Deep Roots of a Hair Style

Straight hair has been the trend for a few seasons now, so it’s only a matter of time before waves and curls bounce back into salons across the States and the Atlantic.
A wealth of different cultures form an integral part of the history of the USA; each nationality and ethnic background bringing a rich source of style and colour. Black Americans have a lot to be proud of in their heritage and a growing number of salons actively encourage their clientele to embrace their past and create new styles from old traditions.

Perceptions are changing; the world has come a long way from the trend of head shaving, to signify a form of freedom. An individual can choose curls, braids, weaves, corn rows, dreadlocks, coils, twists or natural (give up the relaxer, pass through the transition and go natural ‘sister’). We all want healthy, beautiful hair in whatever style helps us project our own individuality.

Hair Layers Compared with other hair types, the chemical make up of hair is the same for African-American hair as it is for other skin tones. It has a cuticle (outer layer), a cortex (middle layer made up of keratin, moisture and melanin, giving hair its colour), and a medulla (the centre of the hair shaft). The difference to Caucasian hair lies in the wave or bonding pattern, which relates to the structure of the hair; the tighter the bond, the curlier the hair. Its texture varies through fine, to coarse and the curl pattern can be straight, wavy, or very tight.

The Jheri Curl The father of hairdressing Jheri Redding, invented the ‘Jheri curl’ that swept through the African-American community throughout the late 70s and 80s. It was a style that gave a loosely curled, glossy look and has been worn by many, including singers Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, actresses Lela Rochon and Stacey Dash.

The Jheri Curl is often incorrectly spelled as Jerry or Jeri and was a perm that loosened the waves of naturally tight curls by using a softener or rearranging cream, then the hair was set on perm rods and a further chemical used to permanently curl it.

High Maintenance
To maintain the style, wearers needed to apply a daily activator and heavy moisturisers, some even slept with a plastic cap on their heads in an attempt to stop the hair from drying out. The side effects meant the hair became very greasy and could stain clothing or anything that got too close! These styling products could be removed by washing, but the damage caused to the hair then became visible.

The style came and went; probably because of the time involved in the upkeep, but not least, due to the damage the harsh chemicals inflicted on the individual’s hair. Leaving it dry and brittle, prone to breaking. Extreme cases suffered damage to the scalp, with burning from the strong chemicals. The ‘Jheri curl’ products used by Michael Jackson, while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984, were rumoured to have contributed to the serious scalp burns he suffered at that time. A very ‘BAD’ hair day!

Not surprisingly, the hairstyle went out of fashion by the early 1990s and was replaced in part with the ‘high top fade haircut’.

The Great Inventor
Jheri Redding was a stylist based in Chicago. He was one of the first to understand that the hair is made of protein and as such, he thought it would respond well if treated with protein. Enabling the damaged hair to be repaired and smoothed. He created the Crème Rinse (now more familiar as ‘Conditioner’), it was set to revolutionise the hair care industry and has been used ever since.

Perhaps it was rather fitting, that as a result of a ‘Jheri curl’ individuals with stressed out hair, generated an even greater demand for conditioners that could repair the damage.

Mr Redding, has brought the hairdressing world many other wonders, including the concept of pH-balanced shampoo, covered hairdryers, perms, shampoo bowls and a variety of other salon tools. One of his early companies called Redken, specialised in the first-ever Ph-balanced hair care products. He also patented a protein-based Interbond Conditioning System. The company was later bought by L’Oreal in 1993.

Connecting or Binding Together He formed another company called Nexxus, with his son, Stephen J. Redding, an established beauty care professional. The name came from the Greek ‘Nexus’, meaning connecting or binding together, they added an extra ‘x’ to Nexxus to reinforce the philosophy behind their product development, of Nature and Earth united with Science. They worked well together as forward thinkers who had creative and business talents. Developing new effective ingredients that many others have tried to emulate: antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, and botanicals. Using organic as well as synthetic polymers, they set the standard for the future of hairdressing.

New Decade of Beauty
Redding and his son strongly believed that human hair was a ‘living’ not ‘dead’ part of an individual, and as such its condition would respond and improve with the correct treatment. They recognised the polymers that benefit the structure of hair and noted that hair needed different care on a weekly basis or through the changing seasons. They also understood that no two individual heads of hair are the same, even if they are from the same race or family background. It was perfect for developing products that could be more effective and specialised. Consumers and salons have continued to use their hair care range and many have been influenced by the work done by the Reddings.


By Heather Bell