There are very few constants in the Black hair space. In fact, the diasporic range of Black hair is just as vast as the culture itself. But across styles, textures and colors, there are certain cosmetic consistencies that hold true generation after generation. There are bonnets, hair spritz, and any other number of time-honored beauty products that can be used to maintain the integrity of just about any hairstyle. But there is arguably no beauty product as dispersive as edge control. Whether you have a bussdown middle part sew-in, knotless bohemian braids, or a boneless silk press, edge control is the one true unifier within the Black hair space.
As such, Black beauty innovators have usurped traditional beauty ideals and metamorphosed edge control into a new stylistic landscape. This isn’t gel. This isn’t grease. This is the new frontier of Black hair innovation.
Once viewed as a finishing touch designed to accent finished hairstyles, edge control has become as popular as the hairstyles it tops off. It’s what takes regular knotless braids from protective style to plaited Renaissance and also what makes lace closures look like they’re coming out of your scalp to a certain degree. A wig is still a wig after all.
Like any other hair product, edge controls have evolved and expanded to cater to a breadth of textured hair needs. From loose curls that need less hold and more hydration to tighter coils that thrive under a stronger composition, edge control might not be a one-size-fits-all product, but the general concept transcends style and texture. Laid or pressed edges aren’t a new phenomenon by any means. From “BAPS” to “Friday”, edges have been a vital coiffure lesson in the Black hair curriculum since the dawn of time.
But rather than just serving as an aesthetic garnish, the edge control economy represents a new peak of beauty innovation. From exaggerated swoops to faint forehead-framing baby hairs, edges themselves occupy their own lane within the beauty sphere, and the edge controls are what prop this up. In fact, edge control is one of the fastest-growing beauty SKUs, with every hair care brand chomping at the bit to elevate and innovate the space.
There are products like Style Factor’s Edge Booster and Ebin’s 24 Hour Edge Tamer, which focus on strong hold and sculpted edges. Elsewhere, products like Mielle’s Rosemary Mint Strengthening Edge Gel and Fenty Beauty’s thickening edge control promise both strong hold and healthy hair benefits.
For those looking to fill in sparse edges, tindted edge controls give the illusion of fuller edges with each bristled swoop. If that’s not innovation, then what is?
But all of these products stand on the backs of the OG’s that have held us, and our baby hairs, down since the very beginning. From Murray’s Superior Pomade to good old-fashioned beeswax, you don’t get the high-tech edge boosters we have today without the old-school legends of yesteryear that laid the foundation for the edge control innovation we have today.