This reminded me of an article on the Science of Gardar: "Gay men are more likely than straight men to have a counterclockwise whorl."
http://nymag.com/news/features/33520/ --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "yifuxero" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > A cowlick appears when the growth direction of the hair forms a > spiral pattern. The hair in a cowlick either stands straight up or > lies at an extreme angle and seems to be always at odds with the > style in which the rest of the hair is worn. They can show up > anywhere. The most common site is in the crown like the one belonging > to Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer of the "Our Gang" comedy series of the > 1930s and 1940s, or on Dennis the Menace. They also sometimes appear > in front of the hair and back. [1] > > The term cowlick dates from the late 16th century, when Richard > Haydocke used it in his translation of Lomazzo: "The lockes or plaine > feakes of haire called cow-lickes, are made turning upwards." Also, > the Latin word "calyx" is often pronounced this way and literally > means a whorled look or appearance on something, and the "cowlick" > always has a whorled appearance.[2] > > Characteristics > Hair on the back of the head usually grows in a circular flattened > pattern from a central point. The definition of a whorl is hairs that > rotate round an axis. [3] The point where we find the hair whorl is > the spot where the hair changes direction. On top of the head hair > grows to the front, on the back of the head it grows towards the nape > and hair grows to the left and right side of the head on the sides of > the head. The hair whorl can be in the center of the head but it can > also be located the left or right side of the head. In the very > center of the whorl some scalp will be visible because the hair lies > flat. > > People tend to have at least two hairwhorls with one being dominant > and clearly visible while the other is less obvious. In the center of > the hairwhorl you can see the hairs protruding from the scalp. When > combed against the grain of the hair, the hair in the center of the > cowlick will stand up straight. > > Cowlicks are more obvious in straight thick hair. In Asians with > thick straight hair the scalp will show in the center of the whorl > because the light penetrates the scalp. Both men and woman have > cowlicks, but cowlicks can be covered by longer hair so the whorl is > not visible. > > > [edit] Management >
