Normally, if you find a toothbrush lying around in someone's home that's not a bathroom, some may find it odd. However, in a black household, if you find a toothbrush on someone's vanity, you already know what time it is. IT'S. ABOUT. TO. GO. DOWN. Edges are about to be LAIDDDT!!
For those of you don't know what edges we are referring to, don't feel bad we're not here to shame you, we're here to educate you.
Edges are those fine, shorter baby hairs that sit on the front perimeter of your hairline.
(If you would like to skip down to the tutorial, scroll to the last subheading.)
How it all started:
Laying edges has been a heavy part of the black culture since the early 1900's. Over the years, like many other black trends, laying edges has crossed over to pop culture.
"Baby hairs can be traced back to the flapper days of Josephine Baker, who has been credited with popularizing the style amongst Black women. Then in the late 1980s and early 90s, the baby hair trend reemerged amongst singers and rappers, trickling down to the community, with women wanting to emulate their favorite artists. Even men groomed their baby hair when appropriate. Ladies tipped their figurative hats to Ginuwine and Omarion in Saturday’s discussion." - Shalwah Evans
The 70's:
Latoya Jackson embraced her baby hairs.
The one and only Sylvia Robinson, founder and CEO of Sugar Hill Records, on the cover of her album Pillow Talk rocking her baby hairs.
The 90's:
Our first example in the 90's, is the GOAT herself, Missy Elliot
Missy Elliot has served us with so many iconic looks throughout her career, it's only right we use her as an example.
Chili also blessed us with light baby hairs.
The 2000's:
One can argue Genuwine pioneered the laid edges for men.
We're definitely not mad at it!
Over the last decade or so, laying your edges has become a daily routine for many women today and has even become fashion statement used on the runway, magazine covers, or for celebrity looks.
Let's take a look!
The Everyday Look:
It is truly an art form! There's so many unique ways to shape your edges. It's the perfect finishing touch to any hairstyle.
(Stay tuned to see how to lay your edges.)
Celebrity Looks:
Ella Mai casually laid and slayed her edges at the 2019 iHeartradio Music Awards.
There's so many examples, but if we showed you all of them, this article would never end. Last, but certainly not least, FKA TWIGS.
FKA Twigs has taken "laying your edges" to the next level. It has become her signature look.
One of her most iconic looks is the cover of I.D magazine where she laid her hairs to read, "love". If that isn't iconic, I don't know what is.
Over the years, the way people have laid their edges has changed. We can attribute this to the wide variety of products created just for that, such as (link). More often than not, now people will lay their edges to get a clean, sleek look, swooping their baby hairs in small circular sections.
Now that we've seen where this practice of laying edges came from and how it has evolved, here's the part you've been waiting for.
How to Lay Your Edges:
Products You Need:
Toothbrush or Edge Brush (btw you get a complimentary edge brush with the purchase of our edge control)
Silk/Satin Scarf to set your hair after swooping your edges.
You know how they say, we can show you better than we can tell you? That's exactly what we plan to do. Check out the video below for a video tutorial of how to lay your edges.
Pro Tip: Leave scarf on for a minimum of ten minutes. Everyone's hair texture is different and may require more or less time.
Head over to @blacklabeltresses on Instagram for more tutorials.