How to Get Rid of Cowlicks

Some guys are blessed with seemingly perfect hair — a full, dense head of hair that just always seems to maintain a natural sense of order. 

Others, well, aren’t so lucky. If you’re the type to spend the better part of your morning brushing and styling your hair only to have it reassemble itself into a tangled mess the moment you leave the bathroom, you’re probably familiar with cowlicks.

Cowlicks are the small tufts of hair that either stick up in odd directions, lay perfectly flat against your scalp when the rest of your hair is styled up, or simply refuse to go with the flow and blend in with the rest of your hair. 

Think of them as the stubborn nonconformists among your hair follicles. Just when everything looks perfect, you can trust a cowlick or two to pop up and make life difficult.

The good news is that although cowlicks can be annoying, they can be managed with the right combination of haircuts, products and styling techniques.

Below, we’ve explained what cowlicks are, as well as why they can develop. We’ve also shared a few simple techniques that you can use to either style cowlicks more effectively or adjust your hairstyle so that they’re less of a problem.

What Are Cowlicks?

“Cowlick” is an informal term that refers to small, stubborn tufts of hair that don’t fit in with the rest of the hair on your scalp.

For the most part, cowlicks develop as a result of your “hair whorl” — the circular distribution of hair follicles on the scalp that revolves around a central axis, usually near your crown. Your hair whorl is where the growing direction of your hair follicles changes. At this point, typically near the vertex region of your scalp, your hair follicles separate into groups that face toward the front, left, rear, and right sides of your scalp.

It’s a trait that’s typically passed down through genetics, but atypical hair growth patterns can also result from trauma to the scalp, like with surgery or head injuries.

Most people have one hair whorl, although some developmental and neurological disorders can result in multiple hair whorls at different locations on the scalp.

About 84 percent of people have a clockwise hair whorl, while 16 percent have a scalp hair whorl that rotates counterclockwise.

Cowlicks can sometimes also develop along your hairline, usually at the point where your hairs branch off in different directions, called your part line.

Cowlicks can also vary significantly in size. For some people, they consist of just a few stubborn hairs that can be tamed with the right wax or styling gel.

Other people might have multiple cowlicks that are difficult to get under control.

 Can You Get Rid of Cowlicks?

While it’s usually easy to style most of your hair in a consistent direction, the area near your hair whorl can be a bit tricky. You can’t fix how your hair grows out of your scalp, but you can disguise most cowlicks with the right combination of haircut and styling techniques.

The key is understanding your hair’s natural growth pattern and adjusting your cut and styling habits to tame those rebellious hair follicles.

How to Get Rid of Cowlicks: 7 Tips

Here are a few tips for taming a cowlick hairline.

1. Minimize Cowlicks By Keeping Your Hair Short

The easiest way to deal with a cowlick (or several cowlicks if you have unruly hair) is to keep your hair short.

Short hair won’t actually get rid of a cowlick, but it can make it much less noticeable by preventing your hair from sticking up in the wrong direction.

Good haircuts for minimizing the visibility of a cowlick include buzz cuts and crew cuts. In general, any cut that involves cutting hair close to the crown will make a stubborn cowlick less obvious.

These are also some of the best haircuts for thinning hair, making them worth considering if you have a cowlick and male pattern baldness.

2. Grow Your Hair Longer to Make Cowlicks Less Obvious

Another way to get rid of prominent cowlicks is to grow your hair longer so they’re harder to notice.

Long hair tends to relax and become easier to style in a single direction. If your cowlicks are only visible when your hair is moderate in length, try growing it out and styling it in a mop-top or pompadour hairstyle that makes any change in hair direction difficult to see.

If you have curly hair, growing it a little longer might be enough to hide your wayward whorl without needing to sport a specific style.

3. Identify Your Hair’s Natural Pattern, Then Go With It

Sometimes, it’s best to accept a cowlick and minimize its visual impact by styling your hair according to its natural pattern instead of in the opposite direction.

If you usually style your hair in one direction, try switching things up by identifying the direction of the cowlick. Then, once you’ve applied a strong pomade, hair gel, or any other hair styling product, comb your hair in its natural direction.

Instead of fighting back against your hair’s natural growth pattern, this approach combines the hold of your favorite hair products with the orientation of your hair follicles.

To get the best results from this approach, use a handheld mirror to check the direction your hair naturally flows from your crown, then comb or brush appropriately. To make taming your hair's spiral pattern a little easier, try applying gel and other styling products to slightly wet hair.

4. Add Weight to Your Locks

Strong-hold hair products can help weigh down strands and make cowlicks less obvious. Products to consider include:

• Hair gels

• Pomades

• Waxes

• Hairspray

• Styling cream

• Mousse

• Putty

Look for styling products labeled as strong or firm hold. These products are designed for all-day wear and should help tame cowlicks for most of the day.

Conditioning can also add extra weight and thickness, which can help control stubborn tufts of hair.

5. 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.

For most people, this means applying your preferred product to your hair when it’s still damp, and then using your blow dryer to force it to point in the right direction.

For optimal results, you’ll generally want to choose a medium heat setting, attach a concentrator for targeted airflow, and use a heat protectant to prevent heat damage.

Once you’ve tamed the cowlick, switch to cool air to lock your hair in place. Just be aware that you’ll need to avoid getting your hair wet throughout the day, as this may “reset” the cowlick and force you to repeat the process from square one.

6. Opt for Headwear

Scarves and hats can help conceal stubborn cowlicks that don’t seem to stay put with heat or styling products. Headwear is an option if you’re not looking to shave your head or sport a close-cropped hairstyle.

7. Talk to a Hair Stylist

Still struggling with a cowlick that seems to have a mind of its own? Ask a hairdresser whether they have styling tips for covering up wayward strands. They can recommend a haircut or styling products that may help.

They may even suggest coloring your hair to highlight the cowlick.

Are Cowlicks Related to Hair Loss?

While cowlicks can be annoying, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest they’re related to hair loss in men.

Most men’s hair loss results from androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness — a type of permanent hair loss caused by genetic and hormonal factors.

If you’re predisposed to this type of hair loss, a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can attach to androgen receptors in your scalp and, over time, shorten the hair growth cycle of each hair follicle.

This can affect hair growth and eventually damage hair follicles, so new hair fails to penetrate the skin.

Our guide to DHT and male hair loss goes into more detail about how DHT can affect hair and why not all men are affected by DHT-related hair loss.

Learn More About Caring for Your Hair

Cowlicks can impact your hair's appearance, but they aren’t harmful or a sign that you’re starting to develop hair loss. And you can easily deal with them using the hair care and styling techniques we’ve shared above.

Let’s recap on the best ways to deal with cowlicks:

• Keep your hair short. Very short hairstyles can help get rid of cowlicks completely or help conceal them.

• Grow your hair longer. Sporting long locks is another way to hide cowlicks.

• Work with your hair's natural growth pattern. Working with instead of against your hair can make styling it easier and make cowlicks less noticeable.

• Try styling products or headwear. Gel, wax, and pomades can keep cowlicks in check, and headwear like scarves or hats can hide them completely from view.

• Know that cowlicks aren’t a sign of hair loss. But if you do notice hair shedding, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional.

Interested in learning more about how to care for your hair? Our list of men’s hair care tips goes into more detail about how you can best care for your hair, from choosing hair products that match your hair type to avoiding common sources of damage.

Want to grow thicker hair? We offer a range of FDA-approved hair loss treatments, including proven medications such as finasteride and minoxidil.