London agency Blond has designed Edge Slick, a comb-style device for styling hair with a reusable handle that doubles as a hands-free applicator for hair gel.
Edge Slick is a neutral-hued edge styler created by Blond for Ruka, a UK Black women-owned business that creates hair extensions and accessories.
Edge stylers are tools specifically designed to treat baby hairs, also known as edges – shorter hairs positioned at the hairline.
The product, which has been longlisted for a Dezeen Award, features a double-sided, detachable comb with soft bristles for swooping, shaping and layering and firm bristles for combing and detangling hair.
Designed to be disassembled, the comb is clipped onto an "ergonomic" paddle-shaped reusable handle.
The reusable handle also doubles as an applicator for hair gel that can be used to apply gel to the user's wrist, saving them from using their fingers while they are styling their hair.
"When the relatively small comb reaches the end of its long lives it can be unclipped and disposed of, but crucially, the reusable handle is kept to extend the life of the product," said Blond.
A minimalist, apple-shaped stand also comes with the edge styler, as well as packaging made from 100 per cent recycled paper pulp.
Users can also store their clip-on brushes inside a translucent sanitary protective case.
"Edge Slick addresses a gap in the hair industry for a product that caters specifically to Black afro hair, in an industry that has historically and disproportionately focussed on white aesthetics," said Blond.
"It is the first refillable edge styler on the market, reducing plastic consumption by 86 per cent compared to its competitors," added the agency.
Previous hair products that were designed to push boundaries include a smart hairbrush by beauty brand L'Oréal and healthcare company Withings that tracks and scores the quality of hair.
Inventor James Dyson has created a hairdryer that is silent to human ears and controls its own temperature to protect hair from heat damage.
The photography is courtesy of Blond.