How to Make Your Hair Look Emo Without Cutting It

Download Article

Download Article

If you love emo or scene style and you want to show it, you have to have the right hair! Emo hair is usually characterized by choppy layers, black or blonde hair with bright colors, and side-swept bangs. Check out some different looks, then visit a salon or cut your hair at home to show off your emo style!

1. 1

   Give yourself a deep side part. Many emo hair styles start with a deep side part. Hold a comb up at the outside of your eyebrow, then slide the comb through your hair from your hairline to the crown of your head. Comb your hair on either side of the part and use hairspray to hold your hair in place.^[1]

   • If you have long bangs, part them so they'll fall over one eye.

2. 2

   Use bobby pins to get the look of bangs if you don't have them. After you part your hair, take the front section of your hair and comb it slightly forward to it falls across your forehead. Sweep the hair to the side so it looks like long bangs, then use bobby pins near your ear to hold the hair in place.

3. 3

   Wear your hair super-straight or wavy with straight bangs. Most emo hair is worn straight to emphasize the choppy layers. If your hair is naturally curly or wavy, you can straighten your hair with a flat iron. You can also wear it natural and only straighten your bangs.

4. 4

   Backcomb your hair to get extra volume at the top. Lift a section of your hair, then comb it backwards towards the roots. Do this several times until you see a visible lift in your hair. Carefully smooth the very top layer of your hair over the backcombed section, then hairspray it to hold it in place.

   • You can also purchase a root volumizer at a drug store or beauty supply store to help you get more lift. These are usually a powder or foam that you apply to the roots of your hair.
   • Backcombing damages your hair and makes it more susceptible to tangling, so do not do this regularly.

5. 5

   Use cute hair accessories if you want. Emo hairstyles are often accented with colorful plastic barrettes. Popular barrette styles include brightly-colored bows and plastic skulls. Wear them clipped into your bangs or just above your ear.^[2]

6. 6

   Experiment with your hair color. Most emo kids dye their hair black or bleach it platinum blonde, usually with some brightly-colored accents mixed in. Some popular color combinations are black with blue or red streaks and blonde with pink streaks or darker horizontal stripes, known as "coon tails." Don't feel pressured to do this, though — plenty of emo kids embrace their natural hair color.

   • If you've never dyed your hair before, consider visiting a salon to have it professionally done. If you want to dye your hair at home, make sure you carefully follow all packaging instructions.
   • To get the look without the commitment, try colorful clip-on extensions or temporary hair color like hair chalk or colored hair spray.

1. 1

   Study inspiration photos so you'll know what look you're going for. Pay attention to what you like about different haircuts. Look at where the layers originate, and picture how this would translate to your own hair. Keep the pictures handy as you're cutting.

2. 2

   Wash and dry your hair before you cut. Wet hair is longer than dry hair, since it's pulled down by the weight of the water. This means if you try cutting wet hair, you'll probably end up with a style that's shorter than you wanted. Start cutting on clean, dry hair for the best results.^[3]

3. 3

   Use good haircutting scissors. Now's not the time to pull out your craft scissors. Invest in a decent pair of haircutting scissors from a beauty supply store. Professional scissors can be over $100, but you should be fine with a pair in the $15-$20 range.^[4]

4. 4

   Have at least two mirrors. You'll need to be able to see the front and back of your hair, so have a mirror in front of you and one behind you. If you have more mirrors available, set them up so you can clearly see the sides of your hair.

5. 5

   Part your hair into several sections. Comb your hair so that it's parted how you plan to wear your hair. Section out your bangs and clip or pin them so they're out of your way. Next, separate out sections of your hair to become layers.

   • Use your inspiration photos to determine how many layers you want and where they should begin.

6. 6

   Trim your hair using the points of the scissors. It can be tempting to cut straight across to get that blunt emo look, but this can make it hard to blend the layers. Hold your scissors so the point goes upwards into your hair and make small cuts across the layer.^[5]

   • You can also use a straight razor to cut your hair into blunt layers. Hold the razor at a 45 degree angle to your hair and only cut a little at a time.^[6]

7. 7

   Cut a little at a time. You can always cut more as you go, but you can't make the hair longer if you accidentally cut too much. Cut your hair a little longer than you think you want it, then take off a little more until you reach your desired length.^[7]

   • Leave some of the bottom layers extra long to get an authentic emo look.

8. 8

   Cut your bangs so they hit at about your cheekbones or your chin. Emo bangs are usually long, so plan for them to fall below your eyes. Use the same technique as you did for cutting your layers. If you plan on teasing your bangs, you might want to leave them a little longer to account for the extra volume.^[8]

1. 1

   Bring inspiration pictures. Even the coolest stylist might not know exactly what you have in mind when you say "emo hair," especially since that term can cover a variety of looks. Cut out pictures from magazines or show your stylist pictures on your phone so they'll know the look you're going for.^[9]

2. 2

   Request long, side-swept bangs to get a signature emo style. Bangs are a trademark of emo style. Ask your stylist to give you long, razor-cut bangs that start from a deep part on one side.

3. 3

   Ask for a razor cut for blunt layers. Your stylist can create blunt, choppy layers by cutting your hair with a straight razor. Razor cutting can cause split ends on your hair, so ask your stylist to use a brand-new razor on your hair to minimize damage.^[10]

4. 4

   Ask your stylist to thin out the bottom 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) of your hair. Emo styles generally have a lot of volume on top and taper down at the bottom. Ask your stylist to use thinning shears to thin out the bottom few inches of your hair to really emphasize your layers.^[11]

5. 5

   Return for a trim every 4-6 weeks. Since you'll be sporting short layers and heavy bangs, it's best to get a trim every 4 weeks. You can get away with waiting up to 6 weeks, but split ends and grown-out bangs will start making your emo hair look sloppy if you wait much longer than that.^[12]

Add New Question

• Question

  What is the name of the emo hairstyle?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  The best-known emo haircut, with shaggy bangs brushed over one eye, is called the emo swoop or the emo shag. Other styles include the emo long (a long cut with jagged layers) and the emo bob (a wispy, short haircut with asymmetrical bangs).

• Question

  How long does it take to grow emo hair?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Getting emo hair is more a matter of cutting and styling than growing, although many of the popular styles are medium-length or longer. For most people, hair grows about half an inch (a little over a centimeter) per month, so you may need to wait several months if your hair is very short. If your hair is already medium length or long, you can start wearing emo hair immediately!

• Question

  Can emos have blonde hair?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Yes, you can have emo hair in any color! Very pale, bleach blonde or pastel shades are popular, as are dark or jewel-toned hair colors.

• Question

  How do I get my bangs to be swept across my forehead/eyebrows?

  

  To "train" your bangs to stay swept across your forehead/eyebrows, first decide where you want your part to be. A good guide is from the corner of your eyebrow back to the back of your head. Then, with wet hair, comb your hair into the style you want to achieve and use bobby pins to keep it in place as you sleep. After a few weeks, your hair should stay swept over by itself.

• Question

  How do I tell my hairdresser to give me long bangs?

  

  Just inform her/him that you want long bangs before the cut and styling begins. If the stylist doesn't know how to do this, then ask for one who does. If you have a particular style of bangs in mind, try to bring along a print-off of the image, or have it on your smartphone to show.

• Question

  What do I do if I have curly and thick hair?

  

  Straighten your hair first, then when you go and cut your hair, ask the stylist how to get your hair thinner (often by layering). This will help to reduce the curly volume and you'll be able to style it with greater ease.

• Question

  I want to get just my bangs dyed, but I think it might look weird. How can I dye just my bangs and get it to look good?

  

  Get a colored hairspray and use it on your bangs to see what it would look like. Then, if you like the look, you can dye your bangs in small sections until you achieve the desired effect.

• Question

  What if my parents don't like emo people because of how they look but I want to change my hair, and I need their permission?

  

  Just ask them what they hate about emos and try to compromise on some aspect of your new look. Or, tell them you are going for scene or something else entirely. In fact, don't say it's emo, just say it's a new fashion statement.

• Question

  Are there any methods for short hair? I have a shoulder length hair.

  

  Sweep a bunch of it to the side and use a lot of hairspray or where a beanie with it.

• Question

  If you have really straight, medium long hair. How do I get my hair puffier?

  

  To make it "puffy", tease all of the hair on your head, then spray it with hairspray and let it sit for 4 to 6 minutes. Then, comb it back down with your fingers. Don't use a brush or comb, it will just hurt and make it flat again.

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To get emo hair at home, comb your hair into a deep side part so that your bangs fall across your eyes. If you don't have bangs, you can imitate the look by pinning hair across your forehead. Emo hair is usually straight, so if you have curly or wavy hair, straighten it with a flat iron. For even more volume, backcomb the top at the roots. Emo hair is often dark or dyed, so try using hair chalk or colored clip-on extensions to get this look. Keep reading to learn how to cut emo layers at home!

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,709,765 times.

Did this article help you?

How to Make Your Hair Look Emo Without Cutting It

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Emo-Hair

Share this post