How to Get Goth Hair

Co-authored by Karen Leight

Last Updated: March 1, 2023

While rocking a Goth hairstyle lets you express your inner dark and mysterious side, figuring out how to style your hair to reflect a Goth style can be intimidating. Inspired collectively by the Medieval architectural style, Romantic-era literature, and the 1980s Goth cultural movement, modern goth hairstyles can take on many different forms, leaving you with many options to choose from. Whether you want to try out a Romantic Goth look, go simple and sleek with a vampire style, get creative with a futuristic vibe, or experiment with a punk or metal style, you are sure to make a statement with your Goth hairstyle.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Romantic Goth Looks

1
Dye your hair black. For your Romantic-style hairdos to be truly Goth, dye your brown, blonde, or red hair black with either a permanent dye or with spray-on temporary hair color. Black hair is the signature trait of Goth hairstyles, adding a dark and mysterious vibe to even the simplest of Romantic hairstyling.
- If you have short hair, dying your hair black gives you an instant Goth vibe. For a Romantic look, use a curling iron to create loose waves, beginning at the root of your hair.
- If you have bangs, try parting your black hair far to the left or right and swiping your bangs across your forehead. Add loose waves with a curling iron for a darkly Romantic feel.
- If you have longer hair and don’t want to spend a lot of time styling, create messy beach waves after dying your hair black for a low-maintenance, hauntingly Romantic Goth hairstyle.
2
Get a perm for a dramatic, Romantic-style Goth look. Visit your local salon or learn how to perm your hair at home to create a Goth hairstyle that nods back to the 18th century. Lightly tease your permed hair or style it in a loose top or side bun for a hauntingly Romantic vibe.
- If you do not want to permanently perm your hair, try wearing a teased curly wig instead. Select a wig with real or high quality synthetic hair for a more natural-looking result.
- If you have naturally curly hair, you can achieve this look without getting a perm by learning how to tease your hair without damaging it.
3
Try a beehive for a vintage twist on the Goth look. Use a comb and hair spray to back comb your hair, and secure it with bobby pins to create an iconic beehive hairdo. After creating your beehive, the bottom portion of your hair will still hang loose. Style this by tying it below the beehive in a bun or ponytail, or by curling with a curling iron.^{[1]
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- If your hair is naturally or dyed black, you can pair a simple beehive style with light face makeup and a darker eyeshadow and/or eyeliner for an easy Romantic Goth look.
- Creating a beehive is difficult with short hair, so if your hair is above your shoulders, you might want to try a different Goth look.
4
Add black lace, Goth-style flowers, or a short black veil. For a dramatic Romantic-era Goth vibe, choose a basic Goth hairstyle, such as a beehive, curly or teased bun, or long, loose braid, and add black lace, dark-colored flowers, or a black veil. Attach your Goth-style decorative elements with a black or dark-colored bobby pin for a seamless look.
- Weave lace into a loose braid by tying the end of the lace to a small section of hair at the root of your hair and braiding as you normally would. For best results, tie the lace to an interior section of hair so that the outside of your hair will cover the knot.
- Attach dark-colored flowers, such as Blue Lady hellebore or Queen of the Night tulips, to your hairstyle with bobby pins to give your hairstyle a truly Romantic-era Goth vibe.^{[2]
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- For a Romantic Goth look, you can wear a simple short black veil or try a black veil embellished with black lace, ribbon flowers, or steampunk-inspired hardware. Learn how to make your own veil for a look that is truly one-of-a-kind.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Vampire Goth Styles

1
Dye your hair bright white or jet black. Vampire Goth hairstyles are characterized by stark, monochromatic, and simple colors, so dying your hair bright white or jet black is great way to achieve this look.^{[3]
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Research source} For a more permanent look, you can visit your local salon or purchase a permanent or semi-permanent black hair dye from a drug or beauty supply store. For longer-lasting white hair, try learning how to get white hair using bleach and toner.
- If you are looking for a more temporary option, you can use a spray-on temporary hair color in either white or black. Temporary spray-on hair colors are easy to apply by following the directions on the container, and generally wash out after 1 to 2 washes.
2
Straighten your hair stick-straight. Use a straightening iron or hairdryer to straighten your hair until it is stick-straight. Vampire Goth hairstyles are generally clean and pristine, so this is a relatively easy look to accomplish whether your hair is long or short. Try parting your hair in the middle before or after your straighten it for an extra mysterious, vampire vibe.
- Wear just a few simple accessories or skip them altogether to stay in-line with the vampire Goth style.
- Try adding a bright red lipstick, pale face make up, and jet black mascara to complete your vampire look.
3
Try a side-swept, curly vampire look. If you have shorter hair (above the shoulders) or bangs, you can achieve a vampire Goth look by creating a deep side part on either the left or right side and sweeping your hair across your forehead. Once your hair is parted correctly, use a curling iron to create loose waves across the front of your hair.
- Trying using a dark eyeliner on both your upper and lower lids, as well as a dark eyeshadow to enhance your mysterious vibe.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cyber Goth Options

1
Create a unique top-knot, side bun, or ponytail with dreadlocked hair. Visit a hair salon or learn how to give yourself dreadlocks, then style your dreadlocked hair in a top-knot, side bun, or ponytail with a rubber band. Cyber Goth hairstyles are all about achieving a futuristic, out-of-this-world look, so don’t be afraid to experiment with something unexpected or unique.
- For a particularly futuristic and unique vibe, try coloring a few dreadlocks with spray-on hair color, or braiding colorful ribbon into the braids.
2
Shave parts of your head for a quintessential cyber Goth look. Using electric clippers or a razor, try shaving the left or right side, one section, or just the bottom half of your head. This gives you the futuristic look that is characteristic of cyber Goth hairstyles (and with a nod to Deathrocker Goth styles as well!).
- This style works particularly well with short hair, as the shaved sections will naturally be more obvious. If you have long hair and choose to keep the unshaved sections of your hair long, style your hair in an up-do, such as a bun or ponytail, to show off the shaved sections.
- If you don’t want to fully commit to this look by shaving your head, you can achieve a similar look by tightly braiding or twisted small portions of your hair in a designated spot and pinning the ends into a bun or fauxhawk on top of your head. By tightly braiding or twisting small portions of hair, you will expose some of the skin underneath, giving you a semi-shaved look without actually having to shave off your hair.
3
Play around with blunt cuts and shapes. Incorporate elements of the hairstyles from your favorite futuristic, space-themed movies into your Goth hairstyle by trying out different blunt haircuts. If you do not have black hair and want to avoid using color, this is a good option for you to experiment with a futuristic Goth look while keeping your natural hair color.
- Whether your hair is long or short, sharply-shaped bangs, such as a straight, blunt cut across your forehead or a cut that descends into a point in the middle, can easily give you a cyber Goth vibe in very little time.^{[4]
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- Try an asymmetrical blunt bob for a futuristic look that will surely get noticed.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Deathrocker Goth Hairstyles

1
Dye your hair a stark black or bright red. Visit your local salon or purchase an at-home hair dye kit from a drug or beauty supply store. Follow the instructions on the box to dye your hair an all-over stark black or bright red. These noticeable, monochromatic hair colors are characteristic of the death metal and punk rockers who inspired this hairstyle, and will easily give you a quintessential deathrocker Goth look.^{[5]
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2
Add a streak of color to one section of your hair. Select a color and purchase a spray-on hair color for a temporary look, or a permanent or semi-permanent hair dye kit for a deathrocker Goth style that is longer-lasting.^{[6]
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Research source} Start by sectioning of the part of your hair that you want to color. Cover the rest of your hair by cutting a small hole in a shower cap and pulling the section you want to color through the hole. Follow the directions on the box to apply the hair dye to the exposed section of hair. Wash and dry as directed.
- If you are going for a typical deathrocker Goth look, dye all your hair jet black before adding a streak of color.
3
Try a mohawk or fauxhawk for a punk-inspired Goth vibe. Try a statement-making mohawk or fauxhawk that pays homage to both a classic Goth style and the punk rocker style that partially inspired modern Goth subculture. You can add a strip of color to your mohawk or fauxhawk, or go all out and color the entire thing.
- Whether you have long hair or short hair, you can create a quick mohawk or fauxhawk using a brush, hairspray, mousse, and bobby pins.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to dye my hair all the time in order to maintain the color?

Community Answer

Generally, yes. Let's say you have dark brown hair and you dyed it bleach blond, of course you will. If you ombre it, or do it a more natural color and/or highlights, you can let it grow out and redo it whenever. But mostly, yes. If you dye it a color, eventually you will have to redye it that color or it will grow out to your natural shade.
Question

Im only 11, and I'm probably not allowed to get my hair dyed. What do I do?

Community Answer

You don't have to have your hair dyed to be Gothic, just straighten your hair.
Question

I back comb my hair like mad, but lose a lot of the effect when I brush it out. Is there an easier and quicker way?

Mrviola195

Community Answer

Instead of using a regular brush after back combing your hair, use a boar-bristle brush. These will smooth the surface of your hair without getting rid of too much of what you've achieved with the back combing.