Is Petroleum Thinning Your Edges? What's Really Going On

If your edges are thinning, your edge control is probably the first thing you blame. Here's the honest answer: the product is rarely the whole story. But what's in the jar still matters more than most people think.

The biggest cause: tension

The hair along your hairline is the finest and most fragile on your head. When it's pulled on again and again — tight braids and cornrows, sleek ponytails, heavy extensions, brushing the edges down several times a day — the follicles get stressed. Dermatologists call this traction alopecia, and it's the most common reason edges thin.

Early signs are small bumps around the hairline, soreness or tenderness after an install, and a hairline that slowly moves back. Caught early, it's often reversible. Left alone for years, it can become permanent — so if you're seeing these signs, it's worth talking to a dermatologist.

Where petroleum comes in

Many edge controls get their hold from petrolatum, mineral oil or petroleum wax. They work by coating the hair in a film. That film doesn't cause hair loss on its own, but it can make the things that do cause it worse:

• More re-laying. The film builds up, dries, flakes and leaves a dull white cast — so you brush your edges down again. And again. Every pass is more tension on the hair you're trying to keep.
• More scrubbing. A heavy film often won't come out in one shampoo, which means a second wash or a clarifying step and more rubbing at the hairline.
• Clogged hairlines. Heavy, greasy products sitting along the hairline are linked to "pomade acne" — small clogged bumps where product meets skin.

What vegan beeswax does differently

Our Elite Edge & Braid Control and Slickback Strong Hold Edge Control get their hold from vegan beeswax instead of petrolatum, mineral oil or petroleum wax. The hold stays pliable, so it moves with your style instead of cracking off it. No flaking, no grease and no white cast — and it rinses clean in a single wash.

Elite also conditions while it holds, with castor oil, jojoba oil, glycerin, panthenol and vitamin E.

How to protect your edges

• Ask your braider to go easy on the perimeter. Tight at the hairline is where damage starts.
• Lay your edges once. If you're re-laying all day, the product isn't holding — switch it rather than brushing harder.
• Use a soft brush and light pressure.
• Get all the product out on wash day, without three rounds of shampoo. Here's the one-wash rule.
• Give your hairline a break between installs. Here's what to do after takedown.
• Watch for bumps, soreness or a receding hairline, and see a dermatologist if they don't settle.

The bottom line

Switching edge control won't undo damage from tension. But a hold that doesn't build up means less re-laying, less scrubbing and less stress on the hair you're working to keep. Not sure which one fits your style? Compare our three edge controls, or shop the Edge Control collection.

For every style — and every in-between.