What Having a Widow’s Peak Means (and What to Do if You Have One)

• A widow’s peak is a hairline that comes to a downwards point in the middle.
• A widow’s peak is a genetic, polymorphic trait. It can also be developed as your hairline matures or recedes.
• Having a widow’s peak doesn’t mean you’ll go bald, be widowed young, or have a proclivity towards evil—those are just myths.

What is a widow’s peak?

A widow’s peak is a V-shaped point at the center of someone’s hairline. A widow’s peak specifically refers to a small triangle of hair that descends below someone’s hairline, but it’s often used to describe any V- or U-shaped hairline. A true widow’s peak is present since birth. A reversed widow’s peak is when the V cuts up into the hair instead of down on the forehead.

The term widow’s peak may refer to a headdress widows once wore. Before “peak” ever meant mountain, it just meant “point.” In the early 16th century the hoods that widows wore started being referred to as “peaks”, and by the late 17th century “widow’s peak” had become a descriptive phrase, separate from its origins.

What causes a widow’s peak?

A widow’s peak is a genetic trait, passed down from parent to child. If you have a widow’s peak, there’s a good chance someone else in your family has one too. Like many other aspects of hair (like color or texture) a widow’s peak is a morphogenetic trait, caused by multiple genes.

Some genetic conditions can cause a widow’s peak. Certain medical conditions, often associated with hypertelorism (far apart eyes) can cause people to have a widow’s peak. Other conditions include: Aarskog-Scott syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause a widow’s peak, along with far apart eyes, a long philtrum (space between the nose and lips), cleft lips, webbed fingers, and short stature. Opitz-Frias syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the entire midline of the body. This can pull someone’s hair down into a widow’s peak, as well as cause abnormalities in their throat, heart, and urinary tract. Waardenburg syndrome, which can cause a widow’s peak, hearing loss, heterochromia, and prematurely grey hair. Other disorders, like frontonasal and craniofrontonasal dysplasia cause facial deformities that can in turn cause a widow’s peak.

V-shaped hairlines can be caused by aging and hair loss. Even if you notice your hairline starting to recede, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going bald. Hairlines “mature” as people age and can often end up 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than where they started. When your hairline moves back, it can sometimes leave that little v-shaped chunk behind—a widow’s peak. To determine if your hairline is receding, pay attention to where and how fast you’re losing hair. If it’s happening quickly, unevenly, or concentrated at the temples, that could mean you have a receding hairline. This is especially true if the top and back of your head is losing hair, too.

Widow’s Peak Hairstyles

Emphasize a widow’s peak by slicking or pulling your hair back. If you love your widow’s peak and want the world to love it too, grab some gel and slick your hair back, keeping it all off your forehead. If you have long hair, put it in a high ponytail or bun. For the most dramatic widow’s peak possible, buzz your head to have your hairline front and center 24/7. If you’re especially fair haired, a buzz cut could actually hide your widow’s peak.

Experiment with interesting parts. The widow’s peak creates a natural center to your hairline, which can be even further emphasized with a middle part. If you’re looking for more disorder, though, make a zig zag part by angling the end of a rat tail comb back from your widow’s peak, then combing down the sides of the hair. Make the zigzag go further back by reinserting the brush and switching the direction of your angle.

Use your widow’s peak to boost volume by flipping your hair to the side. Use your fingers to comb one side of your hair back, then flip some of it over the other side (think Sofia Richie). So if you wanted to flip your hair on the left, you’d comb the left side of your hair back, then over to the right.

Hide a widow’s peak with bangs or a fringe. If you’re not so into how your hairline looks, cut bangs or a fringe to cover it up. Some widow’s peaks are so small that they can be hidden just by parting your hair to the side.

Getting Rid of a Widow’s Peak

Remove your widow’s peak by plucking, waxing, or shaving it. If you just can’t stand that little v on your forehead anymore, remove it like you would any other body hair. Cut the on the area short, then pluck, shave, or wax it. If you decide to shave your widow’s peak, get ready for a regular upkeep schedule. Waxed and plucked areas take much longer to grow back.

Try laser hair removal or electrolysis for a more permanent solution. If your widow’s peak keeps coming back, consider getting electrolysis or laser hair removal treatments. Pick your hair removal method based on your hair and skin type—laser hair removal works best on dark hair and fair skin. Electrolysis can permanently remove your hair, but it’s painful and takes several appointments.

Regrow hair around your widow’s peak with chemical treatments. If you’ve developed a widow’s peak or U shaped hairline due to hair loss, try regrowing the hair around it with a product like Rogaine. Put the recommended dose on the area where you want to regrow your hair, then allow it to air dry entirely. Never use more medicine than recommended—this also means no double dosing. If you miss a treatment just move on to the next one. Wash your hands immediately after using the product.

Undergo an FUE procedure to change your hairline. Follicular unit extraction, or FUE, is a minimally invasive hair transplant procedure. A doctor removes individual follicles of hair from the back of your head, then implants them along your hairline to get the desired shape. FUE is an outpatient procedure that can cost from $4,000-$15,000 per session. Unlike classic hair transplants, FUE doesn’t leave large scars or cause a “hair plug” look.

Spiritual Meanings of a Widow’s Peak

In some cultures, a widow’s peak represents the third eye chakra. Since the widow’s peak dips on to your forehead, it has been associated with wisdom and enlightenment. Sometimes this meaning gets split by gender, where men with a widow’s peak are considered wise and women with a widow’s peak are considered mysterious. This interpretation also associates widow’s peaks with divinity and spiritual power.

Some believe having a widow’s peak is a sign of creative ability. The mental stimulation that comes from an open third eye chakra can fill someone with artistic talent. If you believe in that interpretation of the widow’s peak, having one means you have the ability to see things more creatively and can bring your visions to life.

Having a widow’s peak is associated with compassion and empathy. If you have a widow’s peak, it may mean you have an easier time connecting with other people. If the widow’s peak is a connection to divinity, then it’s also a connection to the commonness of humanity, which allows people with a widow’s peak to understand other people on a deeper level.

Superstitions & Myths

Having a widow’s peak doesn't mean you'll become a widow early in life. Since the term references a hood worn in mourning (and widow is right in the name), people began to associate having a widow’s peak with being widowed young. There is nothing to back this up.

Having a widow’s peak doesn't mean you're evil. Bela Lugosi’s 1931 portrayal of Dracula cemented the widow’s peak as a key part of the vampire look. While this legendary actor gave a convincing portrayal of a monster, the hairline was just a fateful coincidence. Characters like Scar from Disney’s Lion King and the Joker (of Batman fame) are examples of how Bela Lugosi’s hairline now visually symbolizes evil. This being said, there is nothing particularly evil about a widow’s peak.