Spiked Hairstyles

It is very clear that there isn't much guidance from the media in the way of hairstyles for men. It's difficult for the males amongst us to keep up with styles as many a time the famous and stylish are praised for their fashion instead of their hair. However, here you can learn the techniques to one of the most timeless looks in the male species - spikes.

Spiky hairstyles are extremely easy to achieve, but they are a good way to keep up with trends and individualise a specific look to suit unique personalities, whether you are spiking your hair to make a statement, or simply keep hair out of your eyes.

Spikes make a bold statement - they are typically wild and dangerous, and have even been copied by some females, for example Sharon Stone, Kerry Katona and Ellen DeGeneres. Although the look is easy, some men are completely lost when it comes to where to start.

One of the most dramatic spiked hairstyles is the Mohawk. Jared Leto is known for sporting this style, which consists of the sides of the head being shaved to leave a central strip. The strip is one or two inches long, and although there are variations in the look, it is typically one single strip that is spiked into a fan allowing the hair to stand up evenly. 'Liberty spikes' can also be incorporated into the Mohawk, which is when the central strip is separated into individual spikes

A close brother of the Mohawk is the 'faux-hawk'. This is a very similar style, but the hair on the side of the head isn't completely shaved. It is cut shorter than the central strip but is a more subtle look - suitable for those who aren't exactly ready to go the full hog with the hawk.

Although some looks are typically associated to a specific group of people, there is no rule saying that 'emo's' or 'punks' are the only people allowed to style their hair in a particular way. A look that is commonly associated with 'emo' groups is the messy, uneven, shaved look. Characteristically this look has a hanging front fringe covering one eye, and hair spiked randomly across the head.

Stereotypicaly, 'punks' are also known for their dramatic hairstyles. Again, the 'punk hairstyle' is a vast umbrella of looks, however this is where the Mohawk originated. Punk hairstyles include twisted spikes, messy spikes and a selection of faux-hawks, and one of the determining factors of the punk style is the existence of spikes in the hair

To conclude on the background of the spiked hairstyle, one of the lesser known variations is the 'flat top' look. This is when the style, based on the crew cut, is much shorter at the sides and back, leaving slightly more hair at the top to make a bolder impression. The hair at the top is still short enough to stand up on its own in spikes.