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Highlight
- Learn about cowlicks, their causes, and how genes affect the way your hair grows.
- Find out if everyone has a cowlick, and why some cowlicks are more noticeable than others.
- Learn about practical solutions to get rid of them—everything from a haircut to styling products and preparing the hair with heat.
- Explore gentle chemical treatments and professional methods for managing stubborn cowlicks effectively.
- Get daily tips on how to maintain cowlicks, and still protect the health of your hair.
- Learn how to get expert tips and advice to have polished, clean and manageable hairstyles daily!
A cowlick is more than just a funny piece of hair that won’t cooperate. These stubborn wisps of hair can ruin exponentially well-planned hairstyles, leading to a feeling of frustration or self-consciousness for many. Learning about the cowlick is the first step to being able to deal with the hair type. Cowlicks are natural patterns of hair, mostly seen at the crown or hairline, distinguishable by the direction in which the hair grows from the follicle. It is impossible to completely get rid of a cowlick, but there are ways to work with it—through a combination of haircuts, and styling techniques.
Cowlicks are not uncommon hair phenomena that can occur in both men and women, and can affect the beholder at any age and any hair type. They can occur minimally or intensely, requiring little attention or effort, or they may need additional work to style. Learning about the science behind cowlicks, understanding what causes cowlicks, and learning about willful suggestions, you can change your cowlick from a loss of control into a controllable characteristic of your hairstyle.
What Is a Cowlick in Hair?
A cowlick is an area in the hair where strands are directed differently than the remaining hair, and typically grows outward in a distinguishing typing called a hair whorl. Hair whorls are a natural hair physics that develop in the womb and are as a result of our genes. They determine the direction and angle of hair in certain areas of the head, mainly the crown or the front of the hair design.
There is nothing wrong with cowlicks and they do not show the health of your hair or whether it is suffering from damage. They are just variations in the growth pattern of hair. Some individuals may have a small cowlick but disappears under the weight of extra layers of hair, while some people’s cowlicks may become a pronounced tuft that sticks up straight, is resistant to styling, or creates unnecessary angles when they get a haircut. Factors such as hair density, stiffness, curl pattern, and the length of hair all can change how prominent the cowlick becomes.
According to research by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), cowlicks come from the directional hair follicle growth patterns, and it is largely hereditary. [Source: NCBI.]
Does Everyone Have a Cowlick?
Does everyone have a cowlick? Not exactly; however, the majority does. Estimates indicate that approximately 84% of people have clockwise hair whorls, while 16% have counterclockwise. Genetic variation means that cowlicks can exist in a wide variety of locations, patterns, and prevalence.
Some people are born with multiple cowlicks in differing parts of the scalp, whereas others may have a single and highly noticeable cowlick located at the hairline or crown of the head. Cowlick patterns can vary wildly within families for the same reason: complex genetics. For instance, one sibling may have a distinct cowlick at their crown while another sibling has virtually no visible growth patterns.
As a person’s hair grows longer, cowlicks can also become more noticeable. Hair texture is certainly a consideration here; straight hair often shows cowlicks more clearly, because the strands lay flat against the scalp in all other places. Curly or wavy hair may naturally help to obscure a cowlick, or camouflage it so that it blends into the overall appearance of the hair.
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Common Challenges with Cowlicks
Cowlicks are not harmful, but they pose some styling concerns. Many people find their cowlicks get in the way of their hair’s natural fall, causing it to spike awkwardly or create inconsistency in hairline. Having to style around a cowlick adds time when creating a polished or sleek appearance.
Additionally, cowlicks can also play a role in self-image. A person may be annoyed with their hair when it doesn’t behave, negatively impacting confidence. Teenagers and young adults are especially prone to stressing over visible cowlicks that require more time to groom every day.
Beyond the appearance of a cowlick, there can simply be challenges to take care of hair with a cowlick. The hair in a cowlick may not fall flat even with brushing or combing, leading to forehead- or neck-tugging and, in some cases, breakage when aggressive. Understanding what you are working with helps develop strategies to manage your cowlicks while putting minimal stress on the hair.
How to Get Rid of Cowlicks / Manage Them
Although an everlasting solution to the cowlick problem is not often possible without professional services that can change the hair follicles, there are a number of options for managing cowlicks in an effective manner.
1. Selecting and Getting the Right Haircut
The best haircut can conceal or at least reduce the appearance of a cowlick. Layered haircuts work especially well in disguising cowlicks, or any stubborn growth pattern. For individuals with short hair, cropped styles or textured styles will reduce the length of a cowlick, preventing it from doing anything drastic.
Taking the cowlick’s direction into account, a hairstylist can help by providing options that will work with the cowlick, rather than against it. For example, side-swept bangs can help conceal a cowlick at the front hairline and layered styles at the crown can accommodate cowlicks that have whorls.
2. Utilizing Suitable Gel or Hair Products
Once hair is styled, the use of styling products is the most salient tool to work in managing a cowlick. Products such as gels, pomades, waxes, and mousses are all hair products which can provide various levels of hold for unruly hair to help stay in place.
The options one chooses will be based on product type and style desired –
- Pomades and Waxes: These products are excellent for styles involving textured hair and moderate hold with little to no stiffness.
- Hair Gels: These work well for both smooth looks and strong hold, (particularly short styles).
- Mousses: An ideal product to create volume and prevent frizz, especially with wavy or curly hair.
Using a product on—or right after—the hair is damp allows for more control and shaping of the cowlick in the desired direction.
3. Heat Styling
Heat—such as a blow dryer or iron—can provide temporary control of hair motion. By applying heat in the opposite direction of the cowlick natural movement, hair can be trained into a flatter shape. Always use a heat protectant to avoid breakage or dryness. With particularly stubborn cowlicks, using a round brush in conjunction with a blow dryer, can help create tension and smoothness.
Another simple trick is to blow-dry in short periods and holding the hair until it cools. This trick helps remind hair to keep the desired shape longer throughout the day.
4. Adjusting Hair Part
Every so often, changing your part can make a surprising amount of difference. A cowlick that seems obvious on one side might be much less obvious when you simply change the part. Changing from a middle part to a side part, or a partial side part, might expose a natural part that you might not have noticed previously.
5. Chemical Treatments
Chemical procedures, such as a relaxing treatment or keratin texture treatment, do change the structure of hair temporarily in a way that makes a cowlick behave more the way you want it to. Chemically and heat-treated hair becomes softer, so it does not have the same propensity for strands to stick straight up. Be cautious with chemical and other heat styling techniques; too much traumatizes hair. It is best to consult a professional before trying any of these procedures.
6. Daily Maintenance Techniques
Having a plan for your cowlicks is worthwhile and simple daily habits can assist. You can smooth hair lightly in the direction of the cowlick with a brush, use a leave-in conditioner or a lightweight serum to remove frizz and make hair more manageable, and sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase to limit friction, which makes the cowlick more prominent.
Preventing Damage While Managing Cowlicks
You should never compromise the health of your hair for the sake of managing cowlicks. Do not over-brush by pulling or tugging at the hair excessively, or overuse strong chemical products on your hair.
Regular conditioning, moisturizing, or lightly detangling hair can assist in vitalizing it. Applying natural oils like argan or coconut oil can moisture and smoothing hair without the added weight.
It is also important to address environmental factors, such as sun exposure and pollution, to help maintain hair health. All of this contributes to the efficacy of cowlick management strategies ongoing.
Protecting hair from environmental stressors, including sun and pollution, also preserves hair integrity, ensuring cowlick management methods remain effective over time.
Expert Advice and Research Insights
According to dermatologists, cowlicks are a normal anatomical variation. They do not signal underlying health issues or poor hair quality. Research from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology indicates that follicle orientation established during fetal development dictates hair whorls, and these patterns remain consistent throughout life. Source: PubMed
While cowlicks cannot be permanently removed naturally, consistent styling and haircut strategies make them manageable. Using appropriate products and understanding hair growth patterns are key to achieving long-lasting results.
Conclusion: Managing Cowlicks Is About Technique, Not Elimination
Although cowlicks can be frustrating at times, they are merely a normal occurrence of hair growth, which can be managed with time and some tips and tricks. The right haircut which will accommodate your hair growth pattern, the right styler products, styling with heat, and parting your hair slightly differently, will certainly help with control over those rude strands. If you respect how your hair grows naturally, and use methods supported by professionals, you can make those cowlicks simply a manageable part of your hairstyle, rather than a daily irritation.
Realistically, getting to know your cowlick(s) and accepting them in this way, rather than trying to spend half an hour wrestling over it won’t only help the overall health of your hair, but your look as well. Not only will your hair be easier to style if you have a decent routine in place, but you will eliminate any hassles of styling in a cowlick prone area.
At eDrugstore, we know how annoying cowlicks can be, so we created a selection of the best hair care products to help you manage nuisances like that easily. There are so many styling products to choose from! We have strong-hold pomades, strong-hold styling gels, hair serums, and styling mousse, heat protectants, and other high-quality hair products you can use to help you with your hairstyles, while keeping your hair healthy. The products can be easily combined with the right cuts and styling to keep unruly hair in check. With eDrugstore, achieving a smooth, polished, and confident hairstyle every day, is easier or more convenient.
FAQs
Does everyone have a cowlick?
Not really. Many people do possess at least one cowlick due to their genetic hair growth patterns, but whether we see them depends on their location. Some people may hardly notice theirs, while others find that it primarily affects the hairline or crown of the head.
How can I get rid of cowlicks naturally?
A cowlick cannot be removed but can be managed through a few simple techniques. Getting proper haircuts, brushing hair every day, using lightweight styling products for control, and adjusting the hair part location are excellent ways to get rid of cowlicks without using harsh chemical treatments.
What haircuts work best for cowlicks?
There are several haircuts that are better for managing cowlicks. Layered looks, side-swept bangs, and textured crops can help diminish the look of stubborn areas of growth. A stylist who knows how to get rid of cowlicks with haircuts can help you maintain a manageable look while still appearing stylish.
Can styling products help control cowlicks?
Yes, styling products—such as gels, pomades, mousses, and serums—will help control cowlicks, while still looking good. Using the right products can help hold and shape the hair so that it is easily manageable for the day while controlling the cowlick as well.
Are cowlicks related to hair loss?
Cowlicks aren’t indicative of hair loss. They merely represent natural variances in hair growth. A change in the visibility of the cowlick could mean the hair is thinning in that area and should be discussed with a hairstylist or doctor.
Can heat styling help get rid of cowlicks?
Heat styling tools like a hot air dryer or flat iron can help you temporarily tame your cowlicks. Use the heat directing it in the opposite direction of the cowlick’s growth and use a heat protectant to smooth out those unruly pieces for a polished look and healthy hair.
Dr Steven Schlosser
Dr. Schlosser graduated from Lafayette College Phi Beta Kappa and attended Georgetown Medical School. He had 4 years of medical residency training at Tufts University in Boston in both Gynecology and Internal Medicine. He has had a spotless medical career for the past 40+ years and is Board Certified. Learn More