Many of us with type 4 hair (4A, 4B, 4C) have reached the end of the road when it comes to doing our edges. The idea sounds cool in theory, but trying to find an edge control that holds your hair down all day, isn’t flaky, and doesn’t damage your hair, soon becomes an extreme sport.

The secret to perfecting the smooth baby hair look is to use edge control that’s compatible with your hair type. In many cases that means going through trial and error trying to find the perfect match. Your edges are fragile, so gels that are drying can cause breakage and more thinning, while gels that are formulated with quality ingredients like vitamin E will help strengthen your edges.

Pro tip to making your edges last: Don’t overdo it with the gel. Using too much can lead to your edges lifting sooner than you anticipated. First brush your edges out in place then apply just enough product to lay them down.

Quality edge control products should provide a long-lasting hold without lifting, flaking, and being sticky. Despite ticking all these boxes, the effectiveness of edge control products varies with every hair type. What works for someone else might not work for you. 4B and 4C hair require gels that have a much stronger hold as the hair is coily and kinky.

With that said, here are five edge controls that are the perfect match for your type 4 hair.