Hot comb
 |
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
|
A hot comb (also known as pressing comb or straightening comb) is a metal comb that is used to straighten moderate or coarse hair and create a smoother hair texture.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Hot combs, or pressing combs and now ceramic flat irons are used by women all over the world with "ultra curly hair" to press it flat so they can achieve a variety of hairstyles.
[edit] History
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.
[edit] Usage
It is important to first make sure the hair is completely dry before pressing it. Next, a heat protector spray is used to protect the hair from direct heat and aid in the straightening process. A small amount of heat protector spray should be applied to the hair before pressing, one small section at a time. Next, a small section in the back of the head (about half an inch by an inch) is combed with a regular comb. The hot comb is then placed directly over a stove-top burner or a convectional hot plate and is left sitting for about a minute, making sure it does not smoke. The hot comb is taken off the burner, then wiped off with a clean towel and allowed it to cool for a few seconds. Then the small section of hair is slowly run through the teeth of the hot comb, tilting the comb back to allow the back to smooth the hair as it follows the teeth. This pattern is continued all around the head until the hair is at the desired texture.
If using an electric hot comb, the same steps are followed, but placing the hot comb on the burner is not necessary. It is important to be cautious of the temperature of the hot comb and make sure the comb is not too hot before placing it in the hair. Otherwise, the temperature can burn the hair. Caution should be taken around skin areas like edges and ears.
[edit] Potential consequences
There are many potential consequences to using the hot comb:
- Burnt hair. It is not uncommon, especially when using a traditional hot comb, to burn and damage hair.
- 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree burns on skin. A hot comb is often heated to over 150 degrees Fahrenheit, therefore if not careful severe burns and scarring can occur
- Hot comb alopecia and follicular degeneration syndrome. Hot comb alopecia is an irreversible alopecia of the scalp that occurs in people who straighten their hair with hot combs. "The hot petrolatum used with the iron causes a chronic inflammation around the upper segment of the hair follicle leading to degeneration of the external root sheath. Ultimately, the entire follicle is destroyed and replaced with a band of dense collagen, a follicular scar."[4] In 1992, a hot comb alopecia study was conducted, and discovered was that there was a poor correlation between the usage of a hot comb and the onset and progression of disease. The study concludes that
The term follicular degeneration syndrome (FDS) is proposed for this clinically and histologically distinct form of scarring alopecia.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Byrd, Ayana D., Tharps, Lori L. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 2001 p. 17
- ^ Byrd, Ayana D., Tharps, Lori L. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 2001 p. 20
- ^ The Black Inventor Online Museum, http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/history.html
- ^ Philip LoPresti, MD; Christopher M. Papa, MD; Albert M. Kligman, MD, PhD.”Hot Comb Alopecia” Arch Dermatol. 1968; 98(3)p 234
- ^ LTC Leonard C. Sperling, MC; COL Purnima Sau, MC, “The Follicular Degeneration Syndrome in Black Patients: ‘Hot Comb Alopecia’ Revisited and Revised” Archives of Dermatology. 1992;128(1) p68
- Byrd, Ayana D., Tharps, Lori L. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 2001
- The Black Inventor Online Museum, http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/history.html
- Philip LoPresti, MD; Christopher M. Papa, MD; Albert M. Kligman, MD, PhD.”Hot Comb Alopecia” Arch Dermatol. 1968; 98(3):234-238.
- LTC Leonard C. Sperling, MC; COL Purnima Sau, MC, “The Follicular Degeneration Syndrome in Black Patients: ‘Hot Comb Alopecia’ Revisited and Revised” Archives of Dermatology. 1992;128(1):68-74.
- Patton, Tracy Owens. “Hey Girl, Am I More than My Hair? African American Women and Their Struggles with Beauty, Body Image, and Hair.” NWSA Journal 18, no 2 (2006): 24-51.
- Banks, Ingrid. Hair Matters. New York: New York University Press, 2000.
- Djanie, Akua. “The Black Woman and the Beauty Myth” New Africa 488 (October 2009): 60-61.
- Akbari, Lisa. A Black Woman’s Guide to Beautiful Hair: A Positive Approach to Managing Any Hair Type or Style. Illinois: Sourcebooks. Inc, 2002.
- Rooks, Noliwe M. Hair Raising: Beauty Culture and African American Women. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1996.
