HOT COMB
While combinations of metal and heat have been used since ancient times to manipulate the structure of hair, it wasn’t until the 19th century that commercial hot combs became widely available. Crafted from metal and heated over a stove, a hot comb or pressing comb is then passed through oiled hair to temporarily straighten it. Originally created in 1870s France by Marcel Grateau to achieve fashionable straight styles, the combs were brought to America by Elroy J Duncan – who initially promoted them for grooming facial hair. Hot combs soon became popular amongst the Black community for straightening hair, but the tool’s place in haircare history was cemented in the early 1900s by Madam CJ Walker, who included a hot comb as part of her patented pressing system, and provided one to every hairdresser who passed her training.