The vast majority of black women in 1950's Britain and America straightened their hair – it was the socially acceptable thing to do.
Straightening was done at home or in a black beauty salon. A protective pomade or oil would be put through the hair and a heated metal comb run through it, transforming tight curls into glossy straight hair. It stayed this way until it got wet or was washed. The straightened hair could then be dressed in a 1950's style.
The 1950's saw the introduction of chemical hair relaxes. Johnson Products had several lye-based relaxes on the market, including Ultra Sheen relaxes that could be used at home. Once straightened, hair could be cut and styled however the wearer wanted. It was permanent, so stayed straight even after contact with water.
Wigs were also popular – a quick and easier way to have the latest fashionable style without having to resort to the time-consuming and potentially painful process of straightening.
Towards the end of the ’50's, a tiny minority of women started to leave their hair natural and unstraightened. It would set the ball rolling for the politically-charged Afro revolution of the 1960's.
References:
H&MUA Team. (July 2013). Women’s 1950's Hairstyles: An Overview.Available: http://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-1950s-hairstyles/. Last accessed November 2015
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