faux hawk

They say a haircut can put a lift in your step and improve your self-confidence, but can it actually save your life? Three-year-old Maddox Tallowin's parents are saying yes.

Several months after giving their son a David Beckham-inspired mohawk, the boy's father started to shave off the remaining hair and felt a few bumps on the back of the tyke's head. Blood tests conducted the next day diagnosed the tot with leukemia and after six months of intensive chemotherapy, the boy is now in remission. Doctors are crediting the alternatot hairstyle with saving the wee one's life.

While Justin Bieber's shaggy locks are making a splash these days, shorter boys' hairstyles, such as the fauxhawk, are easy to recreate at home and will keep your lil one cool during warm Summer months.

When kids want a cool haircut, they (or their moms) look to alternatots like Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Kingston Rossdale for inspiration. Brad Pitt and Angelina's Jolie's oldest son made the modified mohawk mainstream some years ago with 74 percent percent of LilSugar readers saying they were fans. Since the style has had staying power, I chatted with Cozy Friedman, founder of Cozy's Cuts for Kids on how a mom should advise a stylist to chop their child's locks to achieve the look. She also told us which teen heartthrob is making hair waves these days.

BabySugar: What is the difference between a mohawk and a fauxhawk, and why are they so popular?
Cozy Friedman: A Mohawk is completely shaved on the sides and a mini-mohawk or “fauxhawk” is just buzzed on the sides so it’s not as short. Your typical fauxhawk would leave hair on top approximately two-inches long. Maddox Jolie-Pitt popularized this trend. I think that this trend is definitely still popular, but it’s more so with the little ones than with the older boys, so it’s really the parents asking for it for their kids. The fauxhawk modification definitely made the style more mainstream. I think that the trend is great because any time a kid is expressing themselves through their hair they are happy and feel more confident, which is a really positive thing.

BabySugar: What are some ways the style can be created that make both kids and their parents happy?
Cozy Friedman: The best way to compromise on this style . . . is to make the cut not as drastic. Keep the sides longer and the top not as high. What makes the trend really drastic is the difference between the sides and the top, so coming to a good balance is best.

To see which teen heartthrob is currently the "tress setter," read more