A cowlick is a section of human hair that stands straight up or lies at an angle at odds with the style in which the rest of an individual's hair is worn. The most common site of a human cowlick is in the crown, but they can appear anywhere on the head. They also sometimes occur in the front and back of the head.
Unfortunately, there is no way to permanently remove a cowlick in your hair. They are formed because the hair grows in a specific pattern, or the follicles are unusually shaped. In some cases, children with cowlicks can see their cowlicks go away as they mature and their hair follicles alter in shape.
What is the difference between a cowlick and a bald spot in men? A cow lick is a hair world that usually grows on top of your crown but can happen in the front as well. It's perfectly normal and can have multiple ones. A bald spot is a sign of hair loss. Cowlicks are connected with hair growth patterns.
Cowlicks are caused by the way hair grows out of the follicle. Hair follicles grow in a spiral pattern, but some follicles may have a stronger spiral than others. That's how you get cowlicks.
Cowlicks are extremely common, but they can range from unnoticeable to glaringly obvious.
In conclusion, while cowlicks themselves do not necessarily get worse with age, the changes in hair density, texture, and health can make them appear more prominent or behave differently. By understanding these changes and how to manage them, individuals can maintain their desired appearance and confidence.
Though cowlicks can sometimes mimic thinning hair, they aren't an early sign of balding.
Common signs that you have a balding crown include: hair thinning on the top but not around the sides, hair at the crown becoming more brittle, and/or if you have a receding hairline.
Cowlicks are the result of the hair growth angle and direction from the follicle, which can create a spiral or whorl pattern. These patterns are present from birth and often stay consistent throughout life. However, changes in hair density and texture as we age can make cowlicks appear more pronounced.
Blunt Cuts
If your cowlick is at the crown, Dimachki suggests cutting your hair all one length, as seen here on Olivia Palermo. "Keeping hair at one length will maintain the heaviness at the bottom that the hair needs to conceal any crown cowlicks.
The shape a maturing hairline takes usually is an M, meaning you have a peak in the middle of your hairline and it curves back at the temples. While a balding hairline will also start with this shape, a maturing hairline won't continue to recede and the hairline will generally be quite defined as well.
Use a Combo of Styling Products And a Hair Dryer to Make Cowlicks Less Visible. Combine the effects of heat, pressure, and hold to bring your cowlick under your control. Blow drying your hair (or using a flatiron) and using pomade, gel, wax, and other strong hold products can help tame cowlicks for most of the day.
Yes, a personalised hair transplant procedure can involve the redistribution of hairs that are growing in an uneven pattern or extract healthy follicles from other areas, usually to the back of your scalp, to create a fuller, more natural hairline to minimise the visibility of your cowlick.
“Cut your cowlicks down or use a product. I'd suggest a thicker pomade in the Redken Brews line.” Redken Brews is Redken's dedicated range for men. Its cream pomade is water-based and offers medium hold with a smooth finish—perfect for flexible styles and keeping your cowlicks in place.
Haircuts like the crew cut, Caesar cut, or buzz cut are great for hiding a balding crown, giving you a low-maintenance look that makes your hair appear thicker. Styles like the slicked-back look, comb-over, or quiff can use longer hair and a bit of product to cleverly cover up any bald spots.
Yes, you can fix a thinning crown! For smaller cases of crown thinning, you can combat this with Finasteride and Minoxidil. However, for larger cases of male pattern hair loss, this may only be fixed by a more drastic treatment such as PRP or hair transplants.
Distinguishing Between Cowlicks and Balding
Progression: Cowlicks remain consistent, whereas balding areas will continue to thin and expand. Location: Cowlicks can appear anywhere but are most common at the crown or hairline, while balding often starts at the temples, crown, or hairline and spreads.
Many researchers agree that cowlicks develop primarily due to your genetic makeup and family history. Cowlicks develop before birth and can affect both men and women. While a fetus is developing, cowlicks develop when hair follicles grow in a slant that's opposite to the direction of the rest of the hair.
Hair loss around the crown is often the first, and most noticeable, sign of male pattern baldness. Over time you may start to see your thinning crown starting to look wider, or more noticeable, as hair loss starts to accelerate.
They can also happen after a serious head injury, surgery, or even if you've shaved your head. That's because this can affect the way your hair grows. Or, if you've had a hair transplant, that could be another factor in cowlick growth, since you can't really predict the pattern that will result.
Many start to notice the early stages of male pattern baldness by their 30s, but they may begin as early as your late teenage years or early 20s. Hair loss on your crown usually appears in a circular shape.
Three types of hair loss can be associated with high stress levels: Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing your hair.