MEMORIES:
239classiccartooner remembers...omg i had one twice once in 86 again in 89 one i had two comb clips on both sides ... More »
Posted on 07/12/08
As a response to the full, natural look of the afro, the jheri-curl let the kink out. Michael Jackson let his afro down and jheri-curled it, and the people followed.
Hair care product manufacturer Jheri Redding developed the chemical perm process that relaxed the natural kinky curl of black hair so that the curls feel more loosely. The result was wet-looking, shiny hair. They also created a line of gels and conditioners to maintain the look. And was there ever maintenance – the hair required constant upkeep, including a daily handful of oil activator conditioner to keep up the soft and shiny look.
The constant wetness of the hair left an unfortunate amount of stains and greasy residue on bus seats and car headrests – not to mention the backs of couches as immortalized in the Eddie Murphy film, Coming to America, and its jheri-curl homage, “Soul Glo.”
