If you have curly or kinky hair, you probably know all about edges … or you wish you did. A seriously fabulous edge can put your style over the top. When you know how to swirl, whip, and slick those edges like a boss, then you are probably flexing just thinking about it.
You are the people who know how to wield a toothbrush and just the right styling products. That toothbrush in your hands is equivalent to a paintbrush in the hand of Picasso. When you finish your edges, your hair is art. You are an artist and your hair is the perfect blank canvas.
Or maybe you are the queen of braids. Nobody weaves tighter rows than you—figuratively and literally. People always ask you for your services. You spend hours upon hours tirelessly twisting together three cords of hair.
And you spend even longer sitting in a chair to have your own braids done. Whoever touches your hair is required to achieve absolute perfection. Your hair must be on point, just like you. It’s an outward expression of the queen you are on the inside.
Do you have super tight curls? Are they tight enough to wrap around a pencil? Yep. That’s you. Your curls change with the weather, getting tighter and frizzier at the slightest hint of humidity in the air.
You start your day by styling your hair down. But then, you step outside and your style goes crazy. Fortunately, you always keep a ponytail holder in the car. This mop is going straight on top of your head just like usual.
Whoever you are, if you have any sort of tight or kinky curl pattern, it’s almost certain that your hair leans to the dry and brittle side very easily. Your hair might be thin or thick, and it probably breaks easily especially around your face.
All that hair around your face is especially susceptible to breaking off, getting pulled out, and eventually thinning … or balding.
It’s one thing to have a few baby hairs on your edges. It’s an entirely different thing for your hairline to change. Believe it or not, your forehead does not actually get higher, ladies. Nor do you suddenly develop a widow’s peak. And that “natural” separation you have between your braids?
The truth is that your edges are a mess. Your hair is gone. You have bald spots.
What Happened to Your Hair?
That’s the first question you must ask yourself. You don’t want to chase your own tail, so to speak, on a quest to regain hair on your edges. So, you need to find out what is at the root of your hair loss. (Pardon the pun, but it sure is appropriate.)
Traction Alopecia: This is a type of hair loss caused by tugging and excess styling of the hair. Box braids, buns, and high ponytails put some serious stress on your scalp and keep your hairline in a constant state of tension.
You may not recognize what is happening for a while because the thinning happens very slowly. Look for a pattern of thinning. You’ll spot tiny bumps on your follicles. That is a problem. It will be in the exposed spaces of your scalp where the hair is pulled the tightest. If you happen to part your hair in the middle, then your hairline will go back especially deep in this space.
Chemical Treatment: This is exactly what it sounds like—using chemicals on your hair. The chemicals are used to straighten hair or change the natural shape of your hair pattern. All of those harsh chemicals make the fragile hair around your face break off.
Hair products with petroleum used in conjunction with heated styling tools is another way that chemicals negatively affect your hairline.
Hormones and Health: Well, the darn lady hormones can play a role in losing your hair. Your thyroid can, as well. And don’t forget a change to your medications. All of these things can cause a thinning hairline. *For this type of hair loss, you’ll need to see a doctor and get your body back on track.
Wigs, Weaves, and Balding Women: You may think that you are protecting your delicate hair from breakage and loss, when in reality you may be tugging, adding too much tension on your hairline. Your stylist has a big role to play in this. The wrong stylist can leave you with major hair loss. The right stylist will listen to you and adjust accordingly.
If your head hurts or feels heavy from those beautiful braids, then they are causing too much strain on your hair. Your body is attempting to tell you that your hair is not okay. That style is making your scalp very unhappy.
Overworked and Overstyled: Applying extra product to your edges so they are completely smooth and swirled into your personal style may be doing more harm than good. Those little hairs are trying to grow, but they are extremely prone to breaking.
So applying strong products and styling them repeatedly is pretty harsh. Those little bitty hairs need some love to grow. And by love, we mean some serious TLC. Gentle products and supplements.
It’s in the Genes: Your genetics could be causing you to lose your hair. You will need to ask your Mom or Grandmom what hair problems they have had to deal with over the years.
Your genes are what they are. You can’t change them. All you can do is take preventative measures and do your best to get ahead of the problem before it gets too bad.
So, Now What?
Once you figure out what is causing the problem, you can take the next step. Fix the problem. Yes, ladies. There are things you can do to take care of those receding edges. If your forehead has begun bleeding into your scalp, you must continue reading.
Here are a few things you can do to regrow those edges:
Gentleness is Your Best Friend: Be gentle. Period. If you want to get your natural hairline back, then you need to baby those edges. Stop all the pulling, tugging, and brushing. In other words, put the toothbrush down, ladies!
The more you add any type of strain to your tender edges, the less likely you are to see hair regrowing. Those sensitive hairs need a chance to grow and get healthier. Grab a scarf or a stretchy headband to cover up your little fuzzies and stand-up flyaways without damaging them.
Brush Less: While your hair is trying to grow back in, you need to avoid brushing your edges as much as possible. That’s just a bit too much strain on your hairline.
Bye-Bye Braids, Buns, and Pony Tails: Yep. You need to take a break from tight hairstyles while you are regrowing those edges. Your hair breaks off so much more when you regularly wear it up.
Minoxidil + Low-level Laser Therapy: Combining these two elements should help to stimulate regrowth. The minoxidil will help to retain the hair and help it grow. Combining laser therapy with minoxidil will kick up the possibility of growth.
Moisture is Your Friend: Moisturizing is a great way to baby that hair and encourage it not to break off. Use a daily conditioner that has protein and a weekly intensive deep conditioner. You can also try applying Jamaican black castor oil at bedtime. Just gently massage it into those edges.
Put Down the Hot Stuff: Seriously. You cannot keep blowdrying on high, using a flatiron, or twirling that hair around a curling wand. Nope. All of that heat is damaging. Even if you are using hair products designed to protect it from heat, it’s just typically not enough protection … and it just tends to make you think that your hair is now impervious to heat. It’s not, ladies.
And That’s a Wrap: No, really. You need a wrap to sleep. Try wrapping your hair in silk or satin, or wear a silk protective cap to sleep. Satin and silk reduce the friction on your hair which can cause breakage. Shoot, you can even try a satin pillowcase.
Edges Love Veggies: Okay, so technically, your hair doesn’t eat veggies, but the antioxidants inside those veggies sure are good for your hair. The more you consume veggies that are high in antioxidants, the better it is for your hair growth. Those nutrient-rich veggies are known for promoting thicker, healthier hair.
Stimulate Your Scalp: Your scalp needs blood flow for hair to grow. To encourage blood flow to those thinning areas, you will need to stimulate blood flow through gentle scalp massages.
One-Stop-Shop: All of these tips are fantastic, and there is one place you can go to tackle several of them at once. Keranique makes scalp stimulating shampoos and conditioners, gentle protein-rich daily conditioners … In fact, Keranique has an entire regrowth system for your hair.
Keranique has designed products for you, ladies. Yep. The products are not designed for a man’s issues. It’s just for you. The full line of products is amazing. If you are having doubts, feel free to see the results for yourself. You’re going to love it.
And … If you are not exactly the healthiest eater, Keranique can help with those nutrients, too. Supplements are going to be your best bet. You have to provide nutrients to your body that will, in turn, nourish your hair. Keraviatin is a fantastic choice to help you do just that.
In Conclusion
Ladies, so many of you absolutely love styling your edges. So, losing the ability to express your style has probably been incredibly frustrating for you. Many of you are tired of wearing scarves, headbands, and even hats.
With a whole lot of patience and the right knowledge under your belt, you can hope again. Be gentle, change your habits, eat better, use the right hair products, and stay consistent with that plan. It is totally possible to regrow those hair edges!
Keranique would love to be your go-to resource for all things hair. Every woman deserves hair she can be proud of. Please SHARE with your friends and family who may be interested in the Keranique Hair Regrowth System and who want to learn more about how it works!
Remember: Please Take Care of Your Hair and Don’t Forget to Take Care of You!
Are your edges thinning more and more every day? Drop us a line below. We’d love to hear from you!
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