15 Iconic Goth Hair Ideas To Inspire Your Dark Side

Daring colors, unexpected cuts and creative styling: goth hair is the art of expressing individuality and welcoming the unconventional. Every offbeat, edgy or avant-garde creation carries the spirit of rebellion, refusing to be ordinary.

We’ve curated our favorite goth hairstyles to spark your inspiration for a new look. Which one speaks to you the most?

1. Bettie Bangs And Half-Up Pigtails

Bettie bangs are a goth favorite—they frame the face and give long hair a vintage rockabilly look perfect for the glam goth. The half-up pigtails have an innocent and cute vibe that contrasts with the rest of the look.

Related: -15 Subtle Reasons People Stop Loving Their Hair as They Get Older

2. Choppy Layers

This cool hairstyle wth its choppy layers and long, skinny ends is pure rockstar. Styling this haircut is easy, just embrace the messy look: use a sea salt spray for texture and tousle the layers.

3. Goth Bob

Goths love bobs because of their versatility. Go for your favorite length and style it to suit your look: sleek, gritty or teased high. Customize your bob further by pairing it with choppy, Bettie or V bangs.

4. The Hawk

This two-tone ‘hawk can be worn styled sky-high or loose when you want to go more low key. Use a strong-hold gel to create the shape and tease for volume, then add plenty of hairspray for good measure.

5. Twin Ponytails

The vibrant yellow ponytails and bows are the perfect blend of Victorian and anime aesthetics that fits right in with the glam goth aesthetic.

6. Short Choppy Mullet

This rebellious hybrid of an overgrown pixie cut and a short mullet has an extra unexpected edge: color blocking. Regularly touch up the red fringe to maintain its vibrant hue or enjoy a faded look.

7. Long Mullet

The mullet is back! This time, it’s long, layered and features color-blocking. Experiment with contrasting shades to create striking color combos that match your personal style.

8. V Bangs And Backcomb

To recreate this elegant goth look, use a fine-tooth comb to tease the hair at the roots and smooth over with a paddle brush to make it neat.

9. Bat’s Nest

Dark, tangled and mysterious, the bat’s nest is chaos in a hairstyle—a true goth classic. To achieve the bat’s nest texture, tease the hair at the roots and tousle with your fingers, focusing on creating volume and height. Finish with a strong-hold hairspray to keep it in place.

10. Faux Hawk

Mixing different vibes can sometimes fail, but sometimes it results in the most amazing looks. Here, the juxtaposition of elegant pearl pins and vivid green faux hawk creates a striking contrast. Here’s a quick faux hawk tutorial.

11. Long Hair With Shaved Sides

The sleek and structured Bettie bangs and sharp shaved sides look amazing paired with the big, voluminous backcomb. Glamorously edgy!

12. Alt Bob Cut

Longer front pieces and vibrant blue bangs turn this simple bob around— what could have been a conventional style becomes a goth chic look.

13. Dyed Roots

Bright red roots against black hair is a subtle look that doesn’t lack drama. The unexpected placement of the color catches attention and creates a signature style.

14. Layers And V Bangs

For the undercover goth who needs a low-key haircut that still has hints of their real style: long layered hair that can be backcombed and piled on top of the head, paired with V bangs that give a hint to anyone in the know.

15. Goth Mullet

David Bowie once brought the mullet into the the world of subculture and it was adopted by the goths as one of the staple looks. This choppy poison-green variant is simply glorious!