The Hot Comb & The Black Hair Dichotomy

Madame CJ Walker is a genius for inventing this !! 

In the early 1900's, the great Madame CJ Walker invented on the best items that it used daily by all women--not just African Americans.  However, it was intended for African Americans. Due to the harsh reality of slavery and the fact the [we] were stripped from our culture, the pressing comb or also known as the 'hot comb' has been included in today's society. When it comes to hair, [our] hair naturally is curly, kinky, much drier, coarse and the controversial issue of 'nappy'.

The African hair texture is unique in the world, but shared with others as far away as the Polynesian Islands, India, and in North Africa. The elliptical shape of the curly hair is thought to hold in moisture and allow cooling to the head in hotter Sub Saharan climates. The "African" hair texture is not monolithic. Curly hair, can vary from tight curls that resist combing, to loose curls most often seen in America on some "mixed race" children who have a white parent.

 African hair is very fragile, breaking easily when combed, and not resistant to many of the tools used to straighten it. African hair varies in its texture greatly individual to individual and no one method is suited to everyone. In order to achieve different hairstyles, some have tried many methods of hair straightening. One thing became obvious and that was it was easier to comb "straight" hair, and there was less hair loss when the hair was straightened. Many blacks didn't need hair straighteners but the ones that wanted it tried a multitude of ways to achieve de frissage. Therefore, many African Americans looked to find ways to straighten their hair to achieve a straighter and relaxed texture to their hair. Some of the first unconventional methods included men "slicking their hair with axle grease to create a hair straightener. Women would slather their hair with butter, bacon fat, or goose grease and then use a butter knife heated in a can over a fire as a crude curling iron."^[1] Perhaps one of the most dangerous methods was mixing lye with potatoes and placing it on the hair. The lye would straighten the hair; however, it would sometimes eat through the skin as well. Today the perms used to straighten hair have advanced as all hair care for people with ultra curly hair.
The hot comb was an invention developed in France as a way for women with ultra curly hair to achieve a super-straight look traditionally modeled by historical Egyptian women.^[2] However, it was Annie Malone who first patented this tool, while her protege / former worker, Madam CJ Walker who discovered this tool, widened the teeth and was the first to improve the invention in the US in 1900. ^[3] After slavery the hot comb was a very controversial invention because many debated on whether it was beneficial or hurtful to the black community. There were some African Americans who believed that the hot comb damaged the African-American community because it made the community submissive to the "white ideal image" of beauty and disregarded African-American culture. Others believed that efforts like hair straightening would boost their social and economic status. This dilemma continued and progressed throughout the 20th century. Today, hot combs are still used by many African-American beauticians and families as an alternative to chemical hair straightening. Many African American and women of other races, still utilize hot combs because this form of straightening is temporary and less damaging to the hair if done properly. Though blacks in this country have made many strides in hair care, all people with ultra curly hair use black products.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_comb----Wikipedia.org

How To Use The Hot Comb

Before coming to America, Africans used natural products and resources to maintain their hair in a style that usually expressed thier social status, their religion, their age or even their wealth.

  In

 order to adapt and to conform to the different lifestyle, wearing [our] straight to appeal more manageable and professional was considered fitting into the social norm.

[We] started to buy man made products, creams and relaxers(perms) that damaged [our] hair, instead of nourishing it. The Anglo-Saxon identity was much more than the social norm, it was more influential than anything.

 

Black hair was always a controversial issue. There was this dichotomy of good hair, bad hair thing. For instance, you had "good hair" if it was tameable, straight or even curly and was able to get wet withouht 'poofing'. Most likely, others will assume that you are mixed and you are not full African American and that it's impossible of even obtaing a nice grade of hair.  Below, would be considered someone with "good hair"

On the other hand, you had bad hair it was considered to be dirty, stinky, matted, nappy and overall unable to run a comb through it. In the 1960's and 1970's afro's was another of expressing yourself. My mom used to say, "The bigger the fro.. the more fun you had." But wearing an afro, dreads or any type of locks, was considered bad hair. It came off as if it was not taken care and bad hygiene. Although it it is still influened today in the hip hop community [but not as much], people are still doing what they do best---which is expressing themselves through their hair. Below is a picture is an example what was/is considered bad hair.

Erykah Badu





The Tyra Show on What is Good Hair?

 

What's In Your Hair Now?

 

Whether your hair is straight, kinky, curly, or even "somewhat poofy".. Who cares? Hair is just hair, it will gorw back. Our society has taught us that hair is our most prized possesion. It's how people judge us, how we make an impression, and what others assume about us based on how our hair looks. The way I wear my hair is how my personal business. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Personally, I dont usually wear weaves. I have nothing against them. Actually, I LOVE weaves. Next to the hot comb and the iPhone, I think that those are the best thing invented. I wear a weave specifically because it helps my hair grow. My received first weave for my senior pictures in high school and I was definitely mad at my mother for not introducing me into the weave much sooner. I fell in love with it. Now, I wear them constantly--just because its easier to manage and its keeping my hair healthier than ever. There is always this misconception with a weave--that if you always wear weaves, its because of the fact you actally have no natural hair or too ashamed to wear it your natural state.

I say, even if you have hair, then your hair is beautiful. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder..not what the media teaches us. As African Americans, we are still equipped to live without the pressing comb, because people adapt to their surroundings. Madame CJ Walker helped invent one of the greatest things to ever surface the planet. To some girls, it has become one of their best friends and to other others a "life saver". All in all, black is beautiful.