How can you get a cowlick?

Most cowlicks are natural and are caused by genetics. But sometimes, you can get them after shaving your head or an injury.

Where are the most common placements for a cowlick?

Typically, a cowlick will show up at the crown of your head. Sometimes, they can appear along the front of your hairline.

Do cowlicks occur more easily on wet or dry hair?

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.

Do people with natural hair get cowlicks?

People with coily, curly, and kinky hair tend to not get cowlicks, as the hair grows up and out, not down.

6 Tips for Getting Rid of a Cowlick, Straight From Hairstylists

woman — @hairfood / Design by Zackary Angeline

In This Article

What Is a Cowlick? Frequently Asked Questions Don't Cut the Hair Too Short Try Side-Swept Bangs and Long Layers

Neutralize With Your Blow Dryer Use an Iron Choose Products Wisely Know the Universal Truths

Have you ever had your hair split down the middle while you were trying to comb it straight back? Or awoken to a huge section of your hair sticking flat to your head? You can likely thank a cowlick for that. They stick to their own agenda, and they never seem to want to cooperate.

These pesky strands may be the bane of your existence, but they don't have to be. We asked pro hairstylists Ashley Rourk and Anike Rabiu to share the cuts, tools, techniques, and products that can help you work with a cowlick. They may be annoying, but as it turns out, cowlicks might also be more predictable and manageable than we give them credit for.

Meet the Expert

Ashley Rourk is a hairstylist and colorist who specializes in low-maintenance haircuts and beach blonde colors. She is based in Santa Barbara and the Bay Area.
Anike Rabiu is a New York City-based editorial hairstylist behind campaigns for beauty brands such as Origins and Aveda.

Read on to see what our experts have to say about managing cowlicks.

What Is a Cowlick?

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

01 of 06

Don't Cut the Hair Too Short

No matter the location of your cowlick, Rourk warns us not to go too short. "Cutting the hair short right at the cowlick will expose the cowlick even more," she explains.

That's not to say you can't have short hair, of course. Make a point to discuss your styling goals with your hairdresser. Ultimately, you want a haircut to support your lifestyle, and the time you spend styling your hair every day is a large part of that. If short hair is your jam, ask your stylist to leave enough length around your cowlick to keep things manageable. If you're short on styling time and don't want to deal with taming your cowlick(s) day in, day out, you might want to consider longer-length options.

02 of 06

Try Side-Swept Bangs and Long Layers

If you've got a cowlick at the hairline that wants to veer to one side, side-swept bangs might be more suitable than blunt bangs, which are intended to fall straight along your forehead.

"If you can't stand your cowlicks and don't have time to tame them, longer lengths are best because the weight of long hair pulls them down, making them less obvious," says Rourk. Rabiu agrees, noting that longer styles with lots of movement (think above-the-shoulder layers and tousled, textured waves) can help disguise your cowlicks and leave your strands looking super chic.

03 of 06

Neutralize With Your Blow Dryer

Truth be told, "If you know how to neutralize your cowlick, you can wear a variety of hairstyles," says Rourk, who swears by the concentrator on your blow dryer as your greatest taming tool. (Concentrators are those removable nozzles that clip onto the opening of your blowdryer and help manage the direction of the airflow).

"Using a concentrator on your blowdryer and medium heat while pushing the hair in the opposite direction of the cowlick is the best way to neutralize it," says Rourk. Heat is always the contributing factor that alters the state of our hair, so when in need, use it to your advantage.

Byrdie Tip

If your hair is already dry, spritz the cowlick with water and a heat protectant before blowdrying to help reset the hair better.

04 of 06

Use an Iron

Rabiu credits another hot tool for its cowlick-correcting abilities. "Root tamer irons are [also] great for cowlicks," she explains. "They work by helping you get straight to the roots without burning your scalp. Their fine-tooth comb edges help provide tension as you direct the cowlick towards your desired direction." Root tamers are especially great for thicker strands. They have a higher density for heat to work through to see desired change, so those fine-tooth combs will really come in handy. Rabiu recommends the BaBylissPRO Studio Design Series Root Reacher ($110).

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"

Byrdie Tip

No-crease clips and a little heat manipulation will train your cowlicks to reposition themselves.

05 of 06

Choose Products Wisely

Once you've used heat to change the direction of your more stubborn strands, the way you "set" the hair will depend on your products, explains Rabiu. "[Use] lightweight product on thin hair," she advises. A flexible hold hairspray like L'Oréal's Elnett ($7) is a perfect product for thinner strands because it doesn't add weight from being too stiff or sticky and leaves the hair with just enough hold while remaining brush-able. Dry shampoo can also be extremely helpful for finer strands after you've manipulated things with the help of your dryer. Dry shampoo will add lift and absorb any natural oil that may be working against you and weighing down the hairs of your cowlick.

"[For] thicker hair," Rabiu says, "one should use a product with slightly more hold." She suggests R+Co's Sandcastle Dry Textured Creme ($29) when you need a little more grit to help reshape your cowlick. Rabiu warns that even with thicker hair, styling products should be used sparingly (you don't want to bog down the hair). If you use a stronger pomade or creme, apply by rubbing a small pinch between your fingertips, and remember that a little will go a long way.

06 of 06

Know the Universal Truths

When it comes to addressing cowlicks, "the overall basis is the same: Manipulate the direction of the cowlick [at the] root by moving it in the opposite direction of how it naturally grows by using heat on wet/heat-protected hair," explains Rabiu, who adds that coily and kinky hair types rarely deal with cowlicks as those textures grow up and out.

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.

FAQ

How can you get a cowlick?

Most cowlicks are natural and are caused by genetics. But sometimes, you can get them after shaving your head or an injury.
Where are the most common placements for a cowlick?

Typically, a cowlick will show up at the crown of your head. Sometimes, they can appear along the front of your hairline.
Do cowlicks occur more easily on wet or dry hair?

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.
Do people with natural hair get cowlicks?

People with coily, curly, and kinky hair tend to not get cowlicks, as the hair grows up and out, not down.