Get Emo Hair
Want to style your hair so that it fits in with the emo/scene style? Some things you can do include teasing, razor trimming, dyeing, or straightening your hair, but your ultimate emo hairstyle and cut is completely up to you. There's no one way to get emo hair and the varieties of styles you can cultivate are as endless as the possibilities of the emo scene itself.
Steps
- Cut your hair. Emo haircuts usually feature chunky layers, as well as blunt-cut or side swept bangs that come down to your eyebrows.
- Look for inspiration. Search online or in magazines for haircuts you like. If you find one you want to imitate, take a copy of the photo with you when you go in for your haircut.
- Ask for a razor trim. For super-sharp, straight edges on the ends of your hair, ask your stylist to use a razor comb.
- Thin your hair out on the bottom. A lot of emo hairstyles feature hair that's teased and thick on top, but thin and straight on the bottom. It will be easier for you to achieve this if you ask your stylist to thin out the bottom {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of your hair.
- Keep the length conservative. Remember that you can always cut more hair off later, but growing it back takes awhile. If you're not sure about what kind of length you want, stay a bit longer than you think you might want. You can trim it up more next time.
- Watch out for split ends. Keep your haircut looking sharp and fresh by staying on top of ragged ends. Go in for a trim every 6 to 8 weeks, or touch it up yourself. If you razor trim your ends at home, use a straight razor and work with dry hair.
- Dye your hair (optional). Typically emo hair colors include jet black, bleached blonde, or neon streaks running through dark hair. Look around for inspiration, and settle on something you like.
- If this is your first time having your hair dyed, it's best to visit a professional salon. If you want to dye your hair by yourself in the future, pay close attention to the stylist's method and ask questions about the process.
- If you're familiar with dying your own hair, check out this article for more information on how to dye your hair with bold colors.
- Some beauty supply shops will sell hair gel (or something like it) that will have different colors. You can use these to experiment with different colors before committing to dye your hair.
- Tease the top or back of your hair. A standard emo look requires the top or back of your hair to be teased out, while the bottom strands are sleek and straight. Tease your hair by grabbing a section that lays on top, applying hairspray, and using a rat-tail or fine-toothed comb to backcomb the hair (moving the comb "against' the grain and toward your scalp, not the ends of your hair). Backcomb as many times as necessary, then move on to the next section.
- If your hair is thin and difficult to tease, buy a root volumizer (which can be found at most drugstores or beauty supply stores). Spray the foam along the root of your hair in 1 or 2-inch sections, working from bottom to top. Muss it through the top of your hair, and let it sit for a minute. Then try backcombing as normal.
- Use a straightener. Straightening your hair can help it look sleek and flat where you want it to (like on your bangs or the bottom of your hair). If you have thick, curly hair, you'll need a higher-quality straightener (like the ones sold at hair salons that run around $100 USD). If you have thinner hair that tends to be wavy or straight, you can get away with a less expensive straightener sold at a good quality hair store.
- Always spray your hair with a heat protectant before you start straightening. This helps minimize the damage caused by the heat.
- Work in small sections. If you have a lot of hair, clip up the top sections so that you have a manageable amount to work with. Once that's straightened, unclip another section. Keep going in that way until you've worked through all your hair.
- Take care of your hair. Dying, backcombing and straightening your hair can all be harsh on your hair. Here are a few ways to lessen the damage.
- If you plan on wearing a straightened or backcombed style every day, try to "train" your hair so that it only needs to be washed once or twice a week. (It will be greasy at first, but just spray the roots with a dry shampoo and go over your hair with a blowdryer set to cool).
- Use the right shampoo and conditioner. If your hair is dyed, purchase a shampoo and conditioner set that's specifically formulated for colored hair. In general, though, seek out products that don't contain sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate - these are alcohols that make shampoo foamy when you lather, but they can damage your hair. (If you buy new shampoo that doesn't foam up, don't worry - it's still cleaning your hair.)
- Although excessive use of sulfate-containing shampoos can dry the hair (causing frizz and brittleness), they are good for cleansing excessive products from the hair. When hair-products build up, the hair tends to get difficult to manage (clumping, lying flat, sticking up abnormally, tangling, etc). This is the result of silicones and other ingredients causing the hair to hold in positions you don't want, as a result of sleeping on it. Sulfates are the only common shampoo ingredient capable of efficiently removing silicones and other styling products from the hair, and as such are useful when your hair seems to be suffering from buildup. Just make sure to use a good conditioner after using a harsh shampoo.
- Consider giving your hair a break once or twice a week. When possible, try to give your hair a "day off" every so often, during which you don't style it with heat or backcombing. Tie it up in a ponytail, or wear a hat over it instead.
Tips
- Don't go over the top with the layers! Too many layers, or excessive short layers can make the style almost impossible, as the hair will not easily flow in one direction. Avoid layering the crown of your head, as most emo-styles use hair from the back all the way over the head to give the bangs weight. If the crown is heavily layered, it will have a tendency to frizz, as well as get unruly. You want the hair on the top of your head to flow down to your bangs. If you want layers, focus on some long layers on the sides of your head and especially the back (this will allow you to easily get that messy, backcombed look).
- It is best to try your own style, it doesn't matter what people say about it. Just be creative and yourself!
- if you have colored hair, you can often get away with using just a high quality conditioner in the shower, especially if you bleached it from a darker color. Your hair being so dry from bleaching, it will just absorb the moisture, and the harsh sulfates from the shampoo is not washing out your color. (I haven't dyed my hair in 2 months and it looks as if I dyed it yesterday.)
- Have fun accessorizing your hair. You can use girly bows, clips featuring bats or spiders, or cute headbands featuring feathers or beads. Check out Hot Topic, Claire's or eBay for unique options.
- If you have not dyed your hair before go to a professional to make sure you are not allergic to any ingredients.
- Most emo hair is down covering on side of their eye.
- Layers are needed to make hair bigger at the top. Just know that back combing makes your hair ratted, and it does take a while to comb out. If you go this way hairspray is your best friend to keep it all intact.
- Make sure to ask your hairstylist for a "fringe." Most emo styles have bangs and then a fringe leading up to the bangs.
Warnings
- Don't be afraid to try new things
- Don't give into the social pressure to change. Just be yourself. If you are doing this to impress someone, then stop!
- You probably won't get it perfectly the first try.
Things You'll Need
- Straightener or flat iron
- Heat protectant
- Rat-tail or fine-toothed comb
- Hairspray
- Good shampoo and conditioner
- Hair dye (optional)
- Volumizing spray (optional)
- Straight razor (optional)
- Accessories (optional)
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