Conk
Conk
Conk (/kɒŋk/), also known as conk hair or conk hairstyle, is a hairstyle popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. This hairstyle is achieved through the application of a lye, egg, and potato mixture that relaxes the curl pattern in the hair, resulting in a straightened version.
Etymology
The term "conk" is derived from congolene, a gel-like substance made from potato starch, egg protein, and corrosive lye. Congolene was used to chemically straighten the hair, a process that was both physically painful and potentially damaging to the hair and scalp.
Related Terms
- Hair relaxer: A type of lotion or cream that makes the hair easier to straighten and manage. It reduces the curl by breaking down the hair strand and chemically altering the texture.
- Afro: A hairstyle worn naturally outward by people with lengthy or even moderate length kinky hair texture, or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.
- Jheri curl: A permed hairstyle that was popular among African Americans during the 1980s.
- Lye: A metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Conk
- Wikipedia's article - Conk
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