I have no idea if this idea has already been suggested, but I believe it has not.
What if there were addition options for tufts like for items on your fursona? You could select a certain tuft individually, decide if you want it or not, then click an "Add" button if you wanted it on your fursona. Then, you could choose either it will be a regular tuft or a part of the mane by toggle/switch. If you didn't like a certain tuft that's already on your fursona, you could select that individual tuft and click a "Remove" button to remove it. This could be good for people who do not like the premade tuft/mane combos that are already in-game [Example: You selected "Back, Full Mane" on your feline character but also wanted "Cheek (Tuft/Mane)" added to it.]
I am aware that Kovu has been inactive for quite some time, but I decided to post this for just in case he does return.