How to Get Punk Hairstyles at Home: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
You don’t need a punk barber. You need clippers, product, and 30 minutes. Here’s how to do every major punk style yourself.
Most punk barbers charge $40-80 for a mohawk. That’s steep for a haircut that’s essentially ‘shave the sides, leave the middle.’ The truth is, every punk hairstyle on this list can be done at home with basic tools and some patience. The first one will take you an hour. By the third, you’ll be done in 20 minutes. This guide walks through the full process — from the initial cut to daily styling — for the four core punk looks: classic mohawk, faux hawk, liberty spikes, and the deathawk.
Step 1: Get Your Tools Together
You need professional clippers (Wahl or Andis, $40-80), a guard set from #0 to #5, scissors, a wide-tooth comb, clips for sectioning, a spray bottle with water, a hair dryer with concentrator nozzle, and product. For product: Got2b Glued or equivalent strong-hold gel for mohawks and spikes, and a strong-hold matte clay or pomade for faux hawks and deathawks. Don’t cheap out on the clippers — dull blades pull hair and create uneven fades. The spray bottle is more important than people realize — damp hair is easier to section and style than dry hair.
Step 2: Section and Decide Your Hawk Width
This step determines everything. Use the wide-tooth comb to create a clean part on each side of the head, separating the hawk strip from the sides. For a classic mohawk, the strip should be 2-4 inches wide — measure from the center of the forehead straight back. Use clips to hold the center section up and out of the way. For a faux hawk, don’t section at all — you’ll just be cutting the sides shorter and leaving the top longer. For liberty spikes, the sectioning happens later during styling. For a deathawk, follow the mohawk sectioning but plan for more width (3-5 inches) since the long hair needs mass to fall properly. The key rule: start narrower than you think. You can always take more off the sides, but you can’t glue hair back on.
Step 3: Buzz or Shave the Sides
With the center section clipped up, take your clippers with a #2 guard (for a standard mohawk) or #0 (for a deathhawk or extreme look) and buzz the sides. Start at the bottom — at the neckline — and move upward in smooth strokes, flicking outward at the part line to create a clean transition. Go over each area 2-3 times to catch any stray hairs. For the back, use the handheld mirror to check your work — the back is where most DIY cuts go wrong. The goal is an even buzz all the way around, with a clean line where the hawk begins. If you want a skin fade on the sides (deathawk style), start with #0 at the bottom and blend up using the scooping technique.
Step 4: Trim and Shape the Hawk
Release the center section and comb it straight up. For a classic mohawk, you want 4-6 inches of length — enough to stand up with product but not so much that it flops. Trim the ends to an even length using scissors, cutting straight across while holding the hair taut between two fingers. For a faux hawk, leave the top 4-6 inches and blend the transition from the short sides using a comb and scissors at an angle. For liberty spikes, don’t trim yet — you need length to work with. For a deathawk, leave the center as long as possible (8+ inches) and trim only the split ends. The hawk shape should taper slightly at the forehead and nape — narrower at the edges, fuller in the middle.
Step 5: Style It — Choose Your Punk Look
This is where the haircut becomes a mohawk. Dampen the hawk with the spray bottle. For a classic mohawk: apply Got2b Glued generously from root to tip, then blow-dry upward on high heat while using your other hand to press the hair into a ridge. Work from front to back. Once dry, the hawk should stand on its own. Apply a second layer of gel to any sections that droop. For a faux hawk: apply matte clay to damp hair, blow-dry upward and inward from both sides, creating a ridge. The faux hawk should look natural, not cemented. For liberty spikes: divide the hawk into 6-12 equal sections with clips. Apply Got2b Glued to one section at a time, twist into a point, and hold for 30 seconds while blow-drying on low heat. Repeat for each spike. For a deathawk: apply pomade to damp hair, blow-dry to one side or backward, creating a sweeping motion rather than a vertical spike.
Step 6: Set and Maintain
Once styled, let the product set completely before touching it — about 5 minutes for gel, 10 for gelatin-based products. Don’t run your fingers through it. Don’t lean back on a headrest. Just let it be. For daily maintenance: sleep with the hawk loose (it’ll flatten overnight), then re-wet and restyle in the morning. You don’t need to reapply product every day — just spray with water and blow-dry back into shape. Wash the hawk every 2-3 days with a clarifying shampoo to prevent product buildup. The sides need re-buzzing every 2-3 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows. Invest in a good pair of home clippers and you’ll save $40+ per barber visit.
Safety Warnings
- Never use clippers on wet hair — they cut differently when wet and the results won’t match your dry-hair reference.
- If you cut yourself with the trimmer, clean the wound and wait for it to heal before continuing.
- Got2b Glued and similar products can cause scalp irritation if used daily without washing — clarify every 2-3 days.
- Liberty spikes with gelatin can pull hair if removed aggressively — soak in warm water before washing out.
Tips
Related Guides
Punk Hairstyles: 4 Looks That Still Start Fights — Overview of the four core punk styles with aesthetic breakdowns and face shape guidance.
Every punk hairstyle on this list is just hair, clippers, and product. The mohawk isn’t some mystical barbering art — it’s a buzz cut with a strip left on top. Liberty spikes are just twisted hair with strong gel. The faux hawk is a regular short cut styled differently. Once you break it down to the mechanics, there’s nothing here you can’t do yourself in under an hour. The hardest part isn’t the technique. It’s deciding how much you’re willing to stand out.
Get the clippers. Pick your hawk width. Commit to the middle.
