Cowlick
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A cowlick is a noticeably long strand of unruly hair that doesn't comb down propely. It is usually combed over to avoid showing baldness. Alfalfa of Our Gang (later The Little Rascals), Martin Short's Ed Grimley character, and Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura character may have the most famous pop-culture cowlicks known.
Cowlicks are caused when hair follicles on the scalp grow in a spiral pattern, usually clockwise. The most common cowlick position is at the back right corner of the head (like Dennis the Menace), but they can appear at other positions on the scalp as well.
See also: widow's-peak.