4 Tips to Make Your Edge Control More Effective

From box braids to TWAs, no matter what hairstyle we pick, we all pay attention to one thing: our edges. The way our edges are brushed and styled can really make or break a hairstyle.

Personally, I think there are very few things more frustrating than spending a large portion of my morning blowing out and flat ironing my hair only to have curly, frizzy edges hours later.

For problems like these, we usually go straight to our handy dandy haircare products. Edge control will usually get the job done laying those baby hairs nice and smooth. Edge control products come in gel, wax, or pomades with textures that can be easily slicked down onto our hairline to eliminate frizzies and fly aways. Sounds like miracle products right? Wrong.

Depending on the product you use, edge control can come with a world of problems. Everything from the wax leaving streaks of white on your edges to the pomade running down your face as soon as the sun touches your hair.

It can be tough but the most common, and frustrating, problem with edge control, is when edge control doesn’t control your edges! So with that in mind, here are 4 ways to strengthen the hold of your edge control and keep your hairstyle looking fresher for longer!

1. Dampen hair and tie it down

Spritzing a small amount of water on your edges before applying edge control will help the pomade or gel stick to your hair better; the extra moisture will also aid in a neater slick down since wet hair tends to be a lot less frizzy than dry hair.

Be careful not to apply too much water to your edges or else the edge control will appear white and look unpleasantly cakey once it settles onto your hair.

After you’ve styled your edges to your liking, take a tight headband* or a folded silk or satin scarf and place it over your hairline. Tie it tight enough to press down your edges and leave it on for 5-10 minutes.

When it is time to remove the scarf, carefully lift it off your edges to avoid creating fly aways. After that, your edges will be properly slicked down and should remain free of frizz all day.

2. Combine Edge Control and gel

The key to using two or more hair products at the same time is to start off with using just a little bit of each. This rule is especially true when using both an edge control and hair gel because using too much can make your hair look super white and waxy, and you definitely don’t want that.

For the best results, apply a thin layer of edge control and then secure it with a dab of maximum hold hair gel. Be sure to stay away from gels that harden your hair or flake after drying to avoid crunchy looking edges.

My favorite combination is Crème of Nature Argan Oil Perfect Edges and Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel. It leaves my hair soft and conditioned while still taming my edges. However, this combo can be problematic or ineffective for me when it is humid out so I make a switch to Keracare Edge Tamer during the warmer seasons.

3. Use the blow dryer* cool shot

Some people have no problem applying heat to their edges, especially if they’re wearing a hairstyle that required heat for the rest of their hair. However, others are not comfortable with using heat at all, particularly on their edges being the most fragile part.

This is where your blow dryer* comes into play. I know in your head you’re saying “wait, using a blow dryer is applying heat!” but this isn’t always the case. Most modern blow dryers* come with both a cool setting also known as a cool shot, meaning they blow out cool instead of warm or hot air.

After brushing edge control gel into your hair, quickly dry it by blasting your edges with cool air. This method works the best if you struggle with your hair reverting back to curly just minutes after applying product. Blow drying your edges will make the edge control dry faster and seal your hair in its smooth style.

4. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

No matter if you’re relaxed, natural, or transitioning, one of the most important parts of your hair care regimen is keeping your hair moisturized. This step is still very important when applying edge control products to your hair because some formulas work better on recently moisturized hair as opposed to dry hair.

Try applying a hair pudding, cream, or just a spritz of water, like the aforementioned “damp and tie” method, before using edge control and it may really work to your advantage.

And if you’ve ever tried to slaaaaay your edges, you know the proper tool for this method is the almighty toothbrush, or if you are bougie, then perhaps an edge brush. This tiny hairbrush helps work product into your baby hairs so you have more control over how your edges lay.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed out tips. Now go out there and slay those edges.