Jheri Curl

Who comes to your mind when you first think of Jheri curl? Michael Jackson in the days of Billie Jean, when he sported those loose curls. Right? Jheri curl is a common and popular hairstyle in the men and women of African-American descent. This curly hairstyle got its name from its inventor, Jheri Redding, who was an icon of hair care products. The peak era of Jheri curl would be, late 70's and 80's hairstyle when numerous African-American celebrities flaunted this hairstyle. This is a sort of hair perm style that offers soft and glossy curls to the individual who is wearing it. The process of getting this hairstyle is no less interesting either. There are a few ways of getting Jheri curl hairstyles. Amongst them, the first explanation described the original procedure which was invented by Jheri Redding.

Products

The initial procedure of perming hair for Jheri curl was basically a two step process. It consisted of two hair styling products, namely, a hair softener, which was also called hair rearranging cream and a curl activator spray. The rearranging cream which was made of harsh chemicals was first applied on the hair, that loosened up the tight curls of African-American hairstyles. Once loosened up, the hair was set on perm rods and special kind of perms for curly hair were added to it. To maintain the glossy and loose appearance of Jheri curl, wearers of this hairstyle were required to use curl activators and several types of strong moisturizers on a daily basis. In fact, the wearer also had to sleep by covering his/her hairstyle with a plastic cap.

Downside

The chemicals and harsh process of this hairstyle was hard to maintain and it damaged the original texture and softness of the hair. Instead of soft hair, the wearers were left with unwanted, extremely dry and brittle hair. Apart from that, price of the activators and moisturizers was really expensive. A small bottle of activator spray was about $3 to $6. Many people also complained it being greasy and staining. Once the hair was washed, it showed the side effects of Jheri curl, in the form of damaged and chemical exposed hair. Jheri curl went out of fashion during the early 90's and got replaced by those funky high top fades and other curly hairstyles.

Wig

Apart from the side effects and long term harm regarding hair care, money that one had to shell for this high maintenance hairstyle was an issue that some people argued upon. However, both these facts did not deter many men and women from getting Jheri curl. They opted for this hairstyle without the fear of these side effects. This 1980s' hairstyle, regained some of its popularity as a trendy black hairstyle. However, the techniques that people use for getting the Jheri curl weave are totally different. Rather than undergoing those harmful perming procedures, today's generation prefers wearing those ultra modern wigs. They are easy to find, quite affordable to purchase and easy to carry. One can wear these extensions during the daytime and then remove them at night to avoid the trouble of sleeping with a plastic cap!

Today, you can get some really trendy Jheri curl extensions from $10 onwards. If you really want to relive and experience the retro era, you can always buy extensions and see how it feels like! Enjoy!