What Is a Black Men Mohawk

Today, we know it as a hairstyle made famous in pop culture by punk rockers. But the Mohawk has a rich history and we’ll look at that and more in this piece.

For starters, many Black men with curly hair types and styles like going for mohawks because of both style and comfort. But more on that in a moment.

Why Is This Hairstyle Called a Mohawk

If you didn’t know it already, the mohawk is inspired by the name of a Native American tribe during the 1600s. They were warriors who shaved their heads except for a small patch in the center.

In the modern-day US, that is, around the 1970s, mohawks became a part of the musical and cultural movement where the hairstyle was used to shock but not necessarily awe. But it was meant to make the statement that they were different from the rest of us and fierce. By the 1980s, punks were able to make that point successfully.

The hairstyle vanished for a couple of decades, but in the 2000s, it found its way back into civilization. Now, it is considered not just fierce and different but is also a hairdo for someone cool and has a sense of personal style.

Black Men Mohawks and Different Face Shapes

Even if you are a punk, mohawks are not for everyone. The shape of your face plays a crucial role in deciding the hairstyle that suits you best. The mohawk is widely considered the best choice for men who have a diamond or a pear-shaped face. That means it has to be closer to a square-shaped face and further away from an oval shape.

To understand this, you must figure out how your face looks from the front and the sides and the back. If you boil it down to diamond or pear, here’s why it works.

Pear-Shaped Face

This means your forehead is considerably more narrow than your jawline. If that doesn’t make it clear, think of it this way: the shape of your face is what an upside-down heart looks like.

Now, if that’s you, your best move is to balance the shape of your face and for that, you need to create some volume up top near the forehead. This will get your head closer to an oval shape, one of the most coveted shapes. If you don’t believe us, ask Seth Rogen.

Those who don’t want a mohawk often go for the topknot, which produces the same result by taking attention away from the jawline.

Diamond-Shaped Face

Then there is the diamond-shaped face. This means your forehead is narrow and the cheekbones are vast, but the chin is back to being narrow. It’s an exciting hairstyle where you get to tuck the hair behind the ears looks good. That’s because they bring out those beautiful cheekbones. If it’s your thing, bangs can look cool too, but you have to sweep them aside.

Center partitions make the look soft which means a mohawk will be perfectly placed on this face shape.

How to Style the Black Men Mohawk

Step 1 – Trim the hair

First, you must shave the sides with a pair of clippers and a guard of the correct size. The size is critical because even the world’s best hair cutting sheers won’t do you any good if you can’t gauge how they cut. You can also get masking tape or a few rubber bands because you’ll need them to get the borders right.

Then you must map the hair out with what will be left and what must be shaved off. Make sure the strip of hair is about 2-3 inches wide and mark it using the tape. You can put the rubber bands to good use if you have long hair. Then, comb the hair that makes the mohawk and let the rest go.

Clip the hair that needs to go with the proper guard size. Be sure to test it first and make adjustments if needed. Shave in the direction of the hair growth from front to back. You might need a mirror or a helper for the back of your head.

You don’t want the hair to be greasy from the residue of the previous styling, so wash it up, preferably with a natural hair shampoo. This will also clear the lingering hair that’s been chopped. Once you have the hair you want, blow dry it.

Step 2 – Using the hair spray

Start by lifting the front section while holding the middle section with your hand. Spray the front till you reach the roots. Blow-dry the front part for 30 to 45 seconds with your dominant hand while you hold the rest of it with the other hand.

Now, do the same with the middle section and move backward slowly. Make sure both the sections are aligned well. Spray on the middle area till they are both even. You will have to use both hands here to ensure the alignment is right. 

Do the same with the back of your head, but for this, once again, you might need a helper or a mirror. Monitor it from the side.

Check the style and alignment of the entire mohawk once you are done and see if you need to adjust it anywhere. Close any possible gaps that exist and spray your hair again. Blow-dry it one last time and add gel if you want. There are plenty of ​​premium hair creams for men that will take care of this part.

13 Most Popular Types of Black Men’s Mohawk

Classic Mohawk

This is a dapper look that comes with spikes at the top. The side frame balances slight baldness, making the mohawk visually long and comfortable. This looks like a crown on a black man’s face, thanks to the usually faded edges. It’s creative and fits the face shape when chosen wisely.

High Taper Fade

This is a good choice because it mixes a mohawk and a taper fade. It means you shave most of the sides and the hair just a couple of inches under the hairline is left intact. The top can be styled any way you like. Most faded mohawks look suitable for all the typical black man beard styles. A bit of a blanket statement, but it works!

Tapered Fohawk

If you didn’t want to go full mohawk, you can do a faux hawk and taper the edges. That means you will buzz the hair near the ears and the rest is left to drop down the neck no matter the length. This is very popular among men and if you have short hair, you can spike it on the front. This is a good one also because, at some point, you will realize that styling a side part hairstyle with ease is an option with faded and tapered mohawks or fohawks.

Spiky Fohawk

If you don’t want to trim your hair too much, this is the way to go. It is also an excellent choice for those who want to add texture and volume to the hair. The faux hawk takes care of the volume and the spikes will add a little texture to the entire look. This is an excellent look if you are looking for easy-to-maintain bleached hairstyles.

An Undercut

This is usually a choice made by those who have dreads. And it’s a cool combination too. The dreads add contrast to the shaved sides and they add volume at the top. But even without dreads, it is a vibrant look. And this is a pretty good fit for most stylish curly beards.

Braided Mohawk

The advantage of braids is that there’s a lot you can do with them. You can do multi-braid mohawks or make a single long braid with a nice amount of length. You can even do small braids and let them sleep on the sides, but you must have medium and thick hair for that.

High Fade Mohawk

This style involves shaving the sides entirely and leaving the top thick. Many people also like to add a rat tail or a ponytail to make it look cool and give it some balance.

Upswept Mohawk

In this look, you will have the sides tapered and also faded. You can even try an undercut which will keep the upswept part of your hair highlighted. 

Mohawk With Design

This means keeping the hair just about one inch long and shaving the sides into a design of your choice. You can use crisscrosses or Xs or geometrical shapes. You can even do names or musical notes. Your imagination only limits you.

Buzzed Mohawk

This is an excellent look for short hair on the face. The top is about one inch long, coupled with the sides having a high fade. You can also do a bald fade and it will look just as good.

Patterned Mohawk

This is for those who want a bold mohawk. You will have a short and trimmed main section paired with an undercut. The sides and even the back can be groomed into a design of your choice.

Mohawk Mullet

This is a mix of two retro-style haircuts, which you can guess by the name of the style. It is the best of both worlds. You will have the sides trimmed short and the hair in the back will be long. It’s unique and pretty bold.

Mohawk With Dreadlocks

And finally, there is the choice for those who already have dreadlocks. All you need is to shave the sides and wear the rest in a ponytail style. You can also get highlights or extensions or both if you want to spice it up a bit.

Difference Between Mohawk, Fauxhawk and Deathhawk

As you now know, a mohawk is a hairstyle where you shave the sides entirely or with a short, medium or high fade. The hair that is on top of the head is kept the way it is and it is typically styled such that it stands up straight.

A faux hawk or a fohawk is a hairstyle where the hair on the top usually runs from the front to the back. The top part is still standing straight and in the upwards direction as in the mohawk, but the sides are not completely shaved. That’s the biggest difference between the two styles. And it’s typically what is referred to as one of the popular fuckboy haircuts.

And then there is the deathhawk, which is a popular choice in certain subcultures. Goth and deathrock are just two examples and the latter is a stronger influence which is perhaps where the name comes from.

On the other hand, the mohawk is more the choice of punks. The biggest difference between the mohawk and a deathhawk is that the voluminous hair on top is either finger-teased or combed to the back in the latter.

FAQ About Black Men’s Mohawk

Can you do a black men’s mohawk at home?

 Yes, and luck for you, it’s not all that hard either. You will need to set up the mohawk section with your hands and masking tape. Then you will apply gel or wax to your hand and straighten it up.

Then you run your fingers through the hair and pull the sides that need to be shaved away from the center, which is now standing up thanks to a bit of hair spray. Then you must choose the right guard and get rid of the sides to make way for a classic mohawk. You can improvise if you are looking to get creative on the sides. And that’s that.

How do you cut a black men’s mohawk?

Conceptually it is the same in terms of technique. But Black men’s hair tends to be a bit more curly, which means you have to comb it constantly while trimming the sides. And it might be beneficial to cut against the grain to make sure that the hair is even.

What does a mohawk symbolize?

Back in the day, this hairstyle symbolized those young men who were designated to protect their tribe. So, it was the hairstyle of warriors in the Native American tradition, which is also why some say white people getting a mohawk could be considered cultural appropriation. In the later decades, punks adopted mohawks because they wanted to distinguish themselves from the “ordinary” (wo)man on the street.

What is the most popular hairstyle for black men?

This is a tricky question to answer since it comes with the risk of stereotyping an entire chunk of our species. But box fades, afro fades, twists with or without locks are all popular in the community. This is because fades look good and are easy to manage afro hair’s texture. 

What’s the difference between a mohawk and a faux mohawk?

A traditional mohawk usually means the sides are entirely shaved, whereas a faux hawk keeps the sides intact in some parts. The latter is believed to be a milder look.

How do you give a mohawk fade?

You can use a trimmer for this. Start at the highest guard (which cuts the least amount of hair) and reduce it in steps until you reach a point of uniformity. Then you steady the guard at the lowest point (which cuts the maximum amount of hair) and run it against the sides in a scoop fashion against the grain, like scooping out ice cream.

Conclusion

There are lots of different ways in which you can style a mohawk. Now you know that there are plenty of ways to cut it too. And it’s not just about style. The black men’s mohawk is particularly famous because it helps you get rid of annoying ingrown hairs, too, which are likely because of the curls.

Photos from: xcai / depositphotos.com, HayDmitriy / depositphotos.com, watman / depositphotos.com and ljsphotography / depositphotos.com.

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