The hot comb, also known as a pressing comb or straightening comb, is a metal comb used to temporarily straighten moderate or coarse hair textures, creating a smoother appearance. This tool has a rich history, deeply intertwined with cultural perceptions of beauty, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit of African American women.
The concept of using heat to style hair dates back to the late 19th century. Parisian Francois Marcel Grateau is credited with revolutionizing hairstyling in 1872 when he introduced heated irons to curl and wave hair, creating the famous Marcel Wave, which remained popular for decades. While Grateau's invention focused on creating curls, it paved the way for the development of tools designed to straighten hair.
L. Elroy J. Duncan is believed to have invented and manufactured the first hot comb or heated metal straightening comb in America, though she marketed it as a mustache grooming instrument. Sometimes the device is called a "pressing comb." During the late 19th century, Dr. Mme. Baum's Hair Emporium, a store on Eighth Avenue in New York with a large clientele composed mostly of African American women, advertised Mme. Baum's "entirely new and improved" straightening comb in 1912. In May and June 1914, other Mme. In May 1915, the Humania Hair Company of New York marketed a "straightening comb made of solid brass" for 89 cents. That same month, Wolf Brothers of Indianapolis advertised its hair straightening comb and alcohol heater comb for $1.00. The La Creole Company of Louisville claimed to have invented a self-heating comb that required no external flame. In September 1915, J. E. Walter Sammons of Philadelphia filed an application for Patent No. 1,362,823 on April 9, 1920. The patent was granted on December 21, 1920.
Annie Malone, born in 1869 to formerly enslaved parents, recognized the significance of appearance and grooming for African American women. Witnessing the hair care practices of Southern blacks migrating north, she understood the potential for improving hair health and its positive impact on their lives. This inspired her to develop a line of products aimed at improving scalp health and promoting hair growth.
Malone established Poro College in St. Louis, a cosmetics school and training center for black hair care. Named after a West African society symbolizing physicality and spirituality, Poro College became a significant employer for African Americans, particularly women. Malone trained "Poro agents" to sell her products across the United States, teaching them the "Poro system" of scalp cleaning and hair nourishing. The Marcel Comb listed in the Poro catalog may have been among the first popularized pressing comb prototypes. This heat-styling tool was used to straighten hair before making Marcel Grateau’s iconic Marcel Wave.
Read also: Buying Guide: Electric Nose Hair Trimmers
During the 1920s, Annie Malone’s Poro brand soared, increasing the value of her company and making her one of the wealthiest African American women in the country. With a newfound fortune from a company that had a global reach, Malone donated large sums of money to philanthropic efforts around the St. Louis area and beyond to institutions such as Howard University.
Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove in 1867), another daughter of formerly enslaved parents, initially worked as a laundress and struggled with hair issues. She became involved with Annie Malone's Poro College before moving to Denver, Colorado, and launching her own line of hair products.
Walker's beauty empire expanded rapidly, making her one of America's first self-made female millionaires. While often credited with inventing the hot comb, this is a misconception. Walker and her "hair culturists" regularly used the hot comb for hair styling. Her science and beauty manual, "Text Book of the Madam C. J. Walker Schools of Beauty Culture," included a chapter dedicated to her hair straightening process, which involved applying glossine to clean hair and using both sides of the hot comb to achieve the desired straight look. During the 1910s, Walker obtained her combs from different suppliers, including Louisa B. Cason of Cincinnati, Ohio, who eventually filed patent application 1,413,255 on February 17, 1921 for a comb Cason had developed some years earlier.
The use of the hot comb has been a subject of debate within the Black community. Some viewed it as a tool that promoted Eurocentric beauty standards, while others believed that hair straightening could improve social and economic opportunities. Madam C.J. Walker maintained that her products were intended to maintain healthy hair, not necessarily to straighten it.
By the late 20th century, the hot comb's popularity declined as black women embraced modern straightening devices, natural hairstyles, and other diverse looks.
Read also: Lasting Hair Graft Results
It is important to note that using a traditional hot comb can pose risks. The comb is heated and used directly to straighten the hair from the roots. The first hot comb was invented to be place directly on heat to get hot. A hot comb is often heated to over 65 degrees celsius, therefore if not careful severe burns and scarring can occur. It is not uncommon, especially when using a traditional hot comb, to burn scalp or damage the hair. There are creams that you would use straight on the hairshafts to protect the hair when hot combing. In 1992, a hot comb alopecia study was conducted, and it was discovered that there was a poor correlation between the usage of a hot comb and the onset and progression of disease.
Despite its decline in widespread use, the hot comb remains a significant part of African American hair care history. The pioneering legacies of Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam C.J. Walker paved the way for the development of specialized black hair care and beauty products in the United States. Their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to serving the needs of black women left an indelible mark on the beauty industry and continue to inspire generations.
Read also: Customizing Your Hair Oil Blend
tags: #electric #hair #pressing #comb #history
