How to Create a Strong-Holding Mohican

Mohawk hair style with strong hold — Photo: Presslab/Shutterstock

Q: Hi. I was wondering if you could give me some advice: I've been trying to style my medium brown hair into a strong-holding Mohican, like Travis Barker's out of Blink 182, but whenever I put the gel in my hair it only holds for 5 seconds and then it just collapses and looks poor.

I've tried so many different types of gel, such as {brand name omitted} freeze gel, {brand name omitted} heat and sweat proof {brand name omitted} hard glue, but none of these products seem to work. So, I would kindly appreciate it if you could give me some advice on how to get a Mohican like Travis Barker's that will hold all day long. Thank you for reading. Please reply I really need help.

A: Well, the amount of product you need will generally depend on the texture and density of your hair. Coarse hair that is thick (i.e. dense) will generally stand better, because the hair has its own strength to hold it aloft and can draw support from the hairs around it.

That being said, many people who want to wear a fin-style Mohawk proceed under the assumption that all they need is the right hair gel (or styling product) and they're all set. The fact is, to get lasting height in the style you usually have to layer the products.

There have been countless substances used to create Mohawk fins in the past. I have a friend who regaled me once with his stories of the days he was in his "punk" phase and wore his 10-inch Mohawk in long spikes. He and his friends would take turns slathering on gels, pomades and hairspray to give the hair substance, then would lay their hair across the ironing board in his mom's kitchen and spray the hair with laundry starch and iron it out until it was stiff and razor sharp.

Well, barring your inexplicable urge to put your hair through the same kinds of torture, I can offer you the following advice:

Start with "day-old" hair. Freshly washed hair is generally very smooth and silky and is always harder to style. By waiting a day after shampooing and conditioning, you give yourself a better start for the intended style.

Step One: Apply a liberal amount of mousse to the hair so that the hair is saturated, then blow-dry the hair using a vented brush until the hair is straight. Repeat.

Step Two: Apply styling gel (use your favorite super hold gel) and blow-dry the hair - again using a vented brush to keep the hair straight. Repeat. At this point, the hair should be growing stiff.

Step Three: Use a super hold hairspray and saturate the hair once more. Add a diffuser attachment to your hair dryer and dry the hair in segments while holding the hair aloft to ensure the proper lift. You can hold the hair up using your vented brush or your fingers.

Step Four: Use a flat iron to press the hair into the "fin" shape. You may need to get someone to assist you in this, depending on how long your hair is, especially in working with the back of the head. The hairspray will give the hair firmness when you press it with the flat iron. You'll need to work in smaller segments from back to front or front to back.

Finish the style by giving the finished "fin" another misting of hairspray. The resulting style should last you several hours, but be forewarned that excessive perspiration or humidity can cause even the strongest Mohawk styles to wilt.

You will probably need to use a clarifying shampoo to remove the amount of product from your hair and scalp, and I don't recommend doing this every day. If you over-stress your hair, you will damage it.

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