Ditch the Edge Control and Relax Your Edges or Nah?

As a natural, edge control is mandatory. Rough edges have the power to discredit an entire bomb twist out. So you always want to make sure that they are smooth and laid to the gawds.

Luckily, there are tons of products devoted specifically towards laying down your edges to give a smooth appearance in order to complete a style.

The other day one of my girlfriends jokingly said in our group text that sometimes she thinks of just relaxing her edges because she feels that no edge control can control them. We all laughed at the statement, but it later had me thinking, do people really do this?

I mean you still have your nice curls but if you apply a little relaxer to just the front of your hair line would it be that bad?

For those who are complete naturals and ditched the relaxers due to not wanting to put any chemical on your scalp, this is definitely a no go. However, for those who only went natural for reasons such as to embrace curl pattern or to grow out a short hair style, sure! Right?

But of course with this extreme measure comes risks.

The most obvious one is the chance of getting the relaxer on other parts of your hair. For example, if you apply the cream a little too far back you can unintentionally relax a great deal of the front of your hair. You have to remember that your hair will constantly grow so this section of hair will grow outwards and you won’t have any curl pattern left.

You could also accidentally drop a bit of cream on other parts such as your ends or in the middle of your hair if you’re not careful. Yes, you could quickly wipe or wash this section out but it’s possible the damage could already be done.

This could lead to hair that is a complete hot mess and force you to have to chop your hair again; essentially starting over.

The not so obvious risk is an adverse affect on your scalp. I take it you’ve been natural for awhile so going back to applying chemicals to your scalp after it has become acclimated to not having it may result in redness, dryness, flaking, sores, and more. Would you want to risk having this issue in the front of your head?!

If you ask me, I think it’s more trouble than what it’s worth, and the risks of hurting your hair and harming your scalp is something I would not want to deal with.

So revisit the edge control. There are tons of products out there promising excellent mega hold, but let’s be honest, it always doesn’t hold up to the test, especially in this summer heat.

If you are someone who is struggling with getting edge control to last for you, here are some tips that may help.

Dampen your hair

First, when you are preparing to lay your edges, apply a little water to your hairline. Notice I said “dampen” and “a little”. This is important to allow your hairs to be a bit more manageable and pliable to manipulate.

If your hair is too dry, it will not absorb the product and allow it to do its job properly. If the hair is too wet, you are more likely to experience curling up of your hair after the product has been applied.

Mix with gel and smooth

Next, you can try to mix with a little gel. I love the combination of any edge control with Eco Styler Argan Oil Gel. It’s as if it gives a little extra hold.

Apply both of these products and either take a toothbrush or a small bristled brush and smooth down to your liking.

Tie down

Another option you can try, is allowing time to tie down your hair to let your edges set. This extra measure of pressure allows your hair to be molded to your scalp. It can help increase the amount of time your edges actually hold.

Carry a travel size

Lastly, because I’ve yet to master a perfect routine where my edges stayed laid for 24 hours during the summer, you can always carry a travel size jar of edge control.

ORS Olive Oil* and Creme of Nature are both known companies for having a cute tiny travel size edge control products that you can fit in your purse and carry everywhere. If you’re out and you feel your hair loosening up a bit, dab a little on and smooth out with a brush to freshen up your look like you would do with makeup.

So what would you do? Would you attempt to relax your edges as a way to by pass all the struggles or do you follow a certain routine to keep your edges laid?