how do i get rid of a cowlick on the back of my head

Hair cowlick tips: 7 ways to fight the battle (and win)

• 1. Wet the area in question Whereever your cowlick has taken over needs to be completely wet. ...
• 2. Apply a styling product with hold ...
• 3. Brush against the cowlick ...
• 4. Switch up your direction ...
• 5. Try the "squish" trick ...
• 6. Use a no-crease clip to “set” the area while hair is still hot ...
• 7. Finish with a little hairspray ...

Full Answer

How do you permanently get rid of a cowlick?

Can you get rid of a cowlick? You can't get rid of a cowlick permanently, but you can temporarily hide it, smooth it, or disguise it.

What causes cowlick in back of head?

Cowlicks form before birth and affect both men and women. While a fetus is developing, cowlicks are caused when hair follicles grow in a slant that is opposite to the direction of the rest of the hair. Many researchers agree that cowlicks develop largely due to your genetic makeup and family history.

Does everyone have a cowlick on the back of their head?

Virtually everybody has a cowlick or two, with the most visible one found at the crown of the head and a second less obvious one, perhaps at the neck or on the front hairline by the part. They form early in life -- in utero -- and once you have a cowlick, you're stuck with it unless you lose your hair.

Will my cowlick ever go away?

A cowlick is a section of hair that grows in a different direction than the rest of your hair. It's genetic and completely harmless. While you can't get rid of it, there are ways you can tame it yourself.

Does shaving your head get rid of cowlicks?

While cutting your hair short won't actually get rid of a cowlick, it can make it much less obvious by preventing your hair from sticking up in the wrong direction.

Can you train a cowlick?

If you want to fix a cowlick, then just get yourself to a barber or salon. Novel idea, we know, but if you let a professional handle it, then he or she can snip, texturize, or train the hair in a way that minimizes the cowlick—or perhaps removes it altogether.

Should I part my hair against my cowlick?

Work With Your Cowlick If you've got a cowlick on the back crown of your head, some people recommend that you part your hair on the left if your cowlick grows clockwise, and part your hair on the right if your cowlick grows in the counterclockwise direction.

Are cowlicks rare?

The truth is, cowlicks are very common with people of all ages; almost everybody has it, even though it's not always easy to detect. The hair swirls may take place practically everywhere. Usually, they appear on the top of the head. That's because the crown is the area where two different directions of hair meet.

Where should I part my hair with a cowlick?

All you need to do is part your hair in the direction of the cowlick. For example, let's say that your cowlick spiral runs clockwise. In that case, your hair will part naturally on the left. If your cowlick runs counterclockwise, your hair will part naturally on the right.

Why do I suddenly have a cowlick?

A cowlick occurs when the hair gets “confused” as to which direction it should grow. There are no boundaries on the scalp which tell hair follicles which way to produce hairs. As such, it is common for an area or two to have a few confused follicles which result in a cow-licked appearance.

How do you stop a cowlick while sleeping?

How to Prevent Bed HeadMake a Top Knot for Long Hair. One of the easiest ways to keep long hair from tangling overnight is a top knot. ... Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase. ... Don't Go to Bed with Wet Hair. ... Wrap Your Short Hair. ... Brush Your Hair Before Bedtime. ... Use Braids for Curly Hair or a Fun Hairdo.

Are cowlicks genetic?

Scientists who have studied cowlicks believe your genes play a big role in determining how many cowlicks you have and where they are on your head.

Why do I suddenly have a cowlick?

A cowlick occurs when the hair gets “confused” as to which direction it should grow. There are no boundaries on the scalp which tell hair follicles which way to produce hairs. As such, it is common for an area or two to have a few confused follicles which result in a cow-licked appearance.

What is the origin of cowlick?

You may be wondering why that funny little piece of hair is called a cowlick. The name cowlick comes from the swirled effect left in the hair of baby cattle after being licked by their mothers. In humans, a cowlick is a small section of hair that grows at a different angle than the rest of the hair on your head.

Can a cowlick look like a bald spot?

Given that they often crop up at the crown of your head, the same place many bald spots start out, cowlicks can be mistaken for balding. Many men have a large cowlick on the back of their head, known as a parietal whorl, that may eventually turn into a bald spot.

Are cowlicks genetic?

Scientists who have studied cowlicks believe your genes play a big role in determining how many cowlicks you have and where they are on your head.

How to get rid of a cowlick in your hair?

1. Get the right haircut. According to Kusero, during a cut, your stylist can follow the growth pattern of the cowlick and cut in the same direction of the hair to ensure it will lay as smooth as possible. If your cowlick happens to be in your bang area, Kusero says your stylist could lightly cut into growth to reduce some of the bulk underneath, ...

How to straighten cowlicks?

If the blow-dryer didn’t quite cut it or you need to be able to reach closer to the roots, Kusero says a thin flat iron in combination with your smoothing spray will do the trick in straightening a cowlick.

What to use for a cowlick?

On the days when you want to wear a sleek, smooth style and you don’t want your cowlick stealing the show, grab a heat protectant, a hairspray, a hair serum, and a smoothing spray. Kusero recommends the IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray, which acts as a temporary smoothing keratin treatment, protects against heat damage, provides 24-hour frizz control—all things you want when smoothing out a cowlick.

How do you know if you have a cowlick?

So how do you know if you have a cowlick? Kusero says to look for hair that grows in a swoop pattern or a clockwise circle, kinda like a wave. Cowlicks are especially common in the front hairline area and the crown of your head, and although they can occur in all hair types and textures, they’re most noticeable and prevalent in curly-to-straight hair types.

How to make your bangs fall down?

Take a little of the paste (not too much!), warm it up in your hands, and rake it through with your fingers. Use your fingertips to gently tug your bangs down to where you want them to fall. 6. Disguise it with texturizing products.

Do you have to put up with a cowlick?

PSA: You don't have to put up with your cowlick if you don't wanna. If you've got a cowlicks (you know, the swirls or bumps in your hair—usually around your hairline—that like to pop up like flyaways ), you already know that cowlicks do what they want despite what you want.

Can you style around a cowlick?

And though you can't ever fully "get rid of" a cowlick, you can style around it to at least temporarily fix it.

What is a cowlick?

The cowlick is that stubborn tuft of hair that stands above the rest. It rises at the swirling meeting point of different growth patterns on ...

Can you flatten cowlicks?

Before you try flattening it with heaps of gel or a ball cap, allow us to tell you how to get rid of a cowlick. Yes, it’s possible. You can fix it so that it cooperates and blends with the rest of your hair, without resorting to drastic measures. There are numerous ways that you can manage this situation.

Can you comb your hair from memory?

This might require a handheld mirror in one hand and a comb in your dominant one, reflecting backwards into a bigger mirror. Eventually you can comb the hair from memory.

How to tame cowlicks?

Cowlicks typically occur more easily on dry hair. One of the ways to tame your cowlick is to wet the area to "reset" the hair and help it lay down flat.

What clips to use for cowlicks?

When it comes to helping your newly directed strands stay in place, no-crease clips or duckbill clips can be a great help as well. "Once the hair is wet and you've used your product of choice, place a [creaseless] clip at the root of the cowlick in the direction you want your hair to fall in once it's dry," instructs Rabiu. "Diffuse and voilá!"

What is cowlick hair?

Cowlicks are natural growth patterns in the hair that cause strands to go in opposing directions, which can leave them laying flat to our head, sticking straight up, or controlling the flow of our hair in an unwanted orientation.

Can cowlicks be annoying?

We turned to two stylists to tell us which cuts will work with your cowlick, the tools, and products to keep in your arsenal, and what to expect when it comes to your specific hair type. Cowlicks may be annoying, but they might also be more predictable and manageable than we give them credit for .

Is a cowlick the same as a crown?

As for placement on the head, a cowlick should be approached the same way no matter where it is. For instance, the hairline is no different than the crown of the head. Rourk advises using the same precautions and tricks to get your hair to work with you. She reminds us that the shorter the length, the more exposed your growth pattern may be; however, "the approach to caring for a cowlick is the same—for both men and women," she says.

How to get rid of cowlicks in hair?

3. Brush against the cowlick. Using a gentle brush (don't use the round brush just yet, says Victoria), hold the blow dryer down against your hair and focus the heat just above your roots. 4. Switch up your direction. Keep mixing up which direction you’ re blow drying and, if desired, switch to a round brush.

How to blow dry cowlicks?

Keep mixing up which direction you’re blow drying and, if desired, switch to a round brush. This is key because you are trying to “confuse” the cowlick (battle strategy!). Move both the brush and dryer back and forth until hair is fully dry.

Where is the cowlick in your hair?

If you have a cowlick — near your bangs, on the back of your head, or otherwise — then you know the struggle to which I'm referring. There’s nothing worse than waking up to the realization that you need to wash your hair again just to fight that weird curl that just won’t go away.

What is the trick to blow drying hair?

The trick is to avoid the root and go for the middle of the strand.

How to style cowlicks?

Try water: An easy way to style your cowlick, regardless of hair texture or style, is wetting the cowlick with water. Becker explains that this makes it easier to style the hair in the direction you want. From there, use a blow-dryer to set everything in place.

How to camouflage cowlicks?

Grow your hair: Another easy way to camouflage your cowlick is by growing your hair longer. “If your hair is longer, it has more weight and will lessen the tendency for hair to stick straight up or lay completely flat,” says Becker.

How is a cowlick different from a balding?

Even so, a cowlick and balding couldn’t be more different. “A cowlick differs from balding because a cowlick is a natural hair growth pattern, whereas balding is loss of hair ,” Becker explains. Upon closer look, how they look is also vastly different.

Why do I get bald when I cowlick?

Since a cowlick can sometimes expose the scalp, it’s often mistaken for balding. This is usually caused by the location of the cowlick — the closer to the scalp, the more it’s mistaken for balding — and a person’s hair texture, says Possidoni.

What is a cowlick in hair?

If you’ve ever dealt with a stubborn section of hair that sticks out above the rest, it’s probably a cowlick. This is a section of hair that grows in a different direction than the rest of your hair. While it’s completely harmless, it can give you some serious hair woes by being difficult to style. Keep reading to learn more about ...

Where is the cowlick on a woman?

The most common is the back of the head, near the crown area. Following close behind is the front of the hairline, though it’s not to be confused with a widow’s peak. A cowlick is most obvious when it’s along the hairline or at the front of the hair, explains Tinamarie Possidoni, owner and stylist of Tinamarie Hair.

Do people have cowlicks?

According to celebrity hairstylist Marshall Lin, almost everyone has a cowlick. Some even have more than one, but it’s not obvious since the weight of the hair pulls it down.

Can you tame cowlicks?

While daily styling might help , you may not always have the time to expertly tame your tresses. Thankfully, there's an easier way to handle your unruly hair: opting for a haircut and style that's approved to hide your cowlick.

Does long hair camouflage a cowlick?

According to The Skincare Credit, although you might think long hair camouflages your cowlick, it actually emphasizes it. Celebrity hairstylist Bill Angst explains why. He noted that the weight of long hair could pull down, highlighting a cowlick. His suggestion for improving it included shortening the length to above the ears while adding in long layers and side-swept bangs .