Cowlicks and Stubborn Hair: How to Tame Them

A cowlick that won’t lie flat can ruin a style. Here is how to work with stubborn hair instead of fighting it.

What a cowlick is

A cowlick is a spot where hair grows in a different direction — often at the crown or front hairline. Forcing it flat rarely works; the trick is choosing a cut and styling that use it.

Cuts that help

• Texture and length on top hide a crown cowlick better than very short hair.
• A forward, textured fringe can absorb a front cowlick.
• Very short all over can make a stubborn swirl irrelevant.

Styling tactics

1. Style while damp, drying the hair in the direction you want it to sit.
2. Use a blow-dryer to train the cowlick, then a matte product to hold it.
3. Work with the growth direction, not straight against it.

Let a barber plan around it

Point out your cowlick at the start of the cut so the barber can shape around it rather than leave you fighting it daily. Mention it at your next men’s haircut in Chicago — the barbers at Artur’s Barber Shop deal with stubborn hair all the time.