From box braids to TWAs, no matter what hairstyle we pick, we all pay attention to one thing: our edges. The way our edges are brushed and styled can really make or break a hairstyle.

Personally, I think there are very few things more frustrating than spending a large portion of my morning blowing out and flat ironing my hair only to have curly, frizzy edges hours later.

For problems like those, we usually go straight to our handy dandy haircare products. And for our edges? Edge control will usually get the job done. Edge control comes in gel, wax, or pomade and can be easily slicked down onto our edges to eliminate frizzies and fly aways. Sounds like a miracle product right? Wrong.

Depending on the products you use, edge control can come with a world of problems. Everything from the wax leaving streaks of white on your edges to the pomade running down your face as soon as the sun touches your hair.

It can be tough—but the most common (and frustrating) problem is when edge control doesn’t control your edges! Below are 3 ways to strengthen the hold of your edge control and keep your hairstyle looking fresh!

Dampen hair and tie it down

Spritzing a small amount of water on your edges before applying edge control will help the pomade/gel stick to your hair better; the extra moisture will also aid in a neater slick down since wet hair tends to be a lot less frizzy than dry hair.

Be careful not to apply too much water to your edges or else the edge control will appear white and look unpleasantly cakey once it settles onto your hair.

After you’ve styled your edges to your liking, take a tight headband or a folded silk/satin scarf and place it over your hairline. Tie it tight enough to press down your edges and leave it on for 5-10 minutes.

When it is time to remove the scarf, carefully lift it off your edges to avoid creating fly aways. After that, your edges should be properly slicked down and free of frizz.