Having healthy natural hair is the result of plenty of hard work..
From moisturizing and detangling to special treatments to improve strength, you put a lot of time and energy into those beautiful strands! Do not ignore one of the most important parts by ignoring your edges. Here are a few tips to protect edges that every curly girl should know.
1. Create a bigger part
If you are wearing a protective style, your edges are naturally being tugged on. Even if you do looser protective styles, your edges still take on strain, so make wider parts around the hairline using a wide-tooth comb. That way your edges have less pull to deal with which will allow them to support your braids or extensions with less damage.
2. Limit your frequency
This might seem like a catch-22, but protective styles, while good for the rest of your strands, can be a little rough on your edges. Limit your protective styling when you can to give your edges a chance to hang free without being pulled back. Also, make sure that any protective style isn’t installed too tightly.
Your braids and twists protective styling can be left in for up to 8 weeks. Anything beyond two months will run you the risk of damaging your strands, especially your delicate edges!
3. Choose a gentler protective style
There are a ton of protective styles that are considered gentler on edges than others. For example, consider wearing your natural hair in a simple, sleek bun instead of twists. This will give your strands the benefit of protection.
4. Consider your styling options
A wig is much gentler on the hairline area than extensions. Sew-in weaves that attach to your natural hair will tug on the edges and weaken them over time. With wigs, you get a natural look without the added tension on your edges. When choosing the right wig for your head and style, you still wear a protective style — usually cornrows — but there is less tension on your edges than what they would experience with extensions. Here’s how to protect your real hair underneath a wig:
5. Don’t forget about your hairline!
Before washing, gently massage your hairline with an all-natural oil (coconut, tea tree, or almond oil are great for textured hair”> then apply your cleanser. Follow up with a hair and scalp moisturizer, paying attention to those edges! Another favorite tip is to massage your hairline with natural oils such as coconut oil or tea tree oil to help keep them moisturized and encourage the follicles to create new growth.
6. Sleep on satin or silk
Again, you spend time and effort every day to take care of your hair. Don’t neglect it at night! Make sure you either wrap your hair in a satin or silk wrap or sleep on a pillowcase of one of these two materials. Satin and silk are softer than cotton pillowcases and won’t cause friction and tension that will tug on your strands or hairline.
When it comes to caring for your hair, it requires a care routine that addresses your entire scalp and strands. Care for your edges with these helpful tips to keep your hairline beautiful and full!
Top edge tamers
These are safe and made especially for natural hair:
- Lottabody Control Me Edge Gel
- Cantu Shea Butter Extra Hold Edge Stay Gel
- Mielle Organics Flexible Hold Edge Gel
NaturallyCurly world, protect those edges!
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