Short Punk Hairstyles: Black Dye and Liberty Spikes Rule.

Look no further for trendy short punk hairstyles… or go real punk.

Short punk hairstyles for men gravitate toward more of a trendy punk than a real punk look. The “real” punk theme goes back to role models in the ’70s and ’80s who exhibited six-inch mohawks and bihawks with shaved sides or the 12-inch, gelatin-held liberty spikes dyed neon green and deep purple. Today, punk has evolved to embrace several punk subcultures that are actually quite – brace yourself – mainstream. These fashionable short punk hairstyles would include the following:

If street or vert skateboarding is your passion, keep your hair short and dye it black, a great short punk hairstyle. Don’t forget the pants: Dickies, Levi’s 501s or Ben Davis; the shoes: Vans; rocker or beer T-shirts; and a hooded sweatshirt or windbreaker jacket to complete your punk sk8er look. But remember that in the end, if you don’t know how to skate, you run the risk of being called a poser – so concentrate on that most of all.

Dyed black hair is cool for another short punk hairstyle variation: emo (short for “emotional”) – the term is derived, by the way, by what Urban Dictionary calls “punk music on estrogen.” Keep the short haircut, but grow out the bangs and cut them straight across the front. The cut can also go high over the ears. On the clothing end, cater to thriftshops, dig out your parents’ horn-rimmed glasses, and keep shrinking your T-shirts in the clothes dryer. Oh, and lose about 10 pounds. This is one of those cases when being a vegetarian or vegan comes in handy.

If black isn’t your color, try your hand at one of these blond short punk hairstyles: a faux gel-sculptured mohawk or short liberty spikes. If you want this latter hairstyle to hold for more than 12 hours, Knox gelatin is highly recommended. You can also keep short hair on the sides of your head, but let the top hair grow out slightly longer. With styling wax, you can create a funnel look by overlapping the top hairs. Combine with Hot Topic wear – you can get T-shirts on clearance for as little as $9.

Now, if you’re a real punk, scrap all of the above and choose any anti-establishment short punk hairstyle that crosses your mind (anything non-commercial). As the punks put it, punk is about breaking away from the norm. Trade your money for a leather jacket and an attitude, DIY, and stand up for the real causes.