. Actually, a mohawk is a smart way of covering up receding hairlines, thanks to the shaven side aspect.
44. Hair Tattoo Hairstyle
If you’re a teen, you may as well make the most of your youth with an adventurous hairstyle. You can get a mohawk or faux hawk and use the sides and/ or back to get a hair tattoo. Select your favorite design and get to work!
45. Rainbow Mohawk
Punk hairstyles will never restrict you to certain hair colors. You can dye your hair any tone, from cherry red to royal blue or even hot pink. Even more so, you can combine a multitude of colors for a rainbow mohawk.
46. Devilock Hairstyle
The devilock is a hairstyle that has become almost synonymous with The Misfits. In this shot, you can see Jerry Only with the courageous hairstyle, featuring a few long and slicked strands directly down the forehead. Make sure you slick back the sides too.
47. Professional Hairstyle
We’ll tone down the anarchy a bit for a punk hairstyle alternative at the workplace. If your professional setting requires you to maintain an “agreeable” appearance, you can chop and layer your hair for a balanced hairstyle.
48. Artsy Punk Hairstyle
Show love for art through your punk hairstyle. You can do additional research on avant-garde hairstyles and get inspiration on creative hairstyles full of attitude. As always, colors aren’t limited whatsoever.
49. Viking Hairstyle
Even though there is no direct relation between Vikings and punk, the hairstyle associated with Norsemen is as just as atypical. It’s a fine choice for men with extremely long hair that want to get a mohawk-like hairstyle through braids.
50. Thick Mohawk
Finally, we want to show you our last idea about how you can experiment with mohawks. You can either make the strip of hair incredibly narrow for a paper-thin mohawk, or you can leave it up to a few inches long for a thick one.
Conclusion
In conclusion, punk hairstyles for guys are definitely more than meets the eye. Even though the majority of people only have mohawks in mind when they think about punk hairstyles, you now know that your options are far more generous. If you were to get a look exactly like in one of our examples, which one would you choose?
This article was updated in February 2019.
Hello, my name is Francisco. I have dark, afro and curly hair. How to be punk hair. My hair is the most horrible. I hate it because I can’t follow the styles. I am ugly.
Hello, Francisco,
Thanks for your feedback, but we disagree. Afro, curly hair is not horrible, it’s in fact quite amazing. And if you think it doesn’t work well with a punk hairstyle, why not take a look at our recommendations for men with curly hair? (We think entry 11 is quite punk in fact).
Keep in mind that style is just a problem of personality and originality. Have an awesome day!