Let your presence haunt everyone in the room or club with one of our deviant but exemplary gothic hairstyle suggestions.
A few tricks can make any haircut punk in an instant. Use these terms and keywords to your next hair appointment. Watch your regular haircut transform into the edgy cut of your dreams.
our Top 13 Gothic Hairstyle Picks
1. Alternative & Asymmetrical
Goth culture demands uniqueness. When in doubt, look for alternative terms and styles. Traditional haircuts want you to believe that balance is key, but that’s boring. Asymmetry is your best bet, including unorthodox haircuts like the hime cut.
Undercuts are an easy way to get some edgy asymmetry in. You could even have choppy side cuts or uneven bangs.
2. Bangs
Speaking of bangs, make the ultimate statement piece with them. Bangs, when done right, can be a staple of a gothic hairstyle.
A baby bang (bangs that rest high, almost at the top of your forehead) gives punk. Elongated bangs can frame your face well, emphasising detailed eye makeup too. Full-out goth bangs are definitely the “V” Fringe or Widow’s Peak.
3. Bat’s Nest
The Bat’s Nest is a staple in the compendium of gothic hairstyles. Essentially, you pile on and pin down your thick teased hair right on top of your head. This hairdo is so quintessentially goth that it’s almost synonymous with several icons like Siouxsie Sioux and Helena Bonham Carter.
The best Bat’s Nest hairstyles utilised the skill of backcombing, where you use a teasing brush under your hair. The messier, the better if you want to get peak Bat’s Nest perfection.
4. Bob
Early rebellion came with this quintessential haircut. The 1920s saw the rise of the bob, a short hairstyle considered avant-garde for women. These brave ladies rejected stereotypical femininity by sporting the then-masculine hairstyle. Now, goth culture happily adapted their own rendition.
The short style of the bob is convenient for a goth-on-the-go. Its main selling point is its versatility. You can flip the ends for a y2k vibe. A choppy and messy bob is also super popular.
5. Curls & Waves
Add some romance into your spooky style with some luscious curls or tousled waves. Long, curly hair is not necessarily gothic. However, romantic goth culture is teeming with elegant and classy styles like this.
Keep your curls long and healthy with curl-friendly products like conditioners and creams . Be bold with an ombre effect or just full-on bright colours like blood red or slime green. Up the horror factor with your favourite long black lace dress. Talk about Victorian gothic.
6. Layers
Layers add so many levels of drama for any look. So naturally, it can work with alternative styles too. Case in point, the wispy layers and textured styles of the whimsigoths.
Your locks will have so much texture with one haircut. It can also make you look like you’re in an Evanescence music video, hair in the wind and all. This hairstyle will work with colour works as well, like the popular gemini.
7. Mohawk
Awaken the anarchist in you with a mohawk. Other dark aesthetics also feature this eye-catching look like punk and alt. The goth version of the mohawk is the well-known deathhawk. It’s the same as a mohawk, but with more volume through backcombing.
Deathhawks can come in almost all sizes, from long to short. Clean shaven sides are a must for full impact. Colours can vary, from natural shades to vivid hues. Combining the look with tails or tendrils (long sideburns) is always fun too.
8. Mullet
Mullets were such a big thing in the 80s that they resurfaced back now in the 2020s. This hairstyle can be an amazing gothic staple, especially for the wavy and curly-haired witches.
A basic mullet entails the go-to “business in the front, party in the back” look. Take it to the next eerie level with an undercut or choppy fringe. Shorter mullets are also a thing, like a pixie front piece.
9. Shag
The shag haircut hadsuch an impact in the 70s. The texture of the cut is uneven, but that’s what you should want. Embrace the mess for the optimal emo chaos look.
Curls look good in a messy shag hairstyle. The choppiness adds more of an edge to your goth style. A cropped shag with a reverse ombre effect will be electric.
10. Short
Another painless alternative has to be the short style. Whether it’s a pixie cut or just your normal short hair slicked back, it’ll work its magic. You’ll feel like a vampire queen, ready for her next ball or feast out.
Shorter haircuts give you a more masculine take. You can mix things up with a buzz cut or mullet styles. Other haircuts in this list can be made shorter, with a lot of layers for more volume.
11. Slicked Long & Straight
Do you want to feel simply like Elvira or Morticia Addams? Then, slicked straight hair should be your next choice. The best part? This long haircut is the basis for so many goth and emo hairdos, like the Bat’s Nest!
Keep your locks long and trimmed for the health of your hair. Achieve the ultra-straight uncanny look with a straightener, if you have it. Go dark with the signature striking jet-black hair colour or have a little fun with the two-tone style.
12. Updo
You can’t go wrong with a classic updo. It’ll make you feel like the main character in a dark fantasy novel, depending on the style. It’s also such a practical hairdo, switching from day to night just like that. This timeless hairstyle will quickly be your goth-style staple with just a few tweaks.
Any hair type is acceptable, but long hair is the best. A messy bun can take you a long way, but let’s up the ante. A little teasing and curling will give you so much depth. Mess it up a bit, with bangs and face-framing pieces, to get that haunting-chic look.
13. Wolf Cut
By far, the most trendy haircut on this list has to be the wolf cut. It has its roots with the 70s shag and the 80s mullet. It skyrocketed into mainstream media in the early 2010s because of KPop idols. It’s going strong now in the 2020s, with goth and emo culture leading the charge.
This haircut already looks like the beginning of an alternative look. Again, pairing darker and lighter shades accentuates the eccentricities of the macabre subculture. It’s the ideal aura for the chaotic-but-sophisticated punk goth in your life.
Effortless Goth Hairstyle Tips and Tricks
Accessorise
Goth styling screams for layers and layers of accessories. Embellish your locks to the fullest. In case you haven’t noticed, the goth aesthetic can be maximalist. Hairdos like braids, ponytails, and even space buns are always welcome.
Uniquely beautiful accents we highly recommend are:
- Bows & Ribbons
- Dark Flower Crowns & Tiaras
- Hair Extensions
- Headpieces With Pearls & Black Crystals
- Spiky Headbands
Colour
A splash of colour will turn any boring look into a supernatural masterpiece. Don’t let the primarily black aesthetic discourage you from adding more tints of brightness. In fact, a pop of hue in your curls can definitely elevate any look into a full-blown love affair.
Some of your more colourful combos are:
- Bleached Roots
- Gemini
- Ombre
- Reverse Ombre
- Two-toned
All-Natural
Who said you can’t be the ultimate goth princess with your natural tresses? Indeed, your natural hair will go pretty well with any of your edgy alternative outfits. Every regular haircut can be gothic. All anybody needs to do is to style it in their own bewitching way.
