“Heavy brushing and wearing tight styles are the main reasons your edges break off,” says Bailey. “We also like to slick our edges using gel which has a lot of alcohol. The alcohol depletes moisture and makes your fine hair on your edges more prone to breakage.”
“The most important step is to change the behavior,” says Bailey. “If you keep putting extensions on broken edges, they’re going to continue to break and never grow in fully. There’s no magic wand, but there’s hope if you really desire to change your outcome.”
“Try a light protein treatment mixed with moisturizer and massage it into your scalp to stimulate the growth,” says Bailey. “Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque is great. You can warm it up a little bit and massage it into your scalp. Also, black castor oil is an emollient that coats the hair and scalp and it has vitamin E which helps to replenish the skin.”
“Keep your hair moisturized and it will be less prone to breakage,” says Bailey. “Use a steam treatment to open up the cuticle and liquify your deep conditioner so it will penetrate the hair further. Also, make sure you are lightly brushing your edges. Do not use heavy brushes on your edges. If you can’t find a soft bristle brush, use a toothbrush if you feel you have to slick back your hair.”
“You may be able to coil or two-strand twist the front and make it blend into fuller styles,” advises Bailey. “Instead of wearing your hair back all the time, wear your hair forward for a couple of months.” If you’re wearing weaves and extensions, you’re going to have to explore alternate options that completely take away the pressure from your hairline.
