David Bowie Haircut Guide: How to Recreate His Iconic 70s and 80s Hairstyles

David Bowie was a master of reinvention. His music changed constantly and so did his appearance. When exploring david bowie hairstyles, it is clear that his hair was never just an accessory. It was a core part of his artistic expression. Whether you are looking to channel david bowie with long hair or prefer his shorter cropped looks, this guide gives you exact instructions to recreate the ultimate bowie haircut.

Quick Navigation: Which David Bowie Haircut Is Right for You?

Before you head to the salon, use this quick reference guide to find the style that best fits your hair type and commitment level.

1. The Ziggy Stardust Haircut: Fiery Red Mullet (1972 to 1973)

The Ziggy Stardust era produced the most famous david bowie mullet. This is the iconic short, layered, fiery red style that defined 1970s glam rock. London hairdresser Suzi Ronson created this look in 1972. She first cut a short, soft layered shape, leaving length past the ears and down to the collar in the back. The top was kept slightly shorter so it would stand up.

How to Ask Your Barber for the David Bowie Mullet Cut

Request a short, soft layered cut with length past the ears and to the collar length in the back. Ask for a long sweeping fringe that blends into the top section. Texture is key so request point cutting or a razor to give choppy separated ends that move. You need at least two to three inches of hair on top and collar length in the back to achieve this shape.

How to Get the Fiery Red Bowie Hair Color

Suzi Ronson used Schwarzkopf Red Hot fantasy colors over 30 volume peroxide to get that flaming orange red. For a modern version, lift your hair to a level 8 or 9 blonde first before applying a permanent red color like Igora Royal 7 to 77.

Pro Tip: To get the hair to stand up perfectly without heavy gels, Suzi Ronson used an old anti dandruff treatment called Gard. It stiffened the hair into place while looking completely natural.

How to Style the Ziggy Stardust Haircut at Home

This david bowie haircut is meant to look like it has barely any product in it.

1. Start with clean, damp hair.
2. Spray five to six pumps of Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity spray through the roots and lengths.
3. Blow dry forward and up using your fingers and a vent brush.
4. Finish with a flexible hold hairspray.
5. Avoid heavy waxes and pomades because they will weigh down the layers and kill the spiky lift.

Best Face Shape and Hair Type for the Ziggy Mullet

This look flatters oval, heart, and angular face shapes because the long fringe softens the jaw. It works best on straight or slightly wavy hair with medium to thick density. Very fine hair will struggle to hold the shape, and very curly hair will need chemical relaxing to get the straight spiky effect.

Maintenance and Budget Styling Alternatives

Plan to visit your barber every four to six weeks to maintain the shape of the mullet. Red color fades fast so you will need a color refresh every three to four weeks. For a budget friendly alternative to Kevin Murphy spray, use a drugstore volumizing mousse like Tresemme Tres Mousse. For the red color, semi permanent washes like Manic Panic Vampire Red are great for at home touch ups without the damage of bleach.

Temporary Ziggy Stardust Hair Options

If you want the Ziggy look for a weekend without the commitment, you can buy a high quality lace front red mullet wig. Alternatively, you can pin up the sides of your existing hair using bobby pins and spray the top with temporary red colored hair spray.

2. The Thin White Duke Hairstyle: Slicked Back Look (1975 to 1976)

By 1975, Bowie shifted to a sleek and sophisticated persona. The Thin White Duke look is the easiest of all the david bowie hair looks to recreate. It features a slicked back glossy finish that matched his sharp waistcoats and clean shirts.

The Haircut for a Thin White Duke Bowie Haircut

The cut is a classic short back and sides tapered with about two to three inches left on top. Keep the back and sides neat enough to lie flat. Ask for a sharp tailored baseline so the hair lays flat when styled. You only need about an inch and a half of length on top to pull this off.

How to Style the Slicked Back David Bowie Hair

1. Apply a high shine water based pomade like Layrite Superhold to damp hair.
2. Use a fine toothed comb to drag the top straight back.
3. Press the sides flat with the comb.
4. This gives that lacquered almost wet look finish.

Best Face Shape and Hair Type for the Slicked Back Look

This style is excellent for oval, square, and long face shapes. It works well on thick straight hair. If you have fine hair, a pomade might weigh it down too much. Use a strong hold gel instead to build structure without the grease. Curly hair types will need a keratin treatment to achieve the straight glossy finish.

Maintenance and Budget Styling Alternatives

This is a very low maintenance style. You only need a barber visit every three to four weeks to keep the back and sides tight. For a budget friendly alternative to Layrite pomade, try generic water based styling gels or drugstore pomades like Suavecito Firme Hold.

Temporary Slicked Back Hair Options

You can fake this look for a day by using a strong holding gel to slick back your current hair. Wash it out that night. No haircut required.

3. The Let’s Dance 80s Haircut: Platinum Feathered Mullet (1983)

The Serious Moonlight tour gave us one of the most beloved 80s david bowie haircuts. It was a bleached platinum blonde half mullet, feathered to create a big, fluffy, and voluminous look. This style sits perfectly between the Ziggy mullet and a conventional short back and sides.

How to Cut the 1983 David Bowie Feathered Half Mullet

Ask for a half mullet. Keep length through the back but have it clipped rather than shaved. The sides should be shorter and feathered up. The top is left long enough to be pushed back and full. Use a razor or thinning shears on the sides and top so the hair lifts and moves. You need at least three to four inches of hair on top to get the feathered height.

Bleaching and Toning for Platinum Blonde Bowie Hair

You will need to bleach your hair to a pale yellow level 9 or 10. Get this done professionally to avoid breakage. Then tone with a purple based toner or use purple shampoo to neutralize the brass and push it toward icy platinum.

How to Style the Big and Fluffy 80s David Bowie Hair

1. Work a volumizing mousse through damp roots.
2. Blow dry back and up with a round brush to build the feathered height.
3. Use a light wax on the tips for separation.
4. Finish with a flexible hairspray to hold the volume.

Best Face Shape and Hair Type for 80s Feathered Hair

This look rewards thick, slightly wavy hair and an oval, round, or square face shape where the height on top balances the width. Very fine hair will struggle to hold the volume. Very curly hair will need to be relaxed or flat ironed to get the feathered flip.

Maintenance and Budget Styling Alternatives

Plan for a cut every six to eight weeks. The platinum color requires the most upkeep. You will need a root touch up every four to six weeks. Use Clairol Shimmer Lights once a week to keep the blonde from turning brassy. It is an excellent drugstore purple shampoo that works just as well as expensive salon brands.

Temporary 80s Feathered Hair Options

If you just want the 80s vibe for a party, use a large barrel curling iron to feather your hair back and spray it with temporary white blonde hair color spray that washes out in one wash.

4. The Labyrinth Jareth Haircut: Androgynous Shag (1986)

If you want to see david bowie with long hair, look no further than his role as Jareth the Goblin King. This tiered and choppy style is long in the front and back but short on the sides. It is a warm blond look that remains highly requested today.

How to Ask for a David Bowie Choppy Tiered Bob

Ask for a choppy feathered tiered bob that is shortest at the cheekbones and longest just above the shoulders. Keep shorter layers on top between the eyebrow and jaw length so the front has movement without collapsing. The sides should be short but not clippered. Scissor over comb gives the softness Jareth’s hair has. You need significant length to start. Ask for at least four to six inches on top and past the collar in the back.

How to Style David Bowie with Long Hair from Labyrinth

1. Blow dry forward with a round brush to encourage the feathered flip.
2. Use a pea sized amount of light styling cream through the mid lengths to keep the tiers defined without weight.
3. Spray a sea salt spray on damp hair to give it a slightly lived-in texture that stops the look from feeling like a wig.

Best Face Shape and Hair Type for the Jareth Shag

This is one of the more forgiving david bowie hairstyles. It suits oval, heart, and diamond faces. It works beautifully on straight to wavy textures. If you have very curly hair, the tiers might look too triangular and require heavy texturizing.

Maintenance and Budget Styling Alternatives

Because the shape relies on length, you only need a trim every eight to ten weeks to remove split ends and refresh the face framing layers. For a budget alternative to sea salt spray, you can make your own at home using warm water, sea salt, and a little coconut oil in a spray bottle.

Temporary Long Hair Options for Jareth Look

You can achieve the Jareth look without cutting your hair by using clip in hair extensions to add the tiered layers around your face. Style them with a curling iron and wash them out later.

5. The Earthling Era: David Bowie Mohawk (1997)

The david bowie mohawk arrived during the drum and bass era of the Earthling album. Guitarist Reeves Gabrels reportedly shaved the sides himself for this bold look. This is the most committed of all the david bowie hairstyles transformations.

The Cut and Shave for a True David Bowie Mohawk

This is a true mohawk. A strip of longer hair runs down the center of the scalp. The sides are shaved down to the skin or a number one guard. Length on the strip can run from two to five inches depending on how high you want to spike it. You need at least two inches of hair on top to start.

How to Style the David Bowie Mohawk

1. Work a strong hold gel or spiking glue through the damp strip.
2. Comb it up and hold each section between your palms.
3. Apply a freeze-hold hairspray while the hair is still wet with gel.
4. For a less theatrical version, wear the strip forward as a faux hawk by slicking the sides flat with pomade and pushing the center up.

Best Face Shape and Hair Type for a Mohawk

Mohawks work well on oval and angular face shapes. The strong vertical lines can make round faces look longer. It works on most hair types but very fine hair might need extra strong glue to stay up all day.

Maintenance and Budget Styling Alternatives

Once you shave the sides, you are committed. You will need to shave the sides every one to two weeks to keep it looking sharp. The strip needs a trim every month.

Pro Tip: Use Got2b Glued styling spiking glue. It is inexpensive, available at most drugstores, and holds even the finest hair straight up all day without flaking.

Temporary Faux Hawk Options

If you do not want to shave your head, you can create a faux hawk. Use strong pomade to slick the sides of your hair flat against your head and push the center section up. This washes out easily and requires no clippers.

Quick Product Cheat Sheet for David Bowie Hairstyles

Here is a quick reference guide to help you get the right products for each look.

• Ziggy Stardust: Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity spray and flexible hairspray. Use a vent brush and blow dryer.
• Thin White Duke: Water based high shine pomade. Use a fine toothed comb.
• 1983 Bleached Feathered: Volumizing mousse, light wax, and purple shampoo. Use a round brush.
• Jareth Labyrinth: Sea salt spray and light styling cream. Use a round brush.
• Earthling Mohawk: Strong hold spiking glue and freeze hairspray. Use your hands and a comb.

A Final Note on David Bowie Hair Color Maintenance

Any vivid look depends on getting the base right first. Lift dark hair to at least a level 8 before applying a fashion red or the color will read muddy. For platinum looks, lift to a pale yellow and tone with purple to kill the brass. Because reds and platinums fade fastest, using a color-safe shampoo and a weekly color-refresh conditioner will keep your david bowie hair looking fresh, rather than like a week-old dye job.