Slicked edges, also often called baby hairs, have been a trademark of Black beauty for a long time. Styles including FKA Twigs’s intricate forehead-framing tendrils and Lauren London’s dainty baby hairs in ATL prove that laid edges are greater than a crowning glory in relation to Black hair — they’re a press release on their very own.

For those who’re unfamiliar, edges are a colloquialism used to explain the hair across the perimeter of the pinnacle from temple to temple. These will be naturally occurring vellus hairs (much like those found throughout your body) and are typically shorter and finer than the remaining of those in your head.

Slicking your edges typically involves smoothing a strong-hold gel over your baby hairs using a gloriously gunky edge brush (or good ole toothbrush, if you happen to’re traditional) and creating some sort of swoop or swirl. But in spite of everything the product and energy it takes to brush your baby hairs into place, it only takes a gust of hot air on a damp day to erase all of your exertions.

For a lot of Black women with coarser hair types (normally Type 4 curls), natural edges will be difficult to put as a result of the feel of their hair. Despite one of the best attempts, their edges may revert or curl back up after just a few hours or, in some instances, minutes. Some argue the fix is stronger-hold edge control, but there is a class of Black women who’re downright over this dilemma and are turning to relaxers, a chemical hair treatment typically used to straighten the lengths of hair, as the answer.

The #relaxededges tag on TikTok has over two million views and directs viewers to endless videos from users recording themselves applying relaxers to their edges, some with the precision of a DIY veteran and others with the palpable nervousness of an experimental novice. Either way, they’re after the identical goal: “A relaxer can tone down the kink of the curl, relaxing the wave,” Los Angeles-based hairstylist kiyah wright tells Allure. And looser baby hairs mean a neater time slicking them down and higher luck getting them to remain laid longer.

I Turner is one creator who recently shared her edge relaxing process on TikTok. The influencer says she selected to chill out her edges to realize a seamless mix along with her extensions and greater protection against humidity. Since doing so, she says she needs to use less tension on her edges when laying them down, leading to less damage.