Where does all this knowledge on black hair care come from?

[ShaniKeys]

This is a question that I've been wondering to ask for a long time. I've been reading hair magazines like Hype Hair magazine and Sophisticate's Black Hair magazine since the early 90's, yet I never got as much information about black hair care (natural or relaxed) as I do here, for the most part all they had/have are/were pics...of women with weaves/wigs half the time. To be honest, it's just now that I'm noticing a difference in the hair articles in SBH magazine, they now talk about winter hair care, natural hair care, organic hair products, ...etc. I'm also amazed at the fast pace in which this whole knowledge is taking over the world, you can find Dutch and French hair sites talking about how to take care of (mostly natural) black hair.

So I was just wondering, where do you think all this knowledge is coming from?

• Black hair magazines
• Books about black hair care
• Black women interacting with each other, talking about hair
• A culmination of Black hair care that started with our ancestors
• Black women educating themselves on black hair care
• Black American hair salons
  ...

80 to 90% of the things I learned here were new to me, so of course for me it's like being in LHCF college.

 

[msa]

Truthfully, I think most of the stuff in those magazines was just stuff the writers made up as they went along. Including the writers that are hair stylists.

I'm sure people learn about hair science in cosmetology school, but it doesn't seem like it in those magazines. Especially because I used to read them voraciously and still never read anything about hair basics (the structure of the hair, moisture, how certain practices affect the hair, etc.).

 

[peppers01]

IMHO I think it comes from simply trial and error, and many of what you stated. Someone tries something on their hair and has great results, and just have to share it with someone. Then that person tells someone else, and so on and so on. Someone had to try it first (pioneer), and that person is compelled to tell someone else about what worked for their hair. That's the basis of LHCF, women who have knowledge of hair care, sharing with others to help them. Of course you have those who want to hold on, and not share with others, because they want to be loners. However, this is a community of women that sincerely want everyone to share in the joy of hair care.