When your hair starts to recede or shed, you have every reason to worry. However, not all changes in your hairline mean you are balding. This post introduces you to the cowlick and its wrongful association with balding.
What Is a Cowlick?
A cowlick happens when your hair acquires a characteristic swirl appearance. While it is expected on the crown, it can also appear on the scalp’s front (hairline) and back. It is named after the pattern on bovine calves after getting a cleaning lick from the mother.
What Causes the Cowlick?
A cowlick results from your hair getting confused about the direction in which it should grow. As a result, the hair strands go in three directions, forward, backward, and sideways. Since the scalp doesn’t have boundaries to direct hair in a particular direction, the follicles get confused, resulting in a cowlick appearance.
Researchers agree that cowlicks are congenital, affecting both men and women. A notable study established that fraternal twins can have cowlicks in the exact location but on opposite sides of the head.
Cowlicks and Balding
While cowlicks may make you look like you’re balding, it helps if you know how to tell the difference. A careful study of the causes of balding reveals whether you are losing hair. Hair loss usually results from illness, stress, or DHT (a hormone). It happens when the hair follicle in a particular section of the scalp becomes miniaturized.
The more the hair follicle reduces in size, the more the cycle of hair growth shortens. This results in the production of shorter hair, which reduces even more with time. Eventually, no hair strands grow through the skin in the affected area when the follicle dies.
On the other hand, a cowlick is a natural phenomenon that doesn’t result in follicle miniaturization. If the hair follicle is not reducing in size, then you aren’t balding. It could just be that your hair is growing in all directions. However, balding may still affect you in the future.
Signs of Real Hair Loss
Balding is a genetic condition that affects individuals with a family history of baldness. It happens when your hairline starts receding at a fast rate. Also, when your crown starts to thin, you likely have a clear case of hair loss.
Bottom Line
A cowlick has no relationship with baldness. It is a natural occurrence that results from your hair growing in different directions. On the other hand, balding is marked by the gradual reduction of hair size until there is none. If you are dealing with hair loss, contact Genesis II today!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/cowlick#styling-tips
Cowlick vs. Balding: Is It Actually An Early Sign of Hair Loss?
