Feel Like Cutting My Edges Off & Calling It a Day.

[spellinto]

Sigh. I'm just exasperated right now . If it's not one thing with my hair, it's another. I'm 5 weeks post, so this is around the time I start fretting over my hairline. I've been trying to go for that "au natural" look and get used to just bunning without product, but can I really walk around with these whacked out edges forever ? I just look so unkempt with untamed edges because they're not as smooth as the rest of my hair. My edges are a little weird in that they're 4b/c in the front, but then extend into straight, short hairs. They're like...snakes or something . The "head" is frizzy as expected, but they form into a completely straight hair (a result of relaxing no doubt) that's long, but not as long as the rest of my hair. Do any of you relaxed ladies have this? The straight part of my edges seems to have an aversion to water and water-based products because they become really limp when wet and stick together. The advice I get tends to be "well, don't apply product to the straight part then," but how do I apply product to my edges and smooth into a bun/ponytail without making contact with the straight parts? I'm stuck with the disgusting streaking problem (see photo attachments) no matter how much of any product I use (I've used gel, wax, pomades/glazes, moisturizer, oil, water alone, even straight up conditioner)...I've also tried brushing downwards but it just doesn't look right on me. This is actually preventing me from protective styling because my mindset is that I would rather have my hair down in freezing weather despite possible dryness & damage than wear it up in a frizzy bun. I know I've posted an earlier post like this but I'm so tired of this happening in my stretches..I really want to learn what's wrong so I can fix this...

 

[SEMO]

To me, what you're describing sounds worse than what's shown in the pics you posted. Maybe because it's your hair, and you're self-conscious about part of it, it stands out more to you.

 

[Evolving78]

i'm changing my post. it looks like breakage in the first pic. do you do protein treatments? you should swooping the sides instead of pulling them straight back. is your hair color treated? what do you do to baby your edges?

 

[SilentRuby]

Your edges look like mine... actually mine are worse. Years of wearing braids, tight ponytails and pulling gel out of my edges when I was younger. Stupid.. I know erplexed My SIL told me to get sulfur powder. So tonight I'm mixing that and Jamaican black castor oil (since it's great for thickening) together to use on them and possibly start taking vitamins. About a year or two ago I used sulfur8 on them and made sure to moisturize my edges and treat them with tlc and they actually starting filling in so I think it's going to work. Just a thought.

I know exactly what you mean about not being able to pull hair straight back into a ponytail or bun I always have to do major swooping to get it to look decent

 

[BlaqBella]

For me, I remembered my edges being thicker so I started experimenting with things, and haven't stopped. Also, because over the years I've heard that some areas are people's "stress point"(meaning when they're experiencing too much stress the area begins to show signs of it and break/thin), so as I learn my hair I've noticed that sometimes the edges of my hair seem to make progress at getting thicker and healthier (sometimes major leaps of progress), but sometimes I find myself back at square one. However, what I know at this point is this area needs "special attention", so far meaning extra- reconstructor cond. or/and moisturiz. cond., leave-in, etc.), or no brushing, comb, or too tight scarf, or this area may suffer and begin to thin out. And definitely, for me, 'reduce stress'.

 

[back2relaxed]

My edges are definitely different than the rest of my hair, they are very fine, and the rest of my hair is coarse and thick. They also dry out easily. So, I have to moisturize and seal at least 2 times a day. Also, they are the main reason I stretch 10-12 weeks, because relaxing too often will definitely thin them out more and cause breakage. Don't cut them off, they will just require more work than the "easier" parts of your hair.

 

[BostonMaria]

OP your hair is very pretty

You're treating your relaxed ends as if they were natural. Have you tried rollersetting your hair so it's all looks like one texture and then putting it in a ponytail? I had to do that when I transitioned 5 years ago. Once I was about 7 months into the transition I was about to gel my hair back and it looked better. definitely do not cut your hair or otherwise you'll have a few inches of hair that you may or may not be able to slick down due to length.

Good luck! And again your hair looks very pretty and textured. Are you texlaxed?

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[spellinto]

OP your hair is very pretty

You're treating your relaxed ends as if they were natural. Have you tried rollersetting your hair so it's all looks like one texture and then putting it in a ponytail? I had to do that when I transitioned 5 years ago. Once I was about 7 months into the transition I was about to gel my hair back and it looked better. definitely do not cut your hair or otherwise you'll have a few inches of hair that you may or may not be able to slick down due to length.

Good luck! And again your hair looks very pretty and textured. Are you texlaxed?

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

Thank you I am not texlaxed, but I have always had thick hair. I'm not exactly sure why it looks textured after a few weeks, but my stylist and I use a mild relaxer (if that explains it) primarily to avoid burning.

I don't understand how I'm treating my relaxed ends as if they were natural...but no, I don't know how to roller set.

 

[spellinto]

i'm changing my post. it looks like breakage in the first pic. do you do protein treatments? you should swooping the sides instead of pulling them straight back. is your hair color treated? what do you do to baby your edges?

I use a light protein (ORS Replenishing Pak) at least once every week, and I wore my hair in a swooped bun religiously for almost the entirety of my last stretch, 18 weeks. My hair is not color treated, although the front area looks a lot lighter than the back. I moisturize & seal my edge and nape everyday (1-2x) with water, NTM leave in and coconut oil.

I know that my edges are getting enough moisture and they do not feel drier than the rest of my hair. I guess the problem is more so the hair around/connected to my edges than the edges themselves, if that makes sense. There is a possibility that they're broken, but the relaxed part is really long. Again, you can tell in the first picture that they are long, but they're just stringy and limp and do not blend with the rest of my hair. I know that my edges are not thinning bc they are as thick, if not thicker, than before my hair journey, and they do not look sparse or receding. I think they just may be broken, so I will pick up some castor oil...but none of this explains why I'm getting this streaking when I apply anything with water to my edges...

But of course, I appreciate your advice