Sometimes, your beard growth journey doesn’t go as you want it to, resulting in a tangled or rough look. In fact, there are many men that deal with beard swirls and search for ways to explain and solve this issue.
The good news is there are several ways to manage, live with, and even correct beard growth anomalies and use them to your advantage.
All you need to do is educate yourself, study your body and find what works for you.
That’s why we’re here – to assist you in your self-care journey. Today we will discuss everything you need to know about beard cowlick and how to get rid of it.
Let’s get straight into it!
What Is A Beard Cowlick?
Beard cowlick is the result of abnormal facial hair growth. The natural beard growth pattern is for your beards to grow from your ears to your jaws with a mustache above your upper lips.
When it grows in elongated swirls or circular patterns, it forms a well-known anomaly called beard cowlick.
Cowlicks result from genetics messing up your natural hair growth pattern, and you can notice them early when the hair is still short. Often, your hair will stick up straight from the skin surface and become extremely difficult to comb.
To sum up, a beard cowlick is essentially when hair is not growing the direction it is supposed to grow forming intense spirals or swirls that make you look very weird.
Why Do I Have a Swirl (Spiral) in My Beards?
Two main factors can cause a beard cowlick – Genetics and Lifestyle. It’s either in your bloodstream or self-inflicted from nonchalance. Asses these two causes and decide to take better care of your beards today.
Genetics
DNA influences every hair growth in your body, from the crown of your head to your legs. So, if you see a swirl in your beards, it could be from your genes.
Observe your blood relatives’ hairs for similar patterns to rule out genetics as a factor.
While hereditary swirls aren’t curable, you can manage them successfully with the right strategies. Don’t stress too much over this information because we’ve covered you on the management front.
Lifestyle
Once you rule out genetics as the cause of your cowlick, you need to look inwards. Be honest with yourself when you answer this question – do you take good care of your beards?
Many men focus so much on their head hair that they forget facial hair.
You should pay as much attention to every part of your body, especially your face because it’s the most visible part.
Improper grooming habits can lead to beard cowlicks. The more you neglect your beard, the denser the curls become, and they’ll form hard-to-comb knots.
How to Get Rid of a Beard Cowlick
Whether hereditary or artificial, there are ways to resolve this hair growth defect. Before we move on, you must decide if you’re ready to put in the work for your desired result. The spirals and swirls won’t disappear overnight, but with consistent care and grooming, you can get rid of your beard cowlick.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get rid of a beard cowlick;
Tip One: Grow your beard out
Since most cowlicks are hard to handle when they are short or in the early stage of growth, we advise that you let the hair grow out.
The length will add weight to the hair and straighten it out due to gravity. In essence, as the hair grows longer, and the pull on the growth stretches the curls as it adds volume to the affected areas.
Tip Two: Use the right tools
Using the right tools makes a huge difference in your grooming process. A good boar brush has a soft bristle that distributes essential oils evenly around your hair. It also has enough teeth to stretch the curls as you comb your beard.
Do it in a downward stroke when you brush your facial hair with a bristle boar brush. It trains the beards to grow in the right direction while exfoliating your skin and pores underneath.
Tip Three: Use high-quality styling products.
Products such as beard balms or mustache wax have properties that tame swirls and provide structure for your beards. It’s always better to use natural products instead of artificial ones that leave your hair greasy and coarse.
You can make your cream at home by mixing essential oils like peppermint and coconut oil. Use conditioners to soften the hair and gently comb out the tangles.
Tip Four: Find your style
This tip is for managing genetic cowlicks. Study your facial structure and swirl pattern, then find a style that merges them both perfectly.
At this point, you have to be patient because you may not be lucky to get it right the first time. Embrace your creativity and turn your mistakes into fashion statements. In three months to a year, your cowlick would be barely noticeable.
Both very long beard styles but also very short (stubble) styles work and make cowlicks barely visible.
Tip Five: Apply heat
Heat is a good way to straighten out curls. You can apply heat by styling with a blow dryer, flat iron, or electric beard straightener.
That’s why we advise that you grow your hair so you don’t burn your skin while using these devices. Beard straightening is very effective because it breaks the sulfur bond holding your beards together and forms them in a straight path.
Straightening your beard
There’s a safe technique to heat application on your beard.
- Wet your beard with water to soften the hair.
- Towel dry it to remove the excess moisture.
- Choose your preferred temperature on your device. Most blow dryers and straighteners have varying heat degrees.
- Comb your hair into the desired position while applying heat. This step is the most crucial because it defines your beard style.
- Apply a blast of cool air to diffuse the heat and permanently set the hair.
- Apply beard wax to hold your hair in place.
You may repeat the entire process for stubborn areas, but don’t overdo it. Two consecutive times is enough unless you want split ends and brittle beards. Using heat treatment is cost-effective, and it may be the easiest way to cover your cowlicks.
Read Also: How To Straighten Your Beard Without Heat
Step Six: Trim stray hairs
Cowlicks often include stray hairs, so trim your beard outline to keep a neat shape.
Although the affected area may be shorter than the rest of your beard, trimming keeps it symmetrical on both sides. Use a pair of sharp scissors or a high-quality beard trimmer to snip the strays.
Tip Seven: Brush and Braid
You can change the hair growth’s direction with the braiding technique by merging the hair in the cowlick with those around to cover the swirls. This process is suitable for men with long beards.
Please note that this option is more tasking than applying heat. With persistence, however, you’ll reduce your cowlick’s appearance.
Extra tips
- When washing your beard, make sure to use a moisturizing conditioner.
- Avoid harsh chemicals and shampoo like a plague. They’ll do more harm than good to your beard.
You don’t want to end up with facial hair that feels like a sponge or grass. Prioritize product quality over quantity when shopping.
Tip Eight: Shave your Beard Cowlick
That’s the worst scenario and the worst option. But, if you have tried everything else and nothing is working for you you may need to take this option into consideration.
But, I think that no one or very few of you will not be able to improve their cowlick’s appearance with the 7 options we already mentioned.
Shaving off your beard is a quick but drastic way to control cowlicks. If you feel uncomfortable with its appearance, chop off that beard! Hair always grows back, so maybe, it’ll grow right.
It is not very often but it can happen.
However, you can always try any of the other seven steps we highlighted if it doesn’t. In the meantime, we’ve arranged the safest way to shave your beards.
- Soften your skin with a hot towel, then apply pre-shave oil to prep the surface.
- Start with one edge of your blade in the center and move your razor in softly.
- Apply gentle strokes in the same direction as your hair’s growth because going opposite can cause ingrown hairs and irritate your skin.
- Use short strokes and rinse the razor often to prevent cuts and snags.
- After shaving, use a post-shave oil to prevent dryness and lock in moisture.
Embrace your cowlick
In the pursuit to get rid of your cowlicks, bear in mind that they’re very natural. They aren’t always noticeable unless you point them out.
So instead of going through various measures to get rid of cowlicks, we advise that you embrace them. Your cowlick and many other features make you unique. Remember, the ultimate goal is to stand out, not blend in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cowlicks be permanently removed?
As far as evidence goes, there’s only one way to remove cowlicks permanently, which is through a surgical procedure called follicular unit grafting.
The procedure involves extracting your hair and re-inserting them to make hair grow in the right direction. Following the steps above will offer a quick fix. The good news is you do not have to break the bank or go through the theatre to get them done.
How To Train My Beard To Grow Down And Not Out?
To train your beard to grow down you need to maintain a regular grooming routine.
One of the most important things you need to do is wash and brush your beard in the direction you want it to grow, daily.
Another significant step you need to take is to apply beard oil that moisturizes and softens your beard making it easier to tame. The final step is to apply beard balm and wax to style your beard hair down and make it stay there.
Conclusion
Remember that beard cowlick is not a disease, and it is usually a problem at the early stage of beard growth and is for the most part caused by genetics.
Growing out your beards can fix a majority of the issue. (It will be there but it will not be easily visible)
Maintaining a good grooming routine with the right products will ensure that beard cowlick no longer gives you sleepless nights.
Read Also: Why Is My Beard Thin?
Beards cowlicks are a real nightmare for many men and in this article, we tried to explain why and how they form and the best ways to deal with them. Choose the ways you prefer and see the changes.
We really hope you solved this beard problem as fast as possible and get back your lost confidence. Growing a nice strong, thick, and awesome-looking beard is vital for men, nowadays.
And…that’s it for today. I really hope you liked our article and found it helpful and not tiring.
Until next time,
Happy grooming and stay safe gentlemen,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.