I cannot reiterate enough the beauty of expression and freedom when it comes to hair care and hair styling.
Hair to Stay
The art of Coiffure (French for the manner of arranging and sculpting hair) made its way into the hearts of women in the 1700’s. This phenomena was so powerful, it made is way through Paris and over to America and on the head of America’s first President, George Washington. While that was fancy, back in Egypt before America was on the map, Nefertiti and Cleopatra held down the crown and glory theory by literally wearing one.
Hair styling is officially categorized by the powers that be in the world of psychology as innate. In other words, humans are designed to somehow and to some way to want to look good. The history of hair styling comes from various parts of the world. The Parisians had their way. The Africans had another way. The Chinese had another way. Everybody had a way. Which way is the right way?
The culture one is brought up in, pretty much determines how a person will care for and style their hair; thus making hair care here to stay. The catchy part to caring for your hair based on your culture is that now mostly every culture is mixed. So; the art, skill and preference as to how to do it are mixed as well.
What other practices did we have in the separate cultures that are now mixed? Cooking, clothing, medicine, marriages are just a few of the practices that comes to mind. While the world of cooking, clothing, medicine and marriages have pretty much eliminated the need to delineate race when it comes to “how to” do it; hair care has not.
Have you ever gone into a Mexican restaurant and they have a seating section that reads “ethnic seating?” Have you ever received a shot from a doctor and the medicine reads “for women of color?” And have you ever purchased a pair of jeans that read “for mixed chicks?” How is it that the hair care industry has somehow managed to remain in the Neanderthal times when it comes to meeting the needs of such a diverse customer base when it comes to hair care?
Back in the 1700’s, during B.C., and all that jive; the world was very separate. One could clearly determine what race a person belonged to. My how things have changed? There was a time when Caucasoid truly meant straight blond hair. There was a time when Mongoloid meant straight black hair. And there was a time when Negroid meant kinky brown hair. Today, those terms are not even used; unless you are an Anthropologist or Geneticist. The only Geneticist I know is Antoinette and even she does not use those terms. When I care for her hair, she is only concerned that I care for her hair; not if I can service her hair as a woman of color. “Hair is as unique as the head on which it lies,” says salon owner and hair care product developer, Philip Pelusi. In the world of hair styling and hair care, I highly suggest we do to our business of hairstyling and hair care what the business owners in the food, clothing and medicine have decided to do; leave “race” to the cars!
I cannot reiterate enough the beauty of expression and freedom when it comes to hair care and hair styling. After all, George Washington was able to rock his Amadeus, Nefertiti and Cleopatra was able to crown their glory. People today are no different from Gee, Nef and Cleo. They too know that hair styling and hair care is innate, it is freedom, it is expression, fun and it is “mos def,” here to stay.
