A Mohawk is a traditional hairstyle where the hair on both sides of the head is shaved or cut very short, leaving a strip of longer hair running from the forehead to the back of the neck. This strip often stands upright, sometimes stiffened with gel or other products to create a dramatic crest.

The style’s common name in English comes from the Mohawk people, one of the original Indigenous nations of what is now New York State and parts of Canada. Mohawk people traditionally wore their hair in distinctive styles, though the modern punk rock version differs from these historical styles. In the 1970s and 1980s, punk rockers adopted exaggerated versions of the mohawk, often dyeing the strip bright colors and making it stand tall and spiky.

Today, mohawks appear in many variations. Athletes might wear subtle mohawks, while musicians or artists might sport wild, colorful versions. Some people wear faux hawks (or fohawks), which look similar but keep a bit more hair on the sides. The style has moved from its Indigenous associations through punk counterculture to become recognized everywhere, though it still signals a bold, attention-grabbing choice.