Cowlicks

When cutting hair, you will have to deal with cowlicks. You will see at least one cowlick on every head of hair you cut. Every one has at least one cowlick in the crown area of his/her head. This spot, the cowlick, is where the beginning of a person's hairgrowth pattern starts. The cowlick determines the pattern of the hairgrain for the rest of the head. It is like the axle on a bicycle wheel, with the hair around the cowlick being the spokes of the wheel. The axle determines the direction or motion of the wheel just like a cowlick determines which way the hair wants to lie.

Cowlicks aren't only in the crown area, they can also be in the front hairline as well as at the back in the nape of the neck. These cowlicks also have the hair growing out and away from them. This of course adds interest to the way the hair lies, how it must be cut and how it needs to be styled.

But does eveyone really have a cowlick? I'm sure you can think of many people who you would say don't have one. That is because certain hair lengths and hair types can camouflage a cowlick very easily. These are

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  Long Hair - When hair gets longer, it gets heavier. This causes it to bend. When the hair bends at the roots, it can cover the cowlick area with long, bent hairs. If the same hair is then cut a bit shorter, the weight of the hair is gone. This will allow the hair to lie the way it wants to and then you'll be able to see the cowlick.


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  Wavy and Curly Hair - This type of hair grows out of the head like coiled springs, whereas starighter hair lies closer to the head. Because curly and wavy hair grows out like springs, when you look at it, you mainly see the ends. However, because straighter hair lies closer to the head, you can see more of the hairshaft and therefore you can also see more of the cowlick and the hairgrain (the direction that the hair lies).

The wavier or curlier the hair that you cut, the shorter you have to cut it to see the cowlick. If you cut it to a 1 inch length, you'll probably see the cowlick, but if it is a half of an inch longer, it will camouflage the cowlick.

Watch for more information coming on cowlicks (how to deal with them, the right length to cut them, etc.).