Save the Edges: Black Women Turn to Botox as a Way to Stop the Sweat

Black women are known for creating fashion and beauty trends, but some trends they slowly have to gravitate towards.

Like Botox. An article from The Washington Post stated that more and more Black women are taking part in the procedure to help a very important part of their body – edges. One woman told her story of how botox saved her edges that were constantly ruined

by sweat glands and product overuse. Shanese Francis got tired of sweating out her edges after using everything from gel to hairspray in the beauty supply store. After doing some research, she decided botox was the best way to go. “It was the best $400 I’ve ever spent. It really was life-changing,” Francis said.

“I felt relieved and was definitely more comfortable in my own skin.”

The

incontent-ad2"> procedure allows small needles to be directly injected in the perimeter of the forehead. While needles may be scary to some, nurses like Jill Horne, say the pain isn’t bad. “The needles are so small that you barely feel them, and it takes five to 10 minutes,” Horne said. “You just feel little pricks.”

Botox has been around for years and generally popular to temporarily reduce wrinkles in the face. However, using the treatment to reduce sweating isn’t uncommon. The Post claimed many patients use it to prevent sweating in the hands or underarms. The practice can definitely help Black women save money. A study from 2022 showed Black people spent over $2 billion on haircare products.

Some experts are critical on Botox and other plastic surgery procedures regarding Black women. Blaming social media’s obsession with the “clean aesthetic

,” dermatologists, like Alpana Mohta, are concerned with African American women entertaining the status quo. “Some critics argue that the trend reinforces the pressure on Black women to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards and reinforces the idea that natural hairstyles are not acceptable,” Mohta said. However, for decades, Black women, such as Josephine Baker, have shown the art in styling their hair – edges included.