How to Straighten a Cowlick

By: Celeigh O'Neil

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Cowlicks have an agenda that is entirely their own. They love pushing their way through freshly washed and styled hair and standing on ends, usually just at the moment that you walk into work. The hair that grows in a direction opposite to the rest of your hair growth can also be more discreet, creating unexpected parts and creases. While you and your cowlick may work on opposing schedules, a happy coexistence is possible with the right blow-drying technique.

Step 1

Wash and gently towel dry your hair.

Step 2

Place a natural-bristle brush under the cowlick and any other hair that you'd like to blend it with. Cowlicks need to be styled when damp, as they set as soon as they dry.

Step 3

Pull the brush tightly through your hair in the opposite direction of the cowlick, using your thumb to hold the hair in place on the brush.

Step 4

Turn on the blow-dryer and aim the nozzle down the hair shaft as you brush. Continue brushing and blow-drying until your hair is dry.

Step 5

Brush and blow-dry your hair in the other direction keeping the brush pulled taut. This prevents the cowlick from setting in one direction, making it easier for you to style.