About Faux-Hawks

One of the trendiest hairstyles of the past few years is the "faux-hawk"---the crest of hair on the top of the head that's almost like, but isn't quite a mohawk. First made visible by the famous soccer player David Beckham when he showed off his short do at the 2002 World Cup, the faux-hawk's popularity shot upwards, turning into the hairdo of the stars and spawning several variations.

Origins

Before there was the faux-hawk, there was the mohawk. To style a mohawk, both sides of the head are shaved, leaving a strip of hair in the middle that is then styled upwards using product. The mohawk got its name from the Mohawk American Indian tribe, who would wear the hairstyle into battle. Centuries later, punk fashion adopted the mohawk, often brightly dyed.

Identification

A faux-hawk is really just a less involved version of a mohawk. Instead of shaving the head, faux-hawk wearers simply spray or gel up the hair in the middle of the head. The hair now has the kind of height that characterizes a mohawk but the rest of the head isn't bald. Sometimes the hair at the side of the head is cut short to emphasize the longer hair on top.

Styling

People with long straight locks can backcomb the center section of their hair, spraying it upwards, while leaving the hair at the sides hanging down or pinned back. Shorter straight hair can be trimmed at the sides. The longer hair on top is then molded into a faux-hawk using gel or paste. Curly-haired people should straighten their hair before attempting a faux-hawk. African-Americans can simply have the hair on the sides of the head trimmed down very short, leaving a crest down the middle.

Types

Depending on the height of the hair, a faux-hawk can have a preppy look---such as the shorter version sported by David Beckham---or can basically be a slightly more hairy version of a regular Mohawk. Women with long hair can go for a pompadour faux-hawk. The Hoxton fin is a variation of a faux-hawk, where the hair on both the back and the sides of the head is trimmed short.

Proponents

Famous men who wear or have worn the faux-hawk hairstyle include lead singer of Fall Out Boy Pete Wentz, guitarist Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and actor Elijah Wood. Women who have rocked a faux-hawk include American Idol contestant Nadia Turner. American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar wore a faux-hawk made of a series of ponytails during a performance.

Resources

• Hairfinder.com---Faux-hawk Haircut
• Garnier Fructis Style Video---Faux-Hawk