Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Surprise meSurprise meSubscribe
Encyclopedia

Comb over

Hairstyle

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated July 16, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

A comb over or combover is a hairstyle for bald or balding men in which the hair is grown long and combed over the short hair area to minimize the appearance of the scalp. Sometimes the parting is lowered so that more hair can be used to cover the head.

01Patent

On 10 May 1977, Donald J. Smith and his father, Frank J. Smith, of Orlando, Florida, were awarded a patent (U.S. patent 4,022,227) for their variation of the comb over that conceals baldness by combing long hair in three separate directions.

Patent by Donald and Frank Smith, 1977
Patent by Donald and Frank Smith, 1977
Watch videos about Comb overExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Comb over”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.

Continue exploring

Related topics

List of hairstyles

This is a non-exhaustive list of hairstyles, excluding facial hairstyles.

Pattern hair loss

Pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is a hair loss condition that primarily affects the top and front of the scalp. In male-pattern hair loss, the hair loss typically presents itself as either a receding front hairline, loss of hair on the crown and vertex of the scalp, or a combination of both.