Odd hair

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Now that I've cut my hair extremely short again, I can really see how many different directions it grows. I never noticed it before, but I do have a double crown. Left whorl goes clockwise, and right goes counterclockwise. Looks like I have a few more whorls at the front of my head, and it's hard to even determine how many. Seems like there are 4, from left to right: clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise, counterclockwise.

Good grief. No wonder I find it easier to just hack all my hair off, rather than try to do anything with it. I remember Sinead O'Connor saying this is one reason why she shaves her head, because her hair grows in a lot of different directions.

Well, if unusual/multiple hair whorls are a sign of abnormal brain development, I would definitely be a good example of it. LOL

I wonder if any studies have been done correlating irregular hair whorls/cowlicks to being on the spectrum? I was told my hair [abounding with irregular whorls/cowlicks] was made either to grow down to my @$$ or to just shave off.

Everyone has whorls (at least two - one in the back upper part of the head, one at the front - but sometimes more than two; for instance, the center back whorl but two whorls in the front rather than just one).

Look at any new baby's head and you'll see them.

They are also way more visible on shorter hair because the hair biologically intends to grow long; therefore the "waved" pattern (deep or subtle) started within the whorl is meant to grow around and away from the center and then down the head. Cut short rather than going to its own natural length, hair will be "stunted" in position - in the act, in other words, of waving toward the back, toward the side, etc. It's MEANT to go upward and then curve down around the head. But we cut it so that we're left with the beginning couple of inches or less of hair, where the growth is in that up part before curving around and down. Shorter hair sticking up is a pretty common thing. So is shorter hair seeming to stick up in various directions. (That's why hair gel is so popular!)

The main reason for a cowlick or more than one cowlick (whorl) in the front is that human hair grows long when devices are not used to stop that (i.e. scissors, razors), and if there were nothing flicking the hair back or to the side, the long hair would literally fall over the face and stay there.

I have collarbone-length hair and am growing it very long. (Sometimes I get sick of it and cut it; right now I'm in a growing-back period.) It is very fine and "slippery" feeling and straight. I love the way it feels, I sometimes obsessively rake my fingers through it again and again. But as far as looks go, it's definitely nothing to write home about, either for good or for ill. I've been coloring it dark with herbs but a few months ago started growing that out too. My natural color is that not-blonde, not-brown, not-uncommon color. I don't really style it but I keep it clean and brushed and shiny.

But my sister, who is no-way, no-how on the spectrum - in fact, she's a social butterfly, never had any delays or comorbids, gets along with NTs, thinks like NTs, IS NT - has hair that's very, very like mine, the single exception being the color. Hers is a shade darker than mine.

My oldest son, who is probably an Aspie, has normal short dude hair that sticks up until it's about 1.5" long (I think). My middle son is Kanner autistic (moderate) and his hair is VERY thick, nothing at all like mine, and sticks up until probably a little over 2", at which time it starts lying down again. My middle son with ADHD and some autistic-like tendencies but no ASD DX has hair exactly like mine, and I mean absolutely, positively exactly like mine, it's eerie, it's like I transplanted my hair onto his head. The color, texture, patterns and thickness are all exact.

my hair is halfway down my back but is only about half as thick as it was when I was young so now I have to keep it controlled in a pony tail with mouse to prevent fly-away. it has a serious tendency to tangle, always has. I was told that was because it was 1]fine, and 2]round-shafted- oval and flat shaft hair follicles tend to stay in line.

The way in which my hair inexplicably curls in random directions has caused me a great deal of anxiety my entire life. It has a mind of its own and it's extremely thick, too.

^^^thick hair, you are lucky

Yup, wavy hair that can only be straightened by a hairdresser.
I wish the big hair of the 80s would come back into fashion, I could just roll out of bed looking 'on-trend' , till then ...upstyles.

at one time I used to have hair like that guy on "eraserhead."

Like this Guy?

Thats some big hair!

Is a "whorl" the same thing as a cowlick?

I have two of those on my forehead which makes it difficult for me to have nice bangs. Thankfully I can work with them, because they each swirl outward away from my face, so my hair naturally is lifted away from my face on both sides..so I can part it on either side and work with the cowlick by just parting it right there, or I can part it in the middle and use each whorl to basically force my hair to feather on the sides like an old 70's hairdo... I guess can't really explain...

You should look at all the photos of people who have posted photos on this Site.

You'll see the whole gamut of hair, etc....

That goes for many things. I don't believe Asperger's/autism, in and of itself, causes "unusual hair."

I guess, if one has a genetic difference other than pure Asperger's/autism, one could have unusual hair.

Or maybe unusual hair is just idiopathic, and has nothing but cosmetic meaning.