Are the edges of your hairline "long"?

The hair at the edges of my hairline are:

  • bald (naturally - just don't grow)

    Votes: 6 1.4%
  • bald (because of damage/alopecia/etc.)

    Votes: 26 6.1%
  • 1 inch or less

    Votes: 98 22.8%
  • between 1-3 inches

    Votes: 196 45.7%
  • more than 3 inches

    Votes: 90 21.0%
  • I can pull the hair at my hairline into a ponytail.

    Votes: 53 12.4%

  • Total voters
    429
  • Poll closed .

Crackers Phinn

Either A Blessing Or A Lesson.
is there anyone out there whose edges are long enough to brush into a ponytail or at least longer than a couple months of new growth?

I've been relaxed, natural and everywhere in between and no matter what my edges never seem to grow past 3/4 inch.

edges.jpg


I thought that excessive brushing or my satin scarf rubbing along the hair line was the culprit, so I stopped brushing and quit flattening with a scarf (which seriously affects my 'that girl' challenge) but now after looking at 3 years worth of pics I'm thinking that this is just what my edges do.

I'm not interested in growth aids, but rather if there are other people who experience this. The rest of my hair is in that un-nameable stage between APL and BSL so I know my hair is capable of growing.
 
Last edited:
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I was just wondering the same thing although I have resorted to using MSM topical products to make my edges grow longer. Amazes me too how the rest of my hair grows long but the edges-usually 1/4 to 1 inch long but no more:perplexed.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I have the same problem. I have up to 9" in the middle and back of my head, but the edges don't grow much...
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

Some part of my edges are shortish to. It doesn't bother me though. I just gel it back. I think the geling is what has created the problem.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

BTW your hair has grown so much. It looks great.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I am not sure what you mean by edges, but I thought everyone had short edges because genetically, it's related to facial hair and is not meant to grow long. I have short edges but my edges don't go that far back. They are right off of my forehead and end right before my hair-hair begins if that makes sense. In my family, those edges also have a couple of bald spots. I've always found it easy to cover up by just finger-picking the hair.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

My edges on the right are between 1-3 inches long. On the left, over 3 inches long. I can't figure out what's going on with my right side! I just recently began to massage the right side on a nightly basis. I sure hope that helps!
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

^^^ what she said. Some parts of their hair are mean't not to grow long

I see these "baby hairs" on all races so I thinks its normal
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I'm curious about this, too. I have always had shorter hairs around the front edges. The most I can do if the are really bothering me is slick them down with super-hold gel. I can't think of any woman I know whose edges are not like that, except those with short hair all-around.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

^^^ what she said. Some parts of their hair are mean't not to grow long

I see these "baby hairs" on all races so I thinks its normal

Agreed. I always just figured that the edges of the hair are supposed to be shorter than the rest of it. I even see that in small children.
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I guess you could say mine are "long".

I wouldn't worry about it though. Your hair is beautiful!
 
I just checked. Some of my edges are quite long in parts and in others about 1"-3". Have no idea why that is.
 
My edges are .... challenged ... to say the least. :perplexed Not only are they short, they're very fine and are prone to breakage and balding if I don't stay on top of it.

Sucks!
 
Re: Are your edges of your hairline "long"?

I am not sure what you mean by edges, but I thought everyone had short edges because genetically, it's related to facial hair and is not meant to grow long. I have short edges but my edges don't go that far back. They are right off of my forehead and end right before my hair-hair begins if that makes sense. In my family, those edges also have a couple of bald spots. I've always found it easy to cover up by just finger-picking the hair.
That's what I thought. I don't think the edges will ever grow but so long. My edges aren't long and I've never expected them to be. The area above my sideburns is ALWAYS short.
 
80% of my edges are SL rest r a few inches
my kitchen a few inches long
 
Last edited:
Mine have never been long but they are definitely longer than they've ever been now that I'm natural. I think the edges are more fragile that the rest of the hair. So you wanna be careful when relaxing them, causing too much tension when pulling hair back, not using gel all the time, brushing them too hard, wearing puffs too tight, braids. etc. Same thing with the nape of the hair.
 
I can pull mine into a ponytail. I've always had long edges. Then again my hairline almost touches my eyebrows....:lachen:
 
Yeah, mine are around 3 inches. However, they used to be a lot shorter. Stretching is REALLY making my edges thrive. Some of the edge hair I can pull almost down to my chin. Others not so much. But I wouldn't worry about it much, because I really believe that it is meant to be shorter than the rest of your hair!! AS long as you see at the tip of the hair that it is still "growing" google to see what the end of a "growing" hair looks like, and it's not breakage, even if it's mad short, you should be fine.

I even know people who like one of the other posters said, have a few small bald patches in that region.

Also, my right side is thicker than my left. I defintely think that these are sort of like vellus hairs!
 
I voted 1-3 inches. If they can grow to 3-inches they should be able to grow as long as the rest. In theroy that makes sense, but IRL I haven't had any luck ...lol
 
Last edited:
It is a family trait for me. My grandmother, mother and daughter all have not very long edges. That part didn't even grow when I had locks. Just does its own thing, and growing is not it.
 
I am not sure what you mean by edges, but I thought everyone had short edges because genetically, it's related to facial hair and is not meant to grow long. I have short edges but my edges don't go that far back. They are right off of my forehead and end right before my hair-hair begins if that makes sense. In my family, those edges also have a couple of bald spots. I've always found it easy to cover up by just finger-picking the hair.

Yup. The skin there is 'transitioning' from 'scalp' skin (which has a certain type of hair follicle, with a certain growth span/rate) to 'facial' skin (which has an different kind of follicle, with a different growth span/rate) and sometimes the hair along the temple suffers. Also, it is more fragile, just period, and that adds to it.

My hair is the same way. Some of it was from damage/stress of my locs on the area, and some of it was bad hair habits. I've been loving and babying them for almost a year now, and - it's still not nearly as long/thick as the rest of my hair is. I'm kinda coming to terms with it..... kinda. :lol:
 
Yup. The skin there is 'transitioning' from 'scalp' skin (which has a certain type of hair follicle, with a certain growth span/rate) to 'facial' skin (which has an different kind of follicle, with a different growth span/rate) and sometimes the hair along the temple suffers. Also, it is more fragile, just period, and that adds to it.

My hair is the same way. Some of it was from damage/stress of my locs on the area, and some of it was bad hair habits. I've been loving and babying them for almost a year now, and - it's still not nearly as long/thick as the rest of my hair is. I'm kinda coming to terms with it..... kinda. :lol:
Yeah, this is me too - kinda coming to terms with it. I chopped all my hair off in September 2007. When I started growing it out that December, I KNOW that my haircare was 1000% better than it was when I did my first BC back in 2003. Fast forward a year later, and it's still thin and fine at the temples, and not growing very fast along the edges in general.

The idea of the skin transitioning makes sense. And maybe it's heredity - I noticed my sisters' hairlines are the same way, as far as thinness around the temples.
 
Funny thing is I always thought that edges were "supposed to be shorter" than the rest of your hair too. Mine have ALWAYS been short and I hate it. But since I've been getting more into haircare and observing others, I've noticed there are many (both natural and relaxed) with quite long edges, even matching the length of all their hair.

So I no longer believe that all edges are destined to be short, but I do believe their may be a genetic component and that my edges may never be long per se. I do believe though that they should be able to reach at least 2-3 inches...sadly, that's my goal right now!
 
I totally agree - the hairline/temple does not have to be short - at all. But, it's no real surprise to me when/that it is, if that makes sense.

:lol: Heck, if I could figure out a way to DC the edges and cover them to protect them as well as I do the rest of my hair, I might be onto something. :lol:
 
My hairline has always been short. I cannot think of a time when it has been long enough to pull back. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with how it was relaxed or taken care of. Now that I've started practicing healthy haircare they're still short! At first I had a problem of them being a bit sparse after I stopped relaxing and now I have gotten them to grow in. However, even with 11 months of new growth under my belt the edges aren't even half as long as the rest of my head. They don't seem to go past 1 1/2 inches at any point
 
Mine are short and it's all because of using headbands. Especially since I generally put them on while my hair is wet. So, my hair gets stretched out and breaks. I need to stop wearing them.
 
Back
Top