Edges, otherwise known as baby hairs, have been the benefactors of creative loops and swoops among Black and Latina women for generations.
Slick swirls and polished edges were the perfect pairing for the cropped and waved styles favoured by flapper girls in the 1920s, but with World War I came a halt to excess. Although the intricacies of edges diffused throughout the 50s and 60s, as women wore beehives and embraced afros as a result of the Black Power Movement, unique hairlines were still the order of the day.
Even still, the hiatus of ornate edges was short-lived. Across the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Salt ‘n Pepa, TLC’s Chilli and Janet and LaToya Jackson resuscitated them tenfold. They were achieved with cult products such as Let’s Jam Hair Gel and specially designed edge styling tools – having said that, without one to hand, a toothbrush did the job just fine. (Still does.)