- Monday, September 21, 2015
- 0 Comments
When it comes to training for a career in the hair care and
styling field, we think in terms of Caucasian (or European) hair and “Ethnic”
hair. We are taught to recognize the traits of the hair found among the various
races: those people of Asian descent, of Indian descent, and of African
descent. Learning to identify these traits helps to see how the various
stereotypes are formed, but it is the practice of actually working with hair of
various ethnic types that helps you see that the stereotypes are often false.
Having grown up
hearing a wide variety of these stereotypes, it was educational for me to learn
just how many of the things I had heard are completely false. Here are some
examples:
“African hair feels harsh and scratchy.”
Ok, so I actually learned this was
false early on. In grade school I sat behind an African-American girl who wore
her hair in thick twists. One day, after asking, she let me touch her hair and
I discovered that it was very soft. It was only the tightly-kinked wave pattern
that made it appear that it would feel rougher.
Visual
appearances can often be misleading. Hair that is very kinky can look damaged,
which is why we gauge the health of the hair by feel. Personally, I think the
reason kinky hair became closely associated with damaged hair is a result of
the “home perm” revolution of the 70’s. There were so many badly-done perms and
cases of damaged hair that ended up kinked and frizzy, that kinky hair caused
people to be reminded of a badly done perm.
“Unless it is processed, African hair will be kinky and bushy.”
This is
completely untrue. African hair can be found in a wide range of wave patterns.
I have met women and men of African descent whose hair covers a range of wave
patterns, from almost straight, to smooth, tight coils. Yes, there are a larger
percentage of kinky wave patterns found among African hair, but even the kinky
hair varies from individual to individual.
It is only
societal pressure that has led women and men of African descent to resort to
chemical relaxing processes to make their hair smoother, and more like the
popular images of beauty; that, and the desire to have more options for styling
the hair.
“African hair is oilier/greasier than European hair. This is evidenced by the fact that water beads up on their hair.”
This is also
untrue. African hair actually tends to be no more or less oily than any other
ethnic group’s hair. The reason that water tends to bead up on African hair is
that the hair tends to have a more compact cuticle layer, which makes the hair
resistant to moisture. Water and other liquids cannot penetrate the cuticle
layer as easily, and therefore simply sits on the surface of the hair. This also
means that resistant hair holds moisture better and is usually in better
condition.
The compact
cuticle also means the hair looks shinier than hair with less compact cuticle
layers. The shine can be enhanced by the oils produced by the scalp, which
leads to overly-shiny or oily-looking hair, since the oil will be less likely
to penetrate the hair shaft.
When the hair
is processed, the cuticle layer is raised, and the hair becomes more porous.
The processed hair absorbs water and other liquids more easily, but also
disperses them more readily as well. This is why processed hair can often
become dry, brittle and rough-feeling.
“African hair is harder to style than other hair types.”
This is not
only untrue, but in my experience, is completely the opposite of the truth.
When it is healthy and in good condition African hair responds beautifully to a
variety of styling techniques. Natural African hair can be braided into
intricate designs and patterns and the wave pattern of the hair allows the
braids to hold tightly and stay neat and orderly. African hair can also hold a
curl beautifully. I have created curly hairstyles with African hair using both
wet roller sets and a Marcel iron. The ease with which the hair curls, and the
clean, defined look of the curls, makes for some truly beautiful styles.
African hair is
especially terrific for styling up-styles. The amount of body and the ease of
styling allow the hair to be used to create ornate hair designs with beautiful
results. In fact, other hair types usually need to be treated with a
significant amount of hair product in order to get the needed texture to create
the kinds of hairstyles that are easily designed with African hair.
The bottom line
for me is that the stereotypes and myths that have been perpetuated regarding
African hair are not only frustrating, but often have mean-spirited origins.
After learning the truth first-hand, I would in many cases prefer to work with
African hair than any other ethnic hair type.
- Monday, September 21, 2015
- 0 Comments
