Mohawks are a popular punk hairstyle.
The term Mohawk is often used to describe more than one type of hairstyle, although all tend to consist of shorter hair on the sides of the head and hair in the middle several inches longer. In the most common version of a Mohawk haircut, the sides of the head are completely shaved from front to back, leaving a fringe of hair down the middle. The remaining hair band can be almost any length, but is usually cut to just a few inches from the scalp. The Mohawk is believed to have been worn by many early American Indians and became part of pop culture when punk rockers of the late 1970s and early 1980s began cutting their hair in this manner.
Mohawk haircuts are often worn by men, although some women wear this style as well. Cyndi Lauper, a famous artist and musical artist of the 1980s, used to style her hair this way, and for a short time, some women in the punk subculture imitated the style. Other female pop stars who have reportedly sported their own versions of the Mohawk haircut include Gwen Stefani and Rhianna.
Some versions of the Mohawk haircut do not require shaving the sides of the head. One of these styles involves not cutting the hair and instead simply using gel to bring all of the hair to the middle of the head with a hair clip to create the peak in the middle. A Mohawk can also be obtained by simply cutting the hair on both sides of the head very short, leaving a longer strip in the middle. These alternative styles seem to be more popular with women than men.
Mohawk hairstyles may have an even older history than previously believed. In 2003, a well-preserved 2,000-year-old male corpse was discovered in an Irish bog. The corpse had a well-defined Mohawk haircut that was finished with oil to help the hair stand up. The oil was a mixture of vegetable oils and resin, and experts believe that the presence of the oil may indicate that great care was taken in maintaining the hairstyle. Experts generally believe that the extra attention given to the hairstyle may be evidence that the style may indicate social status.
People who are considering mohawk haircuts should probably think about this very carefully. One of the biggest downsides to this type of hairstyle is that once cut, it can take a long time to grow back. Also, there is usually very little that can be done with the hair while it is expected to grow. It can take months or even years before the hair grows long enough for another type of hairstyle.