THE SURPRISING TOOLS FOR SURVIVAL OF THE BLACK COSMETOLOGIST by Dr. Edward Tony Lloneau

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Sometimes it is necessary to reach back for something old in order to come up with something new. Sometimes you must resurrect tools and know-how from the past and combine that with modern day know-how to come up with a workable method hair design that is yours and yours alone, buy viagra  as a Black Cosmetologist.  Using a combination of past and present knowledge to your best advantage is the key to prosperity that will put wasted and so-called downtime to work for you. Surprising as it may seem, cheap those tools are the PRESSING COMB and the MARCEL CURLING IRON of the type that use direct thermo heat from (electric heaters). Non-black cosmetologists have not mastered the use of the stove heated Marcel Curling Iron.  The electric Irons do not get as hot as the stove heated irons and cannot be as effective on virgin Afro hair. The difference between Marcel iron and an ordinary curling iron is that the Marcel iron has two revolving handles of equal size. This iron is manipulated by using a combination of wrist and fingers working together to keep the iron constantly in motion, as long as it is in the hair, to prevent the hot iron from burning the hair.  Electric curling irons can only be manipulated by using the thumb when the release comes back around and does not allow as much freedom of movement and control as the stove heated Marcel iron, mainly because there is no cord to restrict movement. The pressing and curling of so-called kinky hair was basically the only way to get this type of straight and smooth hair until the middle 1950’s when chemical relaxers were introduced into the professional market. Soon, black beauticians all over the country were switching many of their customers from pressing to the chemical-relaxing method. This method was popular among beauticians because there was less physical effort, and the price received for this service was considerably more than from the press and curl. The patron was willing to pay more because the relaxer would last six weeks or more, and the press only lasted no longer than two weeks, or would revert immediately if gotten wet.  The going price for a press and curl in the 50’s was about $5.00.  The price a relaxer and style was from $18.00 to $24.00.  From then until now, relaxers have grown in popularity with the Black Cosmetologist, and presently represent about 80 percent of the hair restructuring services in Black Salons.\n\nTHE FOLLOWING FACTS MAY BE SURPRISING TO SOME AND SHOCKING TO OTHERS.\n\n Chemical relaxers and permanent curling serve only about 40 percent of the total hair restructuring market.  Thirty percent of that market is still using the press and curl method.  I do not intend to confuse you with conflicting statements because in the last paragraph I stated that 80 percent of all hair restructuring performed in black beauty salons are relaxers and permanent curls. That statement is true; however, all hair rearranging is not done in beauty salons.  The fact is, most people who prefer to have their own or their children’s hair pressed do not go to the salons for this service, because many salons no longer offer this service or they do not advertise it..  Manufactures of hair care products (both Black and White) are partly responsible for this trend, because just about all major manufacturers and small localized manufacturing firms all over the country, are producing chemical (Sodium Hydroxide and no lye) relaxers and permanent products.  Almost all of these manufactures are directing their efforts at those markets and leaving the rest of the hair rearranging market (pressing) in an ignored, neglected state.  Thirty percent of that market is left to achieve their hair straightening process by old fashioned, antiquated methods that have not been updated since the inception of the pressing comb. Because there is a large number of people who use the pressing comb Method of straightening hair, there is potential growth in this area for the Black Cosmetologist.  This growth is especially important for the new Black cosmetologist fresh out of beauty school.  When a new Black cosmetologist graduates from beauty schools and sets up shop looking for customers, she or he is at a great disadvantage if she/he does not know how to use the pressing comb and Marcel iron.  Especially if the majority of her/his planned clientele is Black.  This is because new cosmetologists will only be qualified to work on only about 70% of their potential customers.  At this point, I would like to pay tribute to the Black-owned beauty schools in this country, because most of them do offer and teach pressing and curling to those students who wish to learn this skill.  What is so remarkable about this is that these schools are not required to teach this method because most State Boards of Cosmetology do not require the student to know the practical application of pressing and curling.  Generally Black schools offer this basic knowledge because they know this could make the difference between success and failure for a new black cosmetologist trying to build a clientele and because many of the school patrons request this service. There are a few White-owned beauty schools with a majority of Black students that do teach pressing and curling using Black instructors.  But, for the most part, White owned schools of cosmetology do not offer this curriculum, and therefore, many Black students who graduate from such schools come out unequipped to service professionally among their own kind.  These students often wind up working as a shampoo or utility person in someone else’s salon, or they drop out of the profession altogether.  When a new Black cosmetologist who does not know how to press and curl sets up shop in an area where most of her/his customers will be Black, she or he starts out as a double minority.  First, because she/he is Black and second because she/he can only perform services for 70 percent of Black people looking for professional beauty services.  In other words, that cosmetologist will be a minority within a minority. 1/3 of the students in cosmetology school are Black in America, but many of there concerns are ignored.

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