The very first hair dryers were vacuum cleaners adapted for drying hair. Much like technology and beauty products as a whole, flat irons have really grown to become their own sector in the beauty industry. The evolution of this hair straightening devices over the years from the heating irons to the present day straighteners is highly interesting. Hair products aimed at white Americans emphasized long, smooth, straight hair. My mother used to actually iron her hair on an ironing board when she was a teenager, and all she succeeded in doing was damaging it so much she had to cut it into a pixie cut. How to Keep Your Hair Straight and Manageable After a Rebond Treatment, Here’s What You Need to Know Before Having Curly Hair Extensions, Here’s What You Need to Know About Using a Hair Blowdryer, Do We Really Need to Trim Our Hair Regularly? She developed it to help African American women who wanted to change the tight curl of their hair to a … The History. The evolution of this hair straightening devices over the years from the heating irons to the present day straighteners is highly interesting. The history of the hairbrush begins with the comb. Here’s What We need to Know, What Kind of Shampoo Should You Choose? Hair straightening using a hot comb or relaxer has a long history among women and men of African American descent, reflected in the huge commercial success of the straightening comb popularized by Madam C. J. Walkerand other hairdressers in the early 1900s. Women or men that were not lucky enough to be born with this hair type would heat flat iron plates in a fire and run over the hair shaft until smooth. Any surprises? This is because the high heat and strong chemicals used in relaxers risk making your hair dry, brittle and prone to breakage. What do you think about the history of modern hair straightening? While she helped women to straighten their hair, she only used heat-styling tools. Straightening hair dates back as far as ancient Egypt, where flat iron plates were used to straighten unruly hair. A ceramic hair straightener brush was patented in 2013. There is no denying the fact that having straight hair does create a major impact on one’s overall look. With her product she aimed to make people's lives easier when it came to dealing with their hair care system. A history of hair straightening & a review of Mother Multi Hair Styler. For women with curly hair who have long envied silky straight tresses, it seemed like a miracle procedure. The Quest for Straight Hair Even after Emancipation , there was a growing notion that European textured hair was “good” and African textured hair was “bad,” foreign and unprofessional. While there is an ugly history along the diaspora of Black hair being violated without consent, Black women have been able to reclaim their hair styles and choices. Hair straighteners are extremely easy to use- simply plug them in, heat them up, and get to work straightening your hair in small sections. Also known as thermal reconditioning, Japanese straightening was all the rage in early 2000s New York City. The best part about this technique is that it helps to flatten the hair while straightening at giving it a uniform and sleek look. Invented by French hairstylist Marcel Grateau, his styling technique involved curli… History of Hair Straighteners Timeline created by Hayley Tuckett. However, we urge you to be careful if you decide to have your hair relaxed. The hair tool he created consisted of metal teeth which the user would use to comb through the hair; these worked but would not be considered the same product as the hair straighteners that are used today. Hair straighteners are, for many of us, an essential part of our beauty routine. There is a misconception that the hot comb was invented by Madam C.J. At this time, big, curly hair was the main look. The hair straightener was a device “heated like a curling iron” with two flat faces held together by a hinge . It is said that in ancient Egypt, iron plates were used to straighten hair although it did cause some burns during the process. There is a misconception that the hot comb was invented by Madam C.J. And Vivianne rocks a buzz cut like no other! The results will last through your next washing. The History of Japanese Hair Straightening . Ancient Egypt Long, straight hair was popular in style in Egypt in ancient times. This became the benchmark for modern hot combs commonly used in African-American households until the 1980s. The Madam Walker System of Beauty Culture focused more on hygiene and healthy scalps and hair than hair straightening. Hair Rebonding. Yes, that iron you use to get the wrinkles out of your clothes was what ladies everywhere were using to straighten their hair. the Mother Multi Hair Styler in lush packaging . The excessive heat breaks the disulphide bonds temporarily. It was shocking to discover that hair straightening and relaxing products developed from such things as the Sulphur Chemicals used to treat lice in Slave Quarters, and left-over kitchen dishwashing water whose chemical residue was valued for its corrosive effect on the scalp which would then straighten the Slave’s ‘Kinky Hair’ as a welcome side effect. It’s pretty amazing to see how far hair straightening techniques and products have come just since the 1950’s-isn’t it? This temporary breakages allows the strands to be rearranged in a straight position and as the hair cools the bonds are reformed. The history of perming ethnic hair. We’re not going to go into the ancient Egyptians techniques, but even as recent as the 1950’s hair straightening was an incredibly popular hair style that was achieved quite different than we do today. If you are using your straighteners every day, or long-term, make sure you use a high quality hair conditioner so your hair doesn't get too dry over time. Naturally, as we made our way into the 90’s and 00’s hair straighteners (now referred to as flat irons) become more and more advanced in technology and quality. The History of Straightening Irons. Your time and work paid off and you feel ready to conquer the world. The first instance of modern flat irons (hair straighteners) were created in 1909 by Isaac K. Shero who used two flattened clothing irons to press down over the hair from both sides. Straight hair also never went out of style and had been a popular choice of hairstyle since hundreds or even thousands of years ago. She invented it in her 30s, in 1912. A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the structure of the hair using heat. Head Wraps. How It Works: A stylist applies a keratin hair-straightening product to your hair and then uses the heat of a flat iron to seal it in. In 1893, Ada Harris, a school teacher from Indianapolis, applied for a patent for the hair straightener. 4. Contents. While there is an ugly history along the diaspora of Black hair being violated without consent, Black women have been able to reclaim their hair styles and choices. Hair irons are used so much, but most people probably don’t know the evolution of the hair The desirable straight hairstyle was popular throughout many periods in history. The tool masks a complicated history, which I’m going to put some light on here. In 1872, Marcel Grateau (a Parisian) used heated rods to curl or style hair. Head Wraps. Hair straightening was performed with chemicals or with damaging irons that had the chance of ruining the hair forever. Still, there are a lot of people especially women who prefer their hair straight. Simon E. Monroe patented a hair straightener in 1906 that was like a metal comb. “I like to use an edge control product before using any thermal heat styling tool," he says. During that time when Brazilian keratin straightening wasn’t a thing yet, ancient Egyptians apparently used flat iron plates to straighten their hair. Hair straightening is a popular activity today in the 21st century but actually was not common throughout history. History Edit. All Rights Reserved. In fact, the most commonly used technique for hair straightening in the 50’s and 60’s was the use of a clothing iron. The History of Yuko Hair Straightening. Straightening History. In this hair tutorial for African women from 1940, we see various techniques applied to straight out the lady's hair. The Madam Walker System of Beauty Culture focused more on hygiene and healthy scalps and hair than hair straightening. As for hair straightening device, it was debated that a certain Simon Monroe first patented the flat iron back in 1906. It has little to no hook at the end of the follicle (bulb), which keeps it from growing at an angle. Around the 1840s, DIY hot combs started to appear and to be used in the Americas and Europe. With her product she aimed to make people's lives easier when it came to dealing with their hair care system. Historically, there have been quite a few methods of hair straightening, many early ones involving abrasive chemicals being applied to the scalp and hair. For the past 10 years or so, flat irons have become available in a huge price range variation offering a lot of different temperature and technique settings for users. It’s always fun to look back at where we’ve come from in the beauty world so we thought we would share a brief history of modern hair straightening to give you a little perspective on just how easy we have it today. The Yuko Hair Straightening system was created in Japan in 1996 by Yuko Yamashita, who is a stylist and salon owner. She abhorred the rampant use of lye mixture that caused burns and hair damage, and instead developed a more user-friendly hair straightening recipe. Rebonding is a chemical hair treatment that makes hair straight, shiny and sleek. Annie Turnbo Malone, Madam C.J. Effortless glide is one of the first things he looks for in a hair straightener—it’s the key to not damaging or burning the hair. Hair products aimed at African American consumers emphasized kinkier-textured hair and less-restrained hair styles. Fortunately, in the 80’s beauty companies took the trend as an opportunity to create a product that was safer than the clothing irons and designed a product that’s similar to the modern flat iron. Some of us use them daily and some just for the weekend, but there’s nothing like the confidence boost you get when you’re done doing your hair. Keratin hair treatments, Brazilian blowouts, and semi-permanent hair straightening all refer to a method of treating your hair for a straight texture that lasts 3 … The Risks of Hair Relaxing. Of course, trends and techniques have varied throughout the growth of technology and experience throughout history in relation to hair straightening. Straight hair became popular when women in the 1960s started using clothing irons to straighten their hair. Found by archeologists at Paleolithic dig-sites around the world, combs date back to the origins of man-made tools. There are three general kinds: curling irons, used to make the hair curly, straightening irons, commonly called straighteners or flat irons, used to straighten the hair, and crimping irons, used to create crimps of the desired size in the hair. Chemically straightening your hair can be extremely satisfying, and we know how important it is to feel happy with your style. The history of the evolution of the modern hair straighteners dates back to early 1900s when the first tool was merely two pieces of iron that could be clamped between the hairs and was used on the hair without any safety measure. While hair straightening isn’t a new hair technique, the evolution is pretty fascinating–even as we just take a look at the history of modern techniques. Parisian born Marcel Grateau is given the earliest attribution of a “straightener”, as he created a heated rod used for both curling and straightening hair. A Brief History Of Modern Hair Straightening, Play Up Your Ponytail With These Fun Ideas, Hair Care That Complements Daily Workouts. Nowadays, we have the freedom to keep our natural hair or go to a Japanese hair straightening salon. Madam C.J. Other innovations followed suit, including a hair relaxing chemical product specially made for African-American hair and a hair straightening treatment meant for men. | Hair Salon website design by: D Graphic Studio. But how it all started? It was discovered by the Europeans, the French to be exact!!!! Nonetheless, it is within the discretion of the person whether he or she wants to keep their natural hair or go visit a keratin treatment salon in Rockville MD. Hair straightening has been a hair trend throughout history, even dating back to ancient Egypt. Mar 19, 1000. We’re now able to find a flat iron at various different price points, made of different materials that can better suit our hair type, and incredible versatility. Chemical Straightening (Hair Relaxing) Chemical straightening, or hair relaxing, is the process of … It was created with two hot plates of metal that were placed inside handles made of plastic. Mar 19, 1000. Not all people are gifted with naturally-straight hair. The History of Yuko Hair Straightening. Tips on Shopping for Shampoo, Winter is Coming: Hair Care and Maintenance Tips for the Winter Season, Hair Salon website design by: D Graphic Studio. It doesn’t change much in straightness, but it does change in thickness. Meanwhile, Madame CJ Walker, formerly Sarah Breedlove, also invented hair straightening for African-American people, who usually have naturally-kinky hair. The first heat rods were created and used in 1872 by Erica Feldman, who took heated irons and applied them to the head to shape hair. Hair straightening using a hot comb or relaxer has a long history among women and men of African American descent, reflected in the huge commercial success of the straightening comb popularized by Madam C. J. Walker and other hairdressers in the early 1900s. Well, unfortunately, hair straightening, in this case, is quite counter-intuitive . Walker, and the Complicated History of the Hot Comb. We celebrate Black History Month, with a reflection on the past, present and future of African-American hair. Carved from bone, wood, and shells, they were initially used to groom hair and keep it free of pests, such as lice. Unlike today, a lot of women benefited a lot in using various hair products and treatments such as keratin treatment by a hairstylist or having Balayage hair highlights. In Uncategorized. The different hair straightener that is available in the market today has a different and interesting history behind. Required fields are marked *, © Copyright 2014 L'OR Salon. Alexandre Godefoy invented the first electric hair dryer in 1890. So you thought straightening your hair was the ultimate way to get rid of all your frizz, huh? Back then, it was highly-risky to style your hair, unlike today. But she did not create an actual device to straighten hair. History. 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