If you love trying out alternative and punk hair styles and are all out of styling products, you may be curious about how to soap spike hair. While soap is a rather drying alternative to standard gels and pastes, a thick lather will work in a jiffy to ensure your hair stands on end.
How to Soap Spike Hair
While hair spikes can be historically linked to Japan during the 6th century, many people consider this bold hair style to be a modern punk look. Spiking the hair has been a modern trend for nearly four decades, after hitting the mainstream in the 1970s during the highly influential punk movement. Emerging first in London, punk style was defined as anti-fashion, and the look primarily targeted urban youths who were unemployed and strapped for cash. With little more than a creative outlet, punk style transcended from head to toe and included many popular hairstyle designs such as Liberty Spikes and the beloved Mohawk.
To achieve the stylized looks of the punk movement, styling techniques and products are must. Gels and hair spray are the norm for creating fall-proof looks, but that doesn't mean you can't try out several different mediums to find a product worthy of your praise. Many punk fans have wondered how to soap spike hair as a cost-efficient alternative to salon based styling products. With a bit of time to experiment with the texture, you can soap spike your hair with quality results.
Supplies Needed
- Comb
- Bar soap
- Hair spray
Directions
Prior to spiking the hair, wash and dry hair thoroughly. If you are refreshing a previous day's style, you can lightly mist the hair and hit it with a blow dryer to refresh the hold prior to reapplying the hair soap.
- Dry hair with a blow dryer until it is free of moisture.
- Wet a bar of soap and lather vigorously under running water. Once heavy suds have formed, work them into your hands and apply directly to the hair from scalp to ends.
- Once the initial application is worked from scalp to ends, you'll start creating sections in which to spike.
- With a comb, begin to section hair as desired. Larger sections will be heavier and will require more soap to achieve desired results. For a soap spike, you're better off erring on the side of caution and sectioning the hair no wider than one inch in depth.
- Grab each individual section and work more lather from scalp to end and pull upwards and taut to create a spike.
- Spray hair heavily with hair spray.
- Holding taut and in place, hit the section with your blow dryer for a few seconds to lock in the hold and freeze the spike.
- Work over your head and direct styles and spikes wherever needed to obtain your coveted look.
Safety Precaution: If you're working over a sink, be sure to keep electrical appliances away from water to avoid electrical shock.
Get Creative
Spiking the hair is a sure fire way to garner some attention. Whether for a festive occasion, dress-up event, or just a part of your normal dress, spiked hair makes a confident and expressive statement. If you find hair is hard to hold with a standard bar soap method, you can venture into the world of heavy duty pastes and pomades until you've found a formula that will support your hair type and style.
Alternative hair designs are continually changing, allowing the fans of this sub-culture to change their look on a whim. Hair spiking is one of the easiest and quickest ways to achieve an official punk look, and if you pair your spikes with a bold and vivid color, and you're certain to revel in the ease and creativity of these punk-influenced hair styles.
