Emo Hairstyles - An Expression of Creative Youth Culture

Emo hairstyles are very popular among young people today. The styles serve to express a person's individuality and creativity but like any work of art, what exactly can be said from each person's look, is always open to interpretation.

Emo is an abbreviation of the word 'emotional' which in turn is an off shoot of the 1980's punk movement or of 'emotive hardcore' punk music. All hairstyles that display bold individualism might be described as emo hairstyles although some people today try to impose very rigid standards as to what emo styles actually are.

Emo hairstyles are extremely varied and may look very different from one wearer to the other. There are however a few characteristics that typical emo styles have in common. For example, most emo hairstyles have fringes or bangs. Some fringes are grown quite long, covering the eyes or may be swept to one side. Others are shorter and are sometimes cut into precise shapes.

Emo styles are often characterized by deep dark colors, especially black. The dark colors are usually offset by stark and vibrant highlights in colors such as orange, red or pink. Not all emo styles are based on deep dark colors. Any bold color such as white that forms the background of the style can be classified as an emo hairstyle.

Emo hairstyles are almost always unrestrained and uncluttered with accessories. They will sometimes appear somewhat wild and unruly and wearers often deliberately create the uncontrolled appearance to their hair in order to communicate their emo individuality. This look can sometimes be misunderstood by observers such as parents and teachers who might interpret the apparent unruliness of the hairstyles as rebellion or indicative of aggression. Most emo youth however, see the styles as an outward manifestation of their inner emotions, creativity or identity.

There is no stipulation on the length hair should be and emo hairstyles can be worn either long or short. Some styles are achieved simply through cut, color and brushing while others may need to apply liberal amounts of hair gel to keep the styles in place. Emo hairstyles may be washed as frequently or infrequently as the wearer chooses.The whole concept of emo is about distinctiveness and individuality and each wearer will strive to create their own unique look. However, in a similar way to artists, emo youth are inspired by others especially those considered icons of the emo movement such as musicians and other celebrities. This is why although similar themes reappear throughout emo culture, no two emo hairstyles are ever exactly the same.