I was a very adventurous boy growing up in a small town in Arkansas. Up until high school, combing my hair was never a big priority no matter how much people teased me.
Why was everyone so concerned? How did something on my body affect whoever was looking?
Was it TV programs of perfect white people with long straight hair? Or magazine ads of black people with wavy, curly hair telling us, “You too could be happy with un-nappy hair?”
Do you remember the hairstyle called the Jheri curls during the 80’s and 90’s? The chemical process promised to straighten or curl kinky hair without the use of the iron comb.
Inside the box was a big jar of horrible-smelling orange substance. Also included were a bottle of re-activator spray and a pair of yellow latex gloves.
Now, let’s think for a moment. If the gooey orange stuff was too dangerous for rough hands, how safe was it to for the soft skin of my scalp?
Timing was critical after applying the substance to the hair. If left to long, it could burn the scalp and skin. Especially around the ears and neck.
The instructions didn’t give a definite time to rinse. The only sign you got was a warm, itchy, burning sensation all over your head. You’d scream, “Take it out now!” as you attempt to stick your head in the sink, toilet, or anywhere with cold water.
Once rinsed and dried, your hair appeared greasy and curly with a little bounce. It required sleeping with a plastic over the juicy curls. Plus using the activator spray daily to keep it moist and shining.
Hair has an automatic tendency to go back to its natural texture. Jheri curls required repeating the entire process weekly and buying more activator spray. This became expensive for a very temporary hairstyle.
It was such a waste of time and money. Especially for a kid who lived for the outdoors and never cared or worried about hair in the first place.