Hair Callick or Cowlick

Lindsay Lohan with a cowlick in her hair
Lindsay Lohan's cowlick - Photo: Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Q: I would like to know what causes hair callicks and why my hair is getting worse as I age. I am 56 years old and my hair is so unruly. I have fine hair that seems to be filled with callicks. How did this happen? Both of my siblings have beautiful long hair.
 
A: The term you want is actually "cowlick", which my grandmother said is called such because these hair growth patterns make you look as though a cow (known to have particularly sticky and thick saliva) has licked your head, making the hair stick up. However, since most cowlick sufferers have never been anywhere near a cow in their lives, it's best to explain what really causes a cowlick.
 
Cowlicks are spiral or whorl-like growth patterns in the hair, determined before you are even born while you are developing in the womb. As we all know, hair is produced in the skin of the scalp within follicles. The size and shape of these follicles affect the texture and wave pattern of the hair produced. Yet, when most people picture hair follicles in the skin, they imagine them as perfectly vertical, with the hair growing straight up and out of the scalp.
 
The fact is that hair follicles are usually slightly tilted, causing hair to grow in specific directions for most people. In some cases, the follicles grow in strongly oriented, swirling directions, most commonly at the crown or front hairline. When follicles in one specific location aim in a direction contrary to those surrounding that spot, you develop a cowlick, which causes the hairs pushing in opposing directions to lift each other up. The hair then sticks up and becomes a problem when styling.
 
While the underlying genetic pattern of your hair follicles never changes as you age, cowlicks often appear to get worse over time. As we age - especially around menopause - hormonal shifts (such as dropping estrogen) and the natural aging process cause individual hair strands to become thinner and the hair to lose density across the scalp. Fine hair does not have the weight and structural strength to hold down stubborn growth patterns. On top of that, loss of scalp skin elasticity and age-related changes in scalp oil production make lightweight, fine hair much more prone to separate along these stubborn growth lines. This makes existing cowlicks far more visible.
 
The good news is that you have several options to deal with cowlicks:
 
• Smart Haircuts: A knowledgeable stylist can work wonders by cutting with your growth pattern rather than against it. Adding strategically placed layers or soft bangs can help weigh down or blend away stubborn spots.
 
• Heat & Hair Products: Blow-drying the hair while it is still soaking wet - using a brush to push the hair back and forth across the cowlick - can help train the roots to lay flatter. Root-lifting sprays and lightweight styling pastes give fine hair extra grip and structure so it stays where you put it.
 
• Targeted Hair Removal: Permanent hair removal methods like electrolysis or laser therapy can remove small, stubborn patches of hair. Though you should keep in mind that this may slightly alter your natural hairline.
 
A great stylist who understands fine hair and growth direction is usually all you need to keep those stubborn swirls under control!
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Is there any way to get rid of a cowlick in your hair?
 
What should I do with my cowlicks and hair whorls?
 
How do you wrap a perm for a cowlick?