In a nutshell
At a hair whorl, hairs grow in a circle around a center. Direction, position, and number of whorls differ between people. A whorl reveals neither personality nor handedness reliably.
Why does it happen?
The visible spiral results from the spatial orientation of hair follicles. Genome-wide studies find several involved genetic regions; direction is therefore not a simple trait with only one dominant or recessive gene.
Frequency
Hair whorls are part of the normal arrangement of scalp hair. How often particular rotation directions or multiple whorls occur depends on the population studied.
Frequency is a qualitative description, not your individual probability.
Is it normal?
Stability without a bald patch is normal.
When to seek advice
Have sudden circular hair loss, inflammation, or scarring assessed.
Does this happen to you?
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Sources (1)
- Luo et al.: GWASs Identify Genetic Loci Associated with Human Scalp Hair Whorl Direction (opens a new tab)
Genome-wide study of multiple genetic regions associated with scalp hair-whorl direction.
Editorial update: . AI-assisted research and editing; not individually reviewed by a physician. How we research
