Maintaining Healthy Edges With Short Hair | October 24, 2016

We have all seen the hilarious memes floating around social media. You know the ones about edges gone missing, edges needing a reboot and on the opposite end, edges that are apparently…on fleek (I can’t believe I just typed that).

My favorite are the ones where somebody is hawking $5 bags of edges. Different than the way we are bombarded with sales pitches from weave companies wanting to sell us 32 inches, the ‘edges’ are not sold in bundles, but baggies. Teeny tiny Ziploc like bags with small patches of hair stuffed inside.

The internet is the devil.

All jokes aside, you do need to pay attention to your edges ladies. It’s simply not cute when they betray you and leave. Nothing can ruin a hairdo, or your impression of someone, faster that some tore up or non-existent edges.

Short hair presents an even more complex issue because you just have less to work with. Long hair can camouflage frail spots on your head. A heavy bang can help, as can a strategically placed side swoop. But when you are about this here short hair life and you claim bald headed scallywag status, #pixieproblems are real and there is no excess hair to help you out.  It’s just you and your exposed temples out there. Trying to get through the day.

I’m not trying to make you feel bad or embarrass you. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to help. So, I’m going to outline some things you can do to maintain healthy edges with short hair. These tips will work for you, unless you are dealing with a more serious medical issue. In that case, I would strongly recommend that you seek out the advice of a medical professional.

HEALTHY EDGES WITH SHORT HAIR – Neglect is a No-No

Don’t think you can blow off tending to your edges because you rock a short cut. It’s careless and plain out not true. Edges matter. Each night I tend to my edges and I have still had issues that caused me to pay even closer attention to how I treated my good ole baby hairs.

Oil your edges daily. Oil provides moisture, DUH! But it also lessens the risk of breakage because the hair won’t be brittle like it is when it’s dry.

Wrapping your hair at night is a good thing, but there is this thing called friction. When your hair rubs up against your scarf or your pillow or your sheets or your arm, there is friction. Dry edges that are not properly maintained can break or thin out under that type of consistent stress.

Here’s a video on My Night Time Routine for Short Relaxed Hair. In it, I show how I care for my edges underneath my wrap.

HEALTHY EDGES WITH SHORT HAIR – Product Placement

When using gels or edge control products, be aware of how much you use, how often you use and what the ingredients are. Pay attention to any changes you notice in your hair and take note of the product. Switch things up if you notice your edges thinning or breaking.

Also, don’t allow product to build up on your edges. The hair at the temples tend to be sparser and a bit more fragile. Products that are heavy can weigh those fine hairs down and … you guessed it, cause breakage.

Wash out products as needed and be mindful of how your hair reacts to what you put on your edges.

HEALTHY EDGES WITH SHORT HAIR – Do Deep Condition

Edges need the same things the rest of your hair needs to remain healthy. When you deep condition your hair, or even just when you apply regular conditioner, don’t forget to make sure you slather that product onto your edges too. Coat them well and let them soak up the benefits of the deep conditioner. They actually need it the most.

When I relax my hair, I will wait until the last 2 to 3 minutes to apply the relaxer to my edges. Because my hair is finer in those spots, it doesn’t require as much processing time. Immediately after relaxing, I condition my hair with a moisturizing deep conditioner. The very first place I apply it, is to my edges. That way, the product sits on the weaker edges longer than any other part of my hair.

Ladies, be careful how you treat your edges. You don’t want them to break up with you and leave you bald. I’m just saying. To see the products that I personally use on my hair, check out the SHOP. The oils I use, the deep conditioner I use and the relaxer I use are all there.

I hope these tips are helpful and until next time…I’ll holla!

If you like this article, you will like my eBook where I talk about how to prolong the wear time you get from your short hairstyles. Download your copy here or click the image below.

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