People, Locations, Episodes

Black Hair Care and Its Culture, a story

This date is Hairstylist Appreciation Day, and The Registry looks briefly at the heritage of African American hair.

The history of “Black Hair and Beauty Culture” mirrors the intricacy of both African and American cultures. Over the years, Black hair's heritage has been associated with the ideology of white visual conception. Some say Blacks have embraced hairstyles and beauty methods reflecting popular European beauty standards. However, Blacks in America have used their West African roots and artistry to create styles and standards reflecting a unique Black culture.

Around 1441, when African slaves were brought west through the "Middle Passage," they were confronted with their first loss of identity. It was then that their only identity was stripped from them. The standards of beauty they encountered were the privilege of fair skin, straight hair, and thin features, in contrast to "African" dark skin, curly hair, and wider noses and mouths. Some slaves had to adapt to European beauty styles to survive (literally). Often, they would serve as barbers and/or beauticians for their white owners. Other slaves attempted to stay with traditional African hair customs, like braiding hair using African patterns and natural herbs from trees for their hair and skincare.

Officially, the root of a hair fiber sticks into something like a bag in the skin. The fiber is pushed out of this bag about 0.35mm per day, growing about 1cm, or half an inch, per month. The growth rate relates to the individual, his/her age, diet, etc. Healthy hair has an average lifetime of 2-6 years. Though there are exceptions, the hair of Blacks is usually coarser in texture, tighter in curl pattern, more naturally delicate, and more vulnerable to damage from chemical treatments. Because of our multicultural heritage, there isn't any typical “type” of African American hair.  Its texture can vary from fine to medium to coarse; its curl pattern from straight to softly wavy to excessively tight; its colors from blonde to red, to all sorts of browns, to black.

There is no chemical difference in the makeup of African hair compared to any other hair type. It has a cuticle (the outer layer), a cortex (the middle layer, composed primarily of keratin and moisture, plus melanin, which gives our hair its color), and a medulla (the center of the hair shaft). All these parts are identical to those of Caucasian hair. What is different is our wave, curl, or kink and bonding pattern. (Bonding speaks to the structure of hair: the tighter the bond, the curlier the hair.) Our hair color can vary from light, sandy blonde to dark black. Universally, ethnic women tend to have rich-brown complexions and deep-brown hair.

There are many different tonal qualities to African American hair, from medium browns and reddish mahogany to the darkest blue-black. When slavery ended, there was an overabundance of blacks who were knowledgeable in European hair care. The need for blacks knowledgeable in black hair care began to grow. It was then that the kitchen beauty shops began. There was a growing number of black beauty shops everywhere. As the number of commercial establishments grew, barbershops and beauty parlors became increasingly important in Black communities' economic and social structure.

Beauty salons and barbershops became places to get your hair done and locations where Blacks could talk about their community. In the barbershops, you could usually find a couple of men playing a game of chess, cards, or dominoes while talking about what is happening in the black community. You could usually jump into a conversation about the town gossip in the beauty salons. Many film adaptations of African American themes use these businesses to show Black culture in the United States. Coming to America, 1988; Malcolm X, 1992; and Barber Shop, 2002 are examples. Over the years, beauty salons and barbershops have come to provide a unique social function.

Regarding the structure of “Black Hair,” kinky hair breaks so easily because every twist in African American hair represents a potential stress point, which means the curlier your hair, the more prone it is to breakage. Cornrows left in too long can cause traction that may result in breakage. Our kinky hair is also prone to catching onto one another, which causes fragmentation. What makes the color of hair different? Whether black, blond, or brown, the answer lies in melanophore. The hair roots contain pigment cells called melanin, which creates a black pigment. Melanophore is a chromatophore that sends pigment to new hair. The greater the amount of pigment sent to the hair, the darker the hair becomes. On the contrary, as the amount of pigment is reduced, the hair color turns brown and blond.

Some people believe that differences in hair color are caused by the differences in the intensity of ultraviolet rays in the sunlight to which the hair is exposed. A baby's hair begins to grow around the third month after conception. Trichocysts are the first hairs formed. They develop into hair follicles as the fetus grows, and then become downy hairs several centimeters long when the baby is born. The total number of hairs is determined before the baby is born. After that, the number of hairs never increases; they only decrease. About four hundred and fifty thousand are to be found above the neck. These hairs include about one hundred thousand hairs on the head and about thirty thousand hairs taken up by mustaches, beards, or facial hair. Hair grows faster in the spring and summer than in autumn and winter.

There are about 100 to 150 thousand hair fibers on a normal scalp. A blond head usually has much more fibers than red or dark-haired heads. Hair consists mainly of keratin, which is also responsible for the elasticity of fingernails. A single hair has a thickness of 0.02-0.04mm, so 20 to 50 hair fibers next to each other make one millimeter. Hair is as vital as a wire of iron. It rips after applying a force equivalent to 60kg after it is stretched to 70%. There are several opinions regarding hairstyles and how general American culture affects black hairstyles.

Many Blacks debate that imitating European standards of beauty and grooming was necessary for Blacks to be accepted by white culture, especially by potential white masters and employers. For generations, hairstyles have reflected the history of American race relations, and how Blacks wore their hair reflected the dominant white culture.  African American hair was straightened, combed, or parted to mimic Western coiffures. In response to the propaganda in black communities to accept the European standards of beauty, the Black haircare market expanded.

Madam C.J. Walker is one of the pioneers in the Black haircare market with her Walker System. However, African Americans have thrown away European beauty standards. During the 1960s, the “Afro” debuted with the concept of Black is Beautiful. During the '80s and the '90s, West African traditional hairstyles began resurfacing in the Black community. Many people were getting braids with traditional West African patterns. Many beauty shops are designed to create only West African traditional hairstyles.

Near the end of the twentieth century, relaxed hair became popular again in a wide range of short and long styles, while the new Jheri curl used a different chemical to create loose, wet curls for both men and women. Women and men chose dreadlocks, twists, corkscrews, fades, and other styles that used the benefits of Black hair's natural texture. Despite the economic depression in many Black neighborhoods, hair salons remain among urban communities' most successful Black businesses. Even African Americans who move to predominantly white suburbs often return to black urban neighborhoods to get their hair done.

Still, Blacks are losing control over the Black haircare market. Business by business, mergers, and acquisitions dismantle Black-owned hair care endeavors. A moment of truth came when L'Oreal acquired Carson. The result was that the top two black-owned hair care companies (Johnson Products and Soft Sheen) were joined under L'Oreal’s ownership. Many white business people know what kind of money Black people put into their hair care and want a part of that market.

The popularity of natural African American hairstyles has also developed an Internet following. Many websites provide information, products, and tips for African American hair care. Websites devoted to natural styles, braids, and dreadlocks are growing, too. Black Hair Media is one of the more comprehensive sites online. Nappy Hair is another online resource for anyone who needs guidance in managing natural hair. Offline, many books have been published on the topic.

Among the most recent is the 2003-released "Hair Rules: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly, or Wavy Hair," by New York City stylist Anthony Dickey.  Also, many trends can be attributed to Meechy Monroe and her TwistOut.

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