ASHLYEE HICKMAN
Living Editor
Imagine using a comb that would automatically straighten your hair. The catch: the temperature of the tool measures between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Welcome to the world of black hair care.
Freshman Alissa Hayden sometimes has her mother straighten her hair.
“It’s an uphill battle, you never know who’s going to win: my mom or the hot comb,” she said referring to the notion that the experience gives new meaning to the phrase, “Pain is beauty.”
The pressing comb is used close to the scalp, so the intense heat may cause burns if not used with care.
Often its invention is attributed to the hands of Madame C.J. Walker. Although she did not dream up the tool that is a staple in black hair care, Walker has made many contributions.
In the early 1900s Walker, formerly Sarah Breedlove, went on the road selling door-to-door to promote her new hair products. In 1910, Walker built a factory, The Madame C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, in Indianapolis as well as a salon and a beauty training school.
Her ambition and daring vision for herself made Walker the first self-made female millionaire— setting the tone of entrepreneurship for women and blacks everywhere.
Because of the advancements in hair care, courtesy of Walker and those who followed, blacks now have more options in terms of how to style and take care of their hair.
Hair has three main layers: the medulla, cortex, and cuticle. The medulla is the inner layer of the hair and the cortex serves as the layer that produces the color of the hair. The cuticle is the shell that encases the two.
At the root of it all, there isn’t any structural difference in hair based on ethnicity. Each strand of human hair has the same chemical make-up.
“All hair is composed of nitrogen, sulfur, water, iron traces and amino acids,” said Author Naomi Sims in her book, “All About Health and Beauty for the Black Woman.”
Differences in hair texture starts in the layer under the skin where hair grows, according to Dr. Susan Taylor, the founder of Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia.
In terms of texture, black hair varies from the hair of other ethnicities because of the fact that the it typically comes from curved follicles, the tiny pores from which the hair grows. These follicles produce tightly coiled hairs that makes it more susceptible to form microscopic knots. These knots create the texture that makes it harder to detangle and causes the hair to break if not properly handled.
Because of the care it takes to maintain hair, as well as the lack of services in Malibu, some students opt to brave the freeways to find a salon that specializes in black hair care.
“I go to Carson to get my hair done,” said freshman Mma Afoaku. “Every two months I get it permed.”
Receiving chemical treatments, like perms, straightens the hair and allows the hair to be easily managed.
Others take hair care upon themselves in the comfort of their own dorms, “I do my own hair. When I do go get it done it’s usually for fun,” said freshman Jayde Ashford.
“Sometimes I’ll just wash it and wear it natural, my hair is really curly.”
Besides the simple press-and-curl—typically sported by females (Snoop Dogg tries it from time to time)— blacks choose from a variety of options to style their hair.
“For me it varies with the seasons, like in the summer I wear it very natural. In the winter I’ll do it differently. Honestly, it’s just whatever is easiest at the time,” Ashford said.
One alternative is wearing braids.
“Someone asked me if I take out my braids every night and put them back in, in the morning,” said Hayden. Freshman Britt Lomax said obviously that isn’t the case.
A benefit of getting hair braided is its convenience and low maintenance.
“I’ve had braids since eighth grade because it’s easier and I like it better,” Lomax said.
Lomax drives to the inner area of Los Angeles to get her hair braided. When she arrives, she braces herself for an adventure.
Estimated time of completion: within seven to eight hours.
“During that time I usually read a book, watch TV or sleep,” she said.
When it is time to get her hair done again, Lomax has the tedious task of unbraiding each of the hundreds of individual braids.
Lomax described how some are surprised to see her hair in the transition before and after getting braids. Her words of wisdom: “When a black girl gets her hair braided it does not grow overnight.” Additional hair is braided with the natural hair for the sake of style and to the braids hold longer.
Hair extensions, or weaves, are another style solution.
However, it is not an act exclusively used by blacks. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, and Britney Spears use them as well. Because it is a common practice, Ashford feels frustrated when faced with the all-too-common question that many blacks face when it comes to the authenticity of their hair.
“I do get offended people should be educated enough not to make assumptions because of race. That’s why when someone asks, ‘Is that your real hair?’ I ask, ‘Is yours?’”
Though Lomax does not get offended, she said she does it annoyed simply because of how often the question comes up, “But I get that some people just don’t know for sure.”
The world of black hair care is vast and ever changing. With innovations in technology and advancements of style, hair continues to be an avenue of expression and experimentation.
02-15-2007