Has your hairline begun to recede? Or, perhaps, you have even spotted balding at the front of your hair? Thinning edges is a common issue for natural hair. The good news is that is it reversible.

Recommended Video This guide will explain why thinning edges happen and what are the natural ways to combat thinning and grow thick hairline back.

What Are Thinning Edges?

Edges are the baby hairs that grow along the hairline. If the edges are mistreated, they can begin to thin out or even bald altogether. This condition is known as traction alopecia.

When it comes to hair loss and thinning, the hairline is often referred to, but when it comes to African American hair, the edges can be a particularly troublesome area. Thus, if you start seeing that your edges won’t grow, investigate the causes and take action to regrow them as soon as possible.

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The 4 Most Common Causes of Thinning Edges

Let’s take a look at the various causes of thinning hairline. Knowing these will be a good starting point for preventing and addressing the edges hair loss problem:

#1: Frequent Wearing of Wigs and Weaves

Wigs and weaves are often worn as a protective style, but when worn too often or too tightly they can cause more issues than they solve. The combination of chemicals (like glue), too tight braiding techniques, and close-to-the-edge wig caps can spell disaster for your hairline. As the glue dries, it may latch onto your hairs and pull them out when the style is removed. It may also cause pulling on the fragile edge hairs which causes stretching and breakage.

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#2: Heat or Chemical Damage

Relaxers, curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers – these may be part of your regular style routine, but they can also cause irreversible damage to your edges. Heat and chemicals (like chemical straighteners and hair dyes) weaken the hair strands. This leads to thinning, snapping, and breakage. If this continues for too long, then your natural hairline may never be saved.