Odd hair

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The whorl is the circle pattern extending wider and wider - the pattern and direction of the growth. The cowlick is the collection of hair going in a certain direction, say, off-center at the front and flicking out to the side; but when short, probably sticking up wonkily.

I used them pretty much interchangeably, though, because the cowlick is the hair in the whorl pattern.

Yes, but I'm wondering how much of that is simply the AS person not doing as much with his/her hair as an NT person might (depending upon the person), not staying "with the fashions," needing to wear hair a certain length or in a certain way due to sensitivities of "feeling" the hair, forgetting to brush (for some people) and so on?

If you read hair styling sites (I'm addicted to them even though I don't really style my hair...don't ask...guess it's a special interest?), you'll see an unbelievable collection of steps and at least a handful, if not more, of cleaning, conditioning, styling and "finishing" products for any given "in trend" hairdo, and that's been true since at least the turn of the last century (around just before WWI), AFAIK. And you'll see outrageous and often very funny (with the person styling his/her hair laughing him/herself about it) "before all the processes and products" do - it would appear NTs have what would be considered seriously wonky hair too, before all the styling goes on. We just think hair shouldn't do that because what we see all around us, media, movies, people who take hours to do their hair, is what now seems like the norm, hence we may be imagining that we should just be waking up looking like that and that our own hair has something wrong with it.

I believe may people on the spectrum just can't be bothered with all that and/or can't really figure out how (I have trouble following directions, for example, and reversing what I'm doing in the mirror to make a hairstyle "happen"), etc. rather than having actual "unusual hair."

I could be wrong but this is what seems logical to me.

Unusual hair whorls and other hair characteristics are associated with abnormal brain development and other development delays.

http://newborns.stanford.edu/PhotoGalle ... horl1.html
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/466530_5

Hair whorls are also speculated to correlate with handedness and sexual orientation, but as far as I know no one has really proven this conclusively yet.

Temple Grandin noticed a correlation between hair whorls and temperament in bulls.

http://modernfarmer.com/2014/09/complexity-cow-lick/

Yes, I have odd hair. High hairline, I'm not entirely sure of what a cowlick is, but on both sides of the back of my head I have hair sticking out. After a few days of not showering I have what I like to call "the spider" lol. That's when lots of batches of hair are sticking out, so many that they kinda look like the legs of a spider. ^^

oh right, I forgot about forehead height. My daughter says I have a five finger forehead. I can't disagree.

Very low and small forehead here.

I did have to use bobby pins when it was short, to keep it under control. in the army I got hassled by sergeants until I slathered it in thick grease to keep it plastered down on my head.

I saw a question on the Aspie Test by rdos about odd hair (sticking up when short and whorls or cowlicks. Although I was not aware I had ASD until last year at age 35 I now know I am and always have been a poster child for it. I scored 167/200 on rdos' quiz. Ever since I was in elementary school I have had issues with fashion, appearance, and trendiness. I wouldn't wear jeans, shoes with laces, or t-shirts. I had no problem wearing my grandma's slip on Butterfly brand shoes. All that mattered was that I was comfortable and plain. My hair wasn't even someting I noticed until junior high when my peers and even teachers would criticize me for failing to style it. My hair has always been pin straight and I have always described it being about "1 hair cell thick." I also have had what appears to be a receding hair line and an extremely unmanageable whorl resembling a weather pattern on the top of my head towards the back. When I was 18 I started going to a specific hair stylist for help with my look and I remember her comments about the difficulty she had with my hair.

It goes without saying that this post has blown my mind. I get the law of statistics here. Plenty of Aspie and NTs would say they have terrible hair and we are just associating it with aspergers because we are so self conscious, however, it's not just odd hair but specifically straight hair that stands up even when medium length and the appearance of whorls or cow licks that sticks in my mind has an odd trait. So odd that it baffles professional cosmetologists who see all types of hair on a daily basis.

There's something to this for sure. From age 18ish to about 5 years ago I would use hair glue to force my hair into a dry looking faux hawk as it was the only way to give it the appearance of texture and thickness. Now I'm married and can't be bothered with it so I just clipper it down less than half an inch of stubble. Makes me look less wimpy and babyish too having a shaved head.

Tl:dr Hey I have that type of hair too...that's like totally weird!

Dunno if I count when I'm not really sure what I am (but I identify most with the Aspie characteristics) and I'm obv not an NT
but the only weird thing about my hair is it's about the only part of my body that I actually like as it's really pretty when it's brushed.


When I was a kid though, I would end up letting it grow down to almost my butt. Those were the days..."OWWW mom"

I have a patch with very little hair near the front of my head that runs in a skinnier line towards the back due to male-pattern baldness.

Most people refer to my haircut as odd, the right side of my head is cut an inch or so short and the back is as well but the right side front is long, past my shoulders. i find it much MUCH easier to keep clean and brushed than when i had my hair long all over. Yet people still say i should take better care of my hair -__- its clean and Brushed what more do you want from me?!

I don't think I have odd hair although when I compare it to others of my age I guess it's different.
it's brown with bits of pink and black, short on the side and back with a longer fringe.

^^^I like pink

it suits him.

I have two whorls on my head apparently