How to Get a Middle Part With a Cowlick (Front or Crown)

6 min read · Glowmaxx

Yes, you can get a middle part with a cowlick, but you have to work with the swirl, not against it. The fix: find which way your cowlick spins, place the part a few millimeters to one side if needed, then blow-dry that area flat in the opposite direction while it's soaking wet. That's how to get a middle part with a cowlick at the front hairline or the crown. For a stubborn one, the cut matters more than any product.

If you keep wondering whether it's the cowlick or the cut making your hair look off in photos, Glowmaxx scores your hair from a single selfie and tells you what to fix first. Start my glow-up

Why a cowlick fights your part

A cowlick is a patch where your hair grows in a spiral or a different direction from the hair around it. The name is old: it's supposedly how hair looks after a cow licks it. Everyone has at least one, usually at the crown. Some people also have one at the front hairline, which is the one that wrecks middle parts.

Here's why it fights you:

• Direction: a middle part needs hair falling left and right from a straight line. A cowlick pushes hair in a circle or straight up.
• Growth, not styling: it's how the hair grows out of your scalp, so you can't permanently "fix" it. You can only train and hide it.
• Short hair shows it more. Longer hair is heavier and lies down over the swirl.

Where's yours? A 30-second check

Wet your hair and comb it all straight back. Look (use a second phone for the crown) for:

1. A spot at the front hairline where hair lifts or swirls. That's a front cowlick.
2. A spiral at the back of the top of your head. That's a crown cowlick. Two spirals means a double crown.
3. Which way it spins, clockwise or counterclockwise. That decides which side your part wants to fall.

Front cowlick fixes

A cowlick at the hairline is the hardest version, because it's right where the part starts. It's the one people ask Reddit about most.

Nudge the part

Your part doesn't need to be exactly centered. Moving the part a few millimeters toward the direction of the swirl lets the cowlick fall naturally to one side. Nobody will notice it's slightly off-center; they'll notice if it sticks up.

The wet-flat method

1. Get the front soaking wet. Damp isn't enough.
2. Comb the cowlick area in the opposite direction to its swirl, then back into place.
3. Hold it down with a flat hand or a comb and blow-dry on warm (not hot) from above, pointing down.
4. Finish with the cool setting for 15 seconds while still holding it.

Cowlick bangs (for girls and long fringes)

If you have bangs or curtain bangs with a front cowlick, the same wet-flat method works. Round-brush the fringe in the opposite direction first, then back. Heavier, longer curtain bangs sit better than short, blunt ones.

Crown cowlick fixes

A middle part with a cowlick in the back is easier: the part itself is fine, but you get a tuft sticking up at the crown.

• Leave more length at the crown. Weight holds it down. Short hair at the crown sticks straight up.
• Wet it and blow-dry it flat in the direction you want it to lie.
• A tiny amount of cream or light pomade only on the tuft. Press it down; don't rub.
• Double crown middle part: pick the stronger swirl and part in its natural direction. Fighting both usually loses.

Here's the frustrating part: a cowlick looks different every day depending on sleep, humidity and how you dried it, so it's hard to know if your routine is helping. Glowmaxx scores your hair from 1 to 10 with a one-line note on each daily selfie, keeps a glow timeline, and suggests three moves for today when hair is your weakest lever. Start my glow-up

Blow-dry and product tricks for a middle part cowlick

How to fix a middle part cowlick with a blow-dryer

The heat and cool combo is what trains hair. Wet, direct, heat, cool. Every morning for a couple of weeks. The cowlick won't disappear, but it'll lie down more easily.

Products that help

How to tame a cowlick without products

Water and heat. Wet the area, flatten it in the opposite direction, then blow-dry while holding. At night, lay the cowlick area flat with a slightly damp hand before sleeping. A satin or silk pillowcase can reduce the morning bedhead lift.

Cowlick at the hairline for guys with straight hair

Straight hair shows cowlicks the most. Grow the front longer so its weight pulls it down, and read how to get a middle part with straight hair for the lift routine. It works around a cowlick too.

Cuts that work with a cowlick

Sometimes the best haircut for a cowlick is one that plays along with it.

• Longer curtains: more weight at the front keeps a front cowlick down.
• Textured fringe: hair pushed forward covers a hairline cowlick. See how to ask your barber for a textured fringe.
• Slightly off-center part: follows the swirl.
• Messy or wavy styles: hide the lift inside the texture.

What to tell your barber: "I have a cowlick at the [front/crown]. I want a middle part. Please leave enough length there so it lies down, and don't cut it short at the swirl."

Make your cowlick work in your next selfie

Now you know how to get a middle part with a cowlick, the question is whether it looks good in real photos. Take a selfie and Glowmaxx scores your hair and four other levers, adds a glow score out of 100, and gives you three moves for today aimed at the weakest one.

Start my glow-up

FAQ

Can you have a middle part with a cowlick?

Yes. Most people with a cowlick can wear a middle part if the front is long enough and they blow-dry it flat while wet. Moving the part slightly off-center toward the swirl often helps a lot.

How do I fix a cowlick in the front of my middle part?

Soak the front, comb it the opposite way, then hold it down and blow-dry from above. Finish with cool air. Growing the front longer adds weight that keeps it down.

Does a cowlick ever go away?

A cowlick comes from how your hair grows, so it doesn't go away completely. Longer hair and daily training make it much less noticeable, and the right cut can hide it almost entirely.

What haircut is best for a cowlick?

Cuts that keep length over the cowlick: longer curtains, textured fringes and messy or wavy styles. Avoid cutting very short right at the swirl, which makes it stick up.

How do you part hair with a cowlick?

Wet your hair, find the direction the cowlick spins, and part along its natural direction. If you want a middle part, nudge it a few millimeters to that side so the hair falls instead of lifting.