How to Get Rid of a Cowlick, According to Hairstylists

Get the Right Cut

Haircuts and styling go hand-in-hand. Having a cut to support your hair's characteristics will ultimately cut back on your styling time. For example, if you're struggling with 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. But 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 amount of time you want to spend on styling your hair every day is a large part of that. If short hair is your jam, advise 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 cowlicks day-in and day-out, you might want to consider longer-length options.

"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 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.

Be Mindful of Tools

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.

Rabiu credits another hot tool for its cowlick-correcting abilities. "Root tamer irons are [also] great for cowlicks," she adds. "They work great 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 that have a higher density for heat to work through to see desired change, so those fine-tooth combs really will come in handy. Rabiu recommends the Texture Taming Root Control Iron ($55) from Kristen Ess.

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!" 

Choose Products Wisely

Once you’ve used heat to change the direction of your more stubborn strands, the way you “set” the hair is going to depend on product usage, 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 it leaves your 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. Overall, Rabiu warns that even with thicker hair, styling products should be used sparingly to not bog down the hair. If you end up using a stronger pomade or creme, apply by rubbing a small pinch between your fingertips, and remember that a little will go a long way.

Know Your Hair Type

We know there's a difference in how we care for various hair types, but is there a difference in how we approach them when taming our 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. If you have coily, kinky hair, Rabiu reminds us that these particular hair types rarely deal with cowlicks because the hair texture grows 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.