5 Best Faux Hawk Haircuts For Men

When we think of haircuts and hairstyles, we typically think of women and the different ways they can wear their hair. We often forget about men, but that isn't fair, because many men can wear different hairstyles. In fact, men have worn countless different hairstyle over the years. They have worn their hair long and short, shaved and bald, straight and curly, and everything in between. Besides these styles, the Afro and dreadlocks are other popular hairstyles for men, and of course, we can't forget about the faux hawk.

This hairstyle has appeared in many forms throughout the history of men's haircuts. For some, it occurs rather naturally. For still others, it occurs only through excessive styling and hair styling, often with products like hairspray and mousse. Some men wear their faux hawk more relaxed while others wear it to look almost identical to a mohawk. One thing is for sure though - regardless of how you achieve a faux hawk, it remains a popular hairstyle for men of all ages and hair types.

What Is A Faux Hawk Haircut?

The name faux hawk may remind you of another popular hairstyle - the mohawk. As the name suggests the faux hawk -also known as a "fohawk" - imitates a full-fledged mohawk hairstyle. Just like its distant cousin, the mohawk, it has a strip of hair down the center of the head that stands slightly taller than the rest of the hair. However, this allows for hair on the sides of the head to remain longer. This results in a slightly more natural looking style on the man's head.

The Benefits Of A Faux Hawk Haircut

The faux hawk offers many benefits to the man that wears it. As mentioned above, on the side of the head to remain longer. While fading this part of the hair or keeping it very short is an option, it is not mandatory as it is with a mohawk. This results in a less drastic hairstyle and makes it easier to grow out if the man changes his mind about the style.

Because of this, there is also more versatility within the hairstyle itself. If the environment is not quite right for a dramatic faux hawk, the man can comb it over or slick it back, so it is not standing straight up. This versatility would not be possible with a mohawk since the sides of the head are completely shaved.
Finally, a faux hawk offers more variety for the strip of hair that is the "hawk," while a mohawk only allows a thin strip of hair. A man that wears a faux hawk has the option to have a thicker strip of hair, which will allow for the hair to look more naturally styled.

Top Faux Hawk Styles

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All faux hawks are not the same, but they can all be styled very similarly. First, make sure the hair is clean and towel-dried. While the hair is still damp, apply hair wax or pomade throughout the hair, ensuring that it is distributed evenly and completely throughout the hair. The next step may vary depending on the specific style, but men have the option of using a blow dryer to blow the center strip of hair up and away from the head to achieve textured volume, or using their hands to push the hair together into a more pointed "hawk." More product can always be added to increase hold in the hair.

As mentioned above, however, there are many ways to create a faux hawk. Below are the five best styles for faux hawk haircuts on men. These styles can also be varied. For example, men who enjoy keeping beards can fade their beard into the fade on the side of their head or blend it into the shorter side of the fohawk. Also, men that opt to fade the sides of their head instead of just keeping the hair short can shave designs into the fade on the side of their head to create a unique feel for their individual hairstyle.

1. The Faux Hawk Fade

One of the key differences between a mohawk and a "fohawk" is the length of hair on the side of the head. As we mentioned earlier, a mohawk requires the hair on the side of the head to be completely shaved off. For the man that isn't quite ready to commit to a complete head shave, the fade may be a great option. It is a low maintenance style and can be done in either a high fade or a low fade. To create the most contrast between the hair on the top of the head, though, we recommend going with a high fade.

2. Undercut Faux Hawk

This hairstyle is similar to the fade mentioned above, with a slight twist. This style features an undercut, which means that the center strip of hair is undercut at the back. Essentially, this "fohawk" still features a fade, but in the back of the head, the fade comes up higher underneath the center strip. This causes part of the center strip to hang over the faded part of the hair. A popular styling technique with the undercut is to pull the "hawk" section into a bun or ponytail. It is, of course, always an option to let it hang over to one side.

3. Frohawk Fade

This hairstyle is also similar to the fade mentioned above. However, in this variation, the "hawk" section is actually very similar to that of an Afro. In this hairstyle, the "hawk" retains its natural texture and is allowed to grow into an Afro down the center of the man's head, while the sides are still faded into the "hawk." This style requires significantly less maintenance since the center strip of hair is allowed to remain in its natural state and does not need to be blow dried for texture. The only maintenance this style may require is a gel, pomade, or hairspray to keep the hair in place.

4. Textured Faux Hawk with Short Sides

For this hairstyle, the sides of the hair are not faded. Instead, they are shorter than the top of the head but still allowed to keep a bit of length. Instead of fading them, the hairstylist may choose to simply shorten the sides and add some texture into them. The focus of this style is, of course, on the top of the head.

This style's "hawk" is a little wider than that of the fade's, because it is extremely textured. While other "fohawks" may come to a point at the center of the head, this style's "hawk" is more likely to stand up all over the top of the head in a pointedly messy style. This style, deceivingly, requires more maintenance and styling. The sides of the hair cannot be allowed to grow too long, and the top of the head must be styled so that the hair sticks up without looking disheveled. There is a fine balance with this hairstyle of pointedly messy and just unkempt.

5. Long/Short Faux Hawk

This style has two options for the wearer. While some men may prefer to keep the top of their fohawk short for less maintenance, others may opt to keep the top of their fohawk longer for a more dramatic look. Both looks have their pros and cons. With the short fohawk, there is notably less maintenance because there is less hair to work with.

This short style requires enough wax or pomade to keep the hair in place, but not nearly as much as the long style requires. However, the long style may be best for the workplace where an actual fohawk may be considered inappropriate. Also, since there is more hair involved in the long fohawk, it is easier for the man to comb the hair over or back to create a less dramatic style. In both the long and short fohawk, though, the sides work best as fades.

Conclusion

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As the five different styles listed here make clear, the faux hawk is a very diverse hairstyle. Many types of men can wear the fohawk in different styles and variations; it just depends on how much of their heads they are willing to shave. It is possible to wear it with a lot of styling or products, but it is also possible to find a fohawk style that requires minimal maintenance for the more low key men out there.

If you're thinking about wearing a fohawk yourself, it is important to look at the style being worn on others so that you can get an idea of what it might look like on you. Some styles may work great for others, but it is important to know yourself and know both what is possible for your daily routine and what will look best on you. Luckily, since there are so many styles of fohawks, you are sure to find one will look great on you.