Growing My Edges Back

You may have, or may not have, noticed the thinness of my edges compared to the rest of my hair. First off, let me say that my thin edges are hereditary—the women in my family have them, and I’ve had them since I was a wee one (my baby pictures are clear indicators of this). But while my edges were always thinner than the rest of my hair, I’ve never suffered from any balding or severe sparse areas—until now.

What’s the culprit? Braided extensions. During the year of 2015, I thought it was a good idea to wear my hair in braided extensions back-to-back for six months. It started in March, when I braided my hair in long, heavy extensions for a two-week trip to Nigeria. The braids stayed in my hair for two months. I then uninstalled them, washed my hair, and reinstalled them less than two weeks later. I thought my hair would be okay because I did a good protein treatment. I was wrong.

But of course I knew better. Never had I ever worn braids back-to-back before in this manner. But it was nearing summertime and I knew I’d be traveling for a good portion of the summer. I didn’t want to concern myself with haircare, so I took the easy way out. And, thus, after yet another two months, I uninstalled the braids, washed my hair, and reinstalled a new set of extensions for the third time. I saw the bareness of my edges, but I kept telling myself I will wear my braids down and avoid pulling them up into a ponytail. It didn’t matter. As careful as I was, when I uninstalled my braids for what would be the last time for that year, my edges were almost completely gone! (I’ll make a post about how I was able to conceal my balding edges). So here I am in the process of growing back my edges. The picture above was taken this month, nearly three months after I removed my braids and I can already see the progress. Here is my regimen.

1. Gentle styles. Tight puffs and buns are a no-no. Although my hair looks sleek in the picture, it is in no way tight. I actually made that faux pony-puff my securing my hair loosely with bobby pins, as hairbands or banana clips would pull too much at my edges. To get the sleek look, I put some hair butter on my edges and then tied my hair down with a headscarf to set it. I also left my hair out on the side where my alopecia is the worst so that I wouldn’t pull on my edges.

2. Moisturize. Dry hair is usually the prerequisite for breakage. Therefore, I moisturize my edges nearly every day. The products I use are either Shea Moisture’s leave-in conditioner or Cantu Shea Butter’s leave-in conditioner. I also use 100% shea butter to seal in the moisture.

3. No gel. I have no science to back me up on this, but I feel like hair gel is not only drying to my edges but can also probably aide in clogging the pores on my scalp. Since clogged pores can slow hair growth, I avoid putting any gels and custards in my hair.

4. Castor oil. Trust me, it works. I rub castor oil into my hair probably a couple times out of the week. I don’t use any special brand, but just whatever brand I can get my hands on. Castor oil has a reputation for stimulating blood flow to the scalp and therefore encouraging hair growth. Not to mention, castor oil is also great for sealing in moisture.

5. Scalp massages. Yes, I actually do this a couple times a week. Scalp massages not only feel wonderful, but are also great for stimulating blood flow to jumpstart hair growth. I specifically target my edges, massaging in gentle, circular motions.

6. Gentle scarves. Tying your hair down too tightly when you sleep at night can really suppress your edges. To avoid too much tension on my edges, I aim for satin bonnets. But all bonnets are not created equal. I avoid the bonnets with the cotton trim, which provides too much friction for your edges, dries them out, and eventually breaks them off.

7. No more braids. This is a no brainer. I plan to avoid braiding my hair in any way until my hair is completely restored. This also mean cornrowing my hair to install a lacefront or hairweave. On those days when I need a break from my hair, I will now opt for a stylish satin headscarf.

So there it is. I must say that this regimen has definitely worked wonders for me in only three months’ time-frame. I will check back in six months to see how my edges are coming along. Right now, the new hair growing in is so fine that the exposure on the camera blurs them out, making progress difficult to capture.

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