I Am Allergic To Castor Oil – How I Grew Out My Edges Without It

Castor oil* is the recommended solution for growing out thin edges. Armed with this knowledge I started applying organic castor oil* to my hairline on a weekly basis. The problem is, I noticed that my scalp was so itchy whenever I applied it I almost couldn’t take it.

I tried mixing it with an oil but this did not help either as I found myself scratching continuously until my skin became sore. Typically I would just have to wash it off to get relief.

On noticing that I was allergic I started seeking other ways to grow my edges without castor oil. But before that, I realized I had to identify the reasons my edges were breaking which would help me create another solution.

Dry edges

My edges were dry because even though I sprayed and oiled my hair all the moisture was evaporating leaving my edges dry.

I was sealing my hair and my hairline with oil however this was not thick enough to seal the moisture in on my edges. It worked well for the rest of my hair because it was protective styled.

So I had to make the following changes to my routine:

Thicker cream and protecting my edges

I started using shea butter* for my edges to seal in the moisture which worked so well as it also left my edges soft and lying flat after wrapping them with a silk scarf*. I am sure any other butter would work here, for instance, mango butter as long as it is thick and not watery to be a sealant.

I kept my edges covered by tying a scarf around them especially when I am outside. However, I also invested in a few beautiful looking headbands* which looked like I was just doing it for fashion when I was actually doing it to protect my hair from the elements of the weather and prevent the moisture from escaping.

This worked well for me and my edges have grown, let me know how you handle your edges especially if you are sensitive to the oils* and or creams.