# Cowlicks and Cecil's appearance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 2, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564 "2001-03-02T23:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VileOrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9e8a1a/32.png) [@VileOrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VileOrb)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/1 "2001-03-02T23:30:11Z")
I just want to say that because of his comment on Cowlicks, we all now know that Cecil is losing hair. One more clue as to what he looks like. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/2 "2001-03-03T00:28:05Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010302.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010302.html) But of course we already know exactly what Cecil looks like, thanks to our illustrious illustrator Slug Signorino. Cecil looks a lot like a turkey wearing a mortarboard. See, for example, [this picture](http://www.straightdope.com/art/2001/010202.gif) This, incidentally, proves that Cecil and Ed Zotti are not the same person. [Ed Zotti](http://www.geocities.com/sdpeoplepages/ed_zotti.html) looks only looks a _little_ like a turkey. ---
**Author:** ![bungie\_us](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bungie\_us](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bungie_us)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/3 "2001-03-03T06:12:56Z")
I always figured the turkey thing was a disguise. A little latex, a little spirit gum, a plastic beak, . . . and he’s a turkey! I do the same thing myself for an adventuresome Friday evening. ---
**Author:** ![DaveoRad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@DaveoRad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveoRad)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2001, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/4 "2001-03-03T09:06:38Z")
I’m surprised Cecil didn’t mention the most obvious cure for cowlicks: _keep away from cows!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/5 "2001-03-04T00:57:43Z")
Here I thought that Cecil was suggesting that the correspondent grow his hair long. Long hair weighs more and generally doesn’t stick up. I didn’t think of balding, but that might work, too. Maybe it was an either-or…either your hair will get longer, or your hair will fall out. Either way, cowlick problem solved. Cecil is so wise :). ---
**Author:** ![bungie\_us](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bungie\_us](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bungie_us)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/6 "2001-03-04T05:35:59Z")
Tam, I have a cowlick so ferocious that even when my hair was two feet long and brushed back, there was still this one spot on my forehead where the hair sorta bulged out, like a Star Trek semi-alien. I now have settled for almost bald. Only because my daughter insists I have some hair if I am to be seen with her do I not just shave it down to the skin. Gah. ---
**Author:** ![DaveoRad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@DaveoRad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveoRad)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/7 "2001-03-04T06:37:25Z")
Would it be possible for some meat-eaters to develop cowlicks on the inside, from eating beef tongue? Just a thought. (As a vegetarian, I wouldn’t have this problem.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/8 "2001-03-04T19:25:47Z")
And here, I thought that he was just implying that cowlick is a problem of adolescence. Myself, I wouldn’t know: When I let my hair grow out, I don’t get a little spot sticking up: I get _everything_ sticking up. A buffalo-lick, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Man\_from\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Man\_from\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_from_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowlicks-and-cecils-appearance/56564/9 "2001-03-14T16:54:01Z")
I think growing the hair as long as possible and not bothering to comb it, wearing it all mussed up, will help in eliminating or reducing the appearance of cowlicks. It sure worked for me for the last year. Then I got a crew cut and that worked well too, until the hair started getting some length back a few weeks later. Now I look in the mirror and there is a point where the cowlick is growing in that makes my head look pointed or triangular. Talk about looking like a Star Trek alien. I noticed that what works for me is to maybe gel it (if its short), grow it (but this takes time), cut it short, or just not give a damn about your appearance altogether.