By Tara Young

The first time I saw hair horns was on Prodigy frontman Keith Flint's fluro duohawk on MTV, later I would see Soo Cat Woman in the Sex Pistols 'Filth and the Fury' film and of course, Vivienne Westwood's Devil Horn tiara. Not to be confused with Liberty Spikes or Bantu knots, Hair Horns are those two devilish spikes popping out from your hair - where your horns would be. A little surprise and delight.

Of course, the look has been rehashed over the years and there are many variations but in 2021 Hair Horns popped up for its go at virality, with e-girls taking hold of the trend. As of 2024, the #hairhorns hashtag has over 116 million views on TikTok, because like with most trends, there is a pocket of the internet reserved for the niche to go viral as Hair Horns did in 2021. We love to see it.

You might think hair horns are a punk invention, however, the concept of horned hairstyles goes way back—think ancient civilizations. In places like Africa and parts of Asia, hairstyles resembling horns were worn for ceremonial or spiritual reasons. For example, in some regions of Africa, people wore intricate, towering braids that mimicked the shapes of animals or natural elements, including horns, as a way to connect with their environment or to symbolize power and status.

Horned hairstyles were also significant in certain Asian cultures, where hair could be shaped or adorned in ways that imitated the horns of revered animals or mythical creatures. They held deep meaning, representing connection, strength, and individuality.

Between the 13th - 15th centuries hair horns were a popular style among the upper class. Known as cornettes, the hair was plaited and twisted into shape, held up with a net and/or wire. To extenuate the look hair pieces and extensions would be added. These were made of human hair, linen or wool tubes and covered with silk to match the hair colour. The hairstyle could be worn with a Hennin or Wimple over top, which were medieval headdresses.

In the late 16th century, Venetian women brought the style back. Known as fontange or horned coiffures, women styled their hair into towering, horn-like shapes using wire frames, pads, and intricate curls. The look symbolized status and power with a touch of drama - what fashion statement comes without some drama after all? Adorned in ribbons, lace, and jewels, these extravagant horned hairstyles could rise to dizzying heights, making them an eye-catching accessory at court.

Despite what you may be thinking, these horny hairstyles weren't linked to evil, the devil nor the witch trials (circa. 1400 to 1775) but either medieval laws based on a hierarchy of wealth or status or later becoming a trendy show of higher status, for those who could afford elaborate clothing and dyes.

Fast-forward to the 20th century and the hair horn took an alternative path with the punk and goth movements. Suddenly, hair horns weren’t just a cultural or spiritual symbol—they became a visual middle finger to societal norms.

As punk rock exploded in the ‘70s and ‘80s, hair became another canvas for rebellion. People like Soo Catwoman and Vivienne Westwood helped popularize spiked and horned hairstyles that stood out as sharp, defiant, and unapologetic.

This is when hair horns really started to evolve into a street-style statement. It was no longer just about replicating nature or mythological creatures—it was about rejecting the mainstream and rebelling from the norm as an anti-fashion statement.

In the 90s, there was Keith Flint rocking colourful, devilish hair and a heavy smoky eye, which I'm sure sparked a new wave of the slightly more demonic look. Mugler and Vivienne Westwood runway shows caused a stir and since then we've seen them show up on more runways including Junya Watanabe and Versace, with Donatella Versace dedicating her SS00 show to her friend Keith Flint.

These days they lean more toward an anime 'cat girls' or video game aesthetic. And with an abundance of TikTok clips showing us tutorials on how we can achieve the look, it's perfect for the impending Halloween night. Boo.