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Curly Haircare: If You ARE Going to Lay Your Edges Keep These 7 Awesome Tips in Mind!
By Jacqueline Samaroo
Perfectly laid edges can be a work of art. They beautifully frame your face, mesmerizing all who gaze upon it. Yeah, laying your edges can be the perfect finishing touch to any pulled-back hairstyle but can you go too far? Can laying your edges be bad for your baby hairs? Are laid edges a faux pas if you are truly into curly haircare?
Fact is – over-manipulation isn’t great for the hair on any section of your head, but for those baby hairs, well, they are called “baby” hairs for a reason! Slicked edges require some amount of work which can be damaging to the tender hairs at your hairline.
Keep in mind, too, that naturally curly or coily edges are a thing of beauty. They don’t have to be smoothed and styled. Embracing them as they are, as they naturally grow out of your scalp, can be truly liberating!
But, laid edges are a style many of us love sporting and it does help to show off the versatility of textured hair. So, if you are going to lay your edges, here are seven curly haircare tips you need to remember.
TLDR? Here are those 7 tips in a nutshell.
- Back away from that too-strong edge control gel.
- Try oils or butters, instead.
- Do prep your edges before styling.
- Baby hairs love soft edge brushes, yes, they do!
- Protect your edges at night – they’ll thank you for it.
- Use less product – like, wayyy less.
- Don’t ALWAYS lay your edges.
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How to lay your edges without damaging your baby hairs – 7 Tips
It all comes down to tender loving care – which isn’t surprising really since that is what babies, including baby hairs, thrive on!
1. Back away from that too-strong edge control gel.
Edge control gels that get their strong hold from alcohols tend to be drying for your hair and scalp. Curly haircare 101 stresses that using products that are drying on your already dryness-prone strands is a major no-no. Dryness could lead to brittleness, breaking, and thinning of your hairline.
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2. Try oils or butters, instead.
Want laid edges but crunchy, drying gels just aren’t your thing? Think of using a nourishing hair oil or hair butter in place of the usual gels. They may not give the super-strong-hold-for-days that is often the craze when it comes to laid edges, but they will be much less damaging and save you from the crunch and dryness.
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3. Do prep your edges before styling.
All it takes is a spritz of water to hydrate your scalp, hair follicles, and strands before reaching for your edge control gel. A moisturizing gel, oil, or butter that will help to seal all that lovely hydration in would be a great choice, too.
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4. Baby hairs love soft edge brushes, yes, they do!
No matter how coarse your strands naturally are, your baby hairs are delicate. There’s no need to be thinking you have to beat them into submission with the hardest edge brush you can find. Soft bristles that will gently caress your hairline are best.
5. Protect your edges at night – they’ll thank you for it.
Protecting your hair at night is a curly haircare MUST DO! It’s even more important if you plan on keeping your laid edges style for the next day. Fixing those fine hairs in place with edge control gel makes them more prone to breaking as you move in your sleep, creating friction and tension.
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6. Use less product – like, wayyy less.
Weighing down your baby hairs with tons of product simply isn’t a good idea. They aren’t built for it. Plus, if you have naturally fine hair and hair that isn’t dense, then the weighed-down effect becomes even more pronounced – definitely not the look you are after.
7. Don’t ALWAYS lay your edges.
Following on the point above, feeling the need to keep layering on product probably comes from wearing your edges laid day after day. Lay of the laying, why don’t cha?! Give your hairline, and those tender shoots it contains a much-needed rest. Try saving the laid and slayed edges for special occasions.
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So, are laid edges bad for your hair? Not if you follow these 7 tips!
What are your thoughts on laid edges? Share
