Cowlick Control— How to Cut with Confidence

 

Cutting Cowlicks

Is cutting a cowlick short the best way to minimize it? Does cutting it short make it less noticeable by preventing hair from sticking up as much? That’s one approach, and very often works well on layered curly hair. However, Becka Bradshaw, a Sam Villa Ambassador and Redken Artist, has a hot tip for preventing a cowlick that takes another approach. She says to leave them a little bit longer. 

 “If you have explosive growth patterns that you can’t get to lay down, rather than take them short, where sometimes they can explode, keep them longer and texturize them to soften their presence and help them blend,” says Bradshaw. 

 

Cutting Directions

Keep the section of hair with the cowlick longer and slide cut through in the direction of the growth with a Sam Villa Classic Series 14 Tooth Point Cutting Shear. This takes the “pop” out of the growth pattern, and mellows it out so it lays flatter to the head. Watch her show the technique HERE. 

When styling a cowlick, use a fine-tooth comb to move hair from side to side, focusing mostly on the opposite direction to where the cowlick grows. This redirects the roots, so they don’t create a bump. A flat iron can also be used to flatten the volume; securing with a clip and letting it cool is even better. 

 

About Sam Villa

Sam Villa is co-founder and chief creative officer of  the Sam Villa Company, a leading education and styling tool company. He is also Global Artistic Ambassador for Redken 5th Avenue, a L’Oréal brand. Villa is the recipient of the 2023 INKD Icon Leadership Award, 2021 NAHA Educator of the Year, and Hair Awards USA Hall of Fame Inductee. Learn more at samvilla.com.