I have always struggled with my edges. They’ve always been short and dry and fuzzy and the opposite of cute. I remember when I was young, maybe 10 or 11, and I shaved my edges off because they were too nappy and out of control. Crazy, right? My mom and aunts were so mad at me. I know many women have problems with thinning edges, so I really try not to complain. I feel blessed that I have edges at all. About 3 months after I gave birth, my edges fell out, but they grew back in immediately. I just haven’t taken care of them like I should.
I can’t remember when my edges laid flat. When I get a relaxer, my edges will lay smooth for a week or two, but that’s it. And it’s not just because my hair is kinky. They either don’t grow long, or they break off. Or both? When I had a tapered cut, my edges were okay, but I think it’s because I got relaxers more often, and the way I set my hair was molding it down with gel and a scarf so the damage was hidden. I honestly can’t remember when my edges were healthy and not breaking off. I’m not that concerned with them laying down flat, but I would like them to be healthy. I’m determined to make that happen this year. I want my whole head to be healthy. Also, since I’m trying to keep my hair in protective styles for most of the winter, I need my edges to look decent.
The first thing I have to do is keep.my.edges.moist. Like the rest of my hair, I have not been consistent with moisturizing and sealing, but it’s been even worse for my edges. Lately, I’ve been making sure that my edges are the most moisturized part of my hair. I’ve even been using an additional moisturizer on my edges for the past few weeks. One of my girlfriends has had an edges problem worse than me. She came over my house the other day. It’s been a couple of months since I saw her last, and the first thing I noticed where how thick and nice her edges looked. She told me she has been using Jamaican Black Castor Oil! She even found a place in our neighborhood that sells it. She convinced me- I’m buying some Jamaican Black Castor Oil this week. I have a love/hate relationship with castor oil, but I think I haven’t been using the right kind or using too much. Castor oil is really heavy for my hair, so I’m going to only use it on my edges for a while.
I now need to find a good alcohol-free gel. My edges laugh at aloe vera gel. I’ve used the ORS Edge Control and it leaves way too much residue for me. I used to really like the Elasta QP Glaze when the back of my hair was tapered, but it doesn’t do much for my edges. I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been using the Ecostyler Gel Maximum hold formula. It’s been pretty good. It probably would do a better job if I put a scarf on after I apply it. I haven’t always been successful in the past doing the scarf method. Even if my edges lay down, they look so dry, and usually fuzz back up within a couple of hours. Last night, I did put a little Ecostyler on my edges before bed, and my edges didn’t look too bad this morning. It’s about 3pm now, and my edges haven’t up too much.
I do believe that I can make my edges healthy. I just have to give them a LOT more attention!
2 comments:
I could have written this post myself. You've described my edges exactly. While the rest of my hair is thick and long throughout, I still struggle with my edges just as I have my entire life. I'm doing the same thing as u this year except I'm adding a DHT blocker to my edges to help. And I"m really paying attention to how I tie my hair to watch my edges.
I wish you luck on your quest for healthier edges! I'd like to suggest another gel if you don't end up liking the Ecostyler for whatever reason. I like the ORS Lock & Twist Gel, it's sold at drugstores like Walgreens and/or CVS for about 3-4 dollars. To use it, I spritz my edges with water, apply the gel, smooth, & apply satin scarf. I know the formula's really good for your hair...I think the first two ingredients are actually water and coconut milk, so maybe it will help with your edges' moisture issue too. Since it's so inexpensive, it's worth a shot :) Hope that helps!
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