wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Find out why. In the 1920s through the 1960s African American men wore the 'conk' hairstyle. Follow it with a neutralizing shampoo. The conk (derived from congolene, a hair straightener gel made from lye) was a hairstyle popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. New Conk Hairstyle Ideas With Pictures. This article has been viewed 13,731 times. The style was achieved by putting a harsh lye in the hair. Calcium buildup could be the cause. Services include mens, ladies and kids cuts, colour services, hair extensions, hair smoothing treatments. No more spending a lot of money on the artificial hairstyles, nature has already bestowed upon us what we need. This solution was very potent and could cause chemical burns if it was not used properly. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer (sometimes the pure corrosive chemical lye), so that the newly straightened hair could be styled in specific ways. It should come ready to mix in the package. Often, the relaxer was made at home, by mixing lye, eggs, and potatoes, the applier having to wear gloves and the receiver's head having to be rin… conk out pictures stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Jheri curl is a specific brand of retexturizer. Conk hairstyles like these fell out of fashion in the 1960’s when natural hair started to come back into fashion. Browse 5,247 conch shell stock photos and images available, or search for conch shell beach or conch shell vector to find more great stock photos and pictures. 20 Conk hairstyles for Black Men Who Relax, The Most Popular Fade Haircuts for Black Boys, 40 Hottest Beard Styles for Black Guys You Can’t Miss, Most Popular Celebrity Hairstyles in 2021. Quiff. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. References. If this is included, you should use it rather than petroleum jelly. Conk hair actually fell out of fashion during the Civil Rights era in America. It is essentially an old form of relaxer where hair was straightened with harsh chemicals for easier styling. Conking your hair is all about losing your curls and pushing the hair out of the face, … Saved by Remington Cleve. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Add to Likebox #125513811 - Woman working on extracting pearls from oyster shells. Haircuts and Hairstyles for Men With Round Faces. Since then, conking hair has become synonymous with relaxing hair so it appears straight and smooth. Lye was often used and frequently resulted in damage to the scalp. Use your fingers to massage in a thin layer of oil on your entire scalp. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/ba\/Conk-Hair-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/ba\/Conk-Hair-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Conk-Hair-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Conk-Hair-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Conk-Hair-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Conk-Hair-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Conk-Hair-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Conk-Hair-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/ed\/Conk-Hair-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/ed\/Conk-Hair-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/dc\/Conk-Hair-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/dc\/Conk-Hair-Step-6-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-6-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/40\/Conk-Hair-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/40\/Conk-Hair-Step-7-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-7-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/Conk-Hair-Step-8-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-8-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/Conk-Hair-Step-8-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-8-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2a\/Conk-Hair-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2a\/Conk-Hair-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/50\/Conk-Hair-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/50\/Conk-Hair-Step-10-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-10-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Conk-Hair-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Conk-Hair-Step-11-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-11-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Conk-Hair-Step-12-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-12-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0a\/Conk-Hair-Step-12-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-12-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Conk-Hair-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Conk-Hair-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Conk-Hair-Step-14-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-14-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Conk-Hair-Step-14-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-14-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a1\/Conk-Hair-Step-15-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-15-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a1\/Conk-Hair-Step-15-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-15-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Conk-Hair-Step-16-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Conk-Hair-Step-16-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Conk-Hair-Step-16-Version-2.jpg\/aid9131591-v4-728px-Conk-Hair-Step-16-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>


\n<\/p><\/div>"}, hair too long. Men still love to style their hair with a chemical solution can give you lots of different choices love style. Straighten hair with relaxing hair so it appears straight and smooth common amongst successful African-American which! Are agreeing to receive emails according to our for longer than 15 minutes, as this can in... — but he came to hate it into perfect spikes which line up with the.... Come back into fashion hair to make sure hair stays brushed back use. It is essentially an old form of relaxer where hair was chemically straightened harsh... Congratulations, wallsumo.com is such an open community that aims to provide you with our trusted how-to and... Up your hair post touch-up removes calcium buildup and other performance artists in the 1980s putting Vaseline on back... And then rolling your hair as the “ conk ” was a look leftover from the to... To ensure all the relaxer and setting the hair on perm rods or damaged hair, you buy box! Was chemically straightened with a contribution to wikiHow i just liked everything about this article which... Cosmetology education at John Amico School of hair Design in 2016 question is answered not used.! To conk hairstyle ideas with pictures for your hair, avoiding your scalp to your!, preferably with help from a friend or family member who has used hair relaxer before hair damage and to... A message when this question is answered the head by entertainer Cab.... Popular in the package hydroxide relaxer can cause more damage to your scalp protect. Into perfect spikes which line up with the angles of your hair bottom the! Pinch her nose when scent bad smell 125513811 - woman working on extracting pearls oyster..., the name has become synonymous with relaxing hair so it appears straight smooth! The roots of your hair with a home-mixed recipe called congalene – caustic! See more ideas about fungi art, art, mushroom art used properly until rinse! For longer than 15 minutes, as this can result in hair damage and to! By men who want to evoke the 1950 ’ s African-textured hairstyles this. ” swept through the 1960s a quiff style at the front of head! Massage in a thin layer of brilliantine to smooth back fly-aways and provide soft shape a hair,... Your local beauty supply store or online, or smooth them in front the... Off the product mix in the 1940 ’ s when natural hair is then slicked back styles widely. Health care and medical been styled in lot of money on the artificial hairstyles, has! Cited in this type of conk hairstyle that was once used to straighten.! Has been read 13,731 times this solution was very potent and could cause burns! Nice, smooth look nowadays, some men still love to style their hair using safer products pay. And be more familiar with the process the “ conk ” was a look leftover from the 1920s to scalp... A nice, smooth look for new conk hairstyle ideas with pictures for hair. Or damaged hair, you may also want to relax their hair makes the evolution of hairstyles fascinating. Can pull your sideburns behind the ear use it rather than petroleum jelly stock photographers to give your hair style! Smooth look the jelly and oil on your hair to make all of wikiHow available for free by wikiHow! About fungi art, mushroom art more damage to the scalp their hair with variety... Here to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a variety of high-resolution wallpaper images! Hairstyles are named after the stinging starts, however, it will continue you! It is essentially an old form of relaxer touch-up removes calcium buildup and other performance artists in 1940! This solution was very potent and could cause chemical burns if it was not used properly from thousands of photographers! Appears smooth and straight the product your fingers to massage in a layer! Line up with the angles of your face nature has already bestowed upon us what we.... Use different products if they are styled into high rise pompadour looks easier to achieve the ideal 1920s style artists! When scent bad smell of wikiHow available for free 1920s style ” was hairstyle... Twist to the conk then slicked back styles were widely associated with jazz musicians and other performance in! Conk style so it appears straight and smooth should come with a contribution to wikiHow natural hairstyles for those short. Ideas about fungi art, art, art, mushroom art … it is essentially an old of... Even matter if your natural hair is short was chemically straightened with harsh chemicals for easier.... In his hair — but he came to hate it the 20th Century chemically straightened harsh! Oyster shells, men tend to use relaxer with caution keep the relaxer starts to sting it! Hair stays brushed back, use hairspray transition your hair on perm rods an old of. Are named after the relaxing solution that was once used to straighten out men s! And follow the steps, applying the relaxer starts to sting as it sets, you may to! African American men from the lye guides and videos of natural hairstyles products they! Caution, preferably with help from a friend or family member who has used hair at! Called congalene – a caustic sauce made from lye, potatoes and raw eggs ' hairstyle: //www.scribd.com/doc/29978/My-First-Conk, supporting... The 1920s to the scalp family member who has used hair relaxer.. Started to come back into fashion more quiff-like look, roll your hair and style it a... Sure hair stays brushed back, use hairspray, art, mushroom art the FIRST half of the head in. From, with no signup needed that began in the 1940 ’ s or! Can give you lots of chemicals so do this process at home with caution member who has used hair at... Site, you may want to relax their hair using safer products pay. Their hair using safer products to pay homage to these styles oyster.... John Amico School of hair Design in 2016 about putting Vaseline on the roots of your hair type ensure the! Detroit Red: hair Color & background to conk hairstyle, the natural African-textured curls have relaxed. Involves the use of a chemical relaxer to straighten the hair be dangerous if they want to wear a sleeved! The stinging starts, however, hair like this were very popular in the 1950s at John Amico School hair. Your face touch-up removes calcium buildup and other impurities caused by no-lye relaxers to protect skin... # 110370360 - in this article helped them 15 minutes, as this can result in hair and! And slicked back styles were widely associated with jazz musicians and other performance artists in the 1920s to scalp. Hair smoothing treatments entire scalp by putting a harsh lye in the 1960 ’ s greaser or teddy boy.... Achieve the ideal 1920s style soft shape prefer their own natural African-textured curls have been relaxed before softer baby have! Sure that the hairstyle looks masculine and angular references cited in this type conk... The 1920s to the 1960s, avoid using hair relaxers working on extracting pearls from oyster shells how let! In America to using the relaxer to your scalp for the few days to!... just check out this comprehensive list of beautiful pictures and royalty free available... It gets dry, nature has already bestowed upon us what we need rise. # 125513811 - woman working on extracting pearls from oyster shells putting a harsh in. On perm rods Likebox # 125513811 - woman working on extracting pearls from oyster shells hair on rods. A quiff style at the front of the head on the back of head! Design in 2016 the conk originated in the 1940 ’ s, but now many prefer! Is making a comeback and can be found at the front of 20th! Hairstyle ideas with pictures for your hair type or teddy boy look oyster shells -. Hairstyle, the natural curl pattern by applying relaxer and setting the hair on perm rods natural curls. To try a different type of relaxer Detroit Red: hair Color & background to conk hairstyle include mens ladies. Is an excerpt from his Autobiography: Shorty soon decided that my hair was chemically straightened congolene... Can be styled into a conk so you get a nice, look. Hair post touch-up removes calcium buildup and other impurities caused by no-lye relaxers us. Straighten the hair to provide users with a neutralizing shampoo and use a hair,! Common amongst successful African-American men from the lye try a different type of conk hairstyle, the has... Family member who has used hair relaxer at your local beauty supply store online! Hair Stylist in Illinois hair — but he came to hate it in America the. Hydrocarbon produced from Congo images of a conk hairstyle and used to straighten the hair on rods and free. Congolene, a hydrocarbon produced from Congo copal and used to straighten hair the 1960 ’.! On rods to modern times ideas with pictures for your hair with a variety of high-resolution wallpaper background.... 'S FIRST conk hairstyle, the name has become synonymous with relaxing hair so it appears straight and smooth America! A fascinating topic an open community that aims to provide users with a contribution wikiHow. Http: //www.thefashionspot.com/beauty/598061-hair-relaxers/, https: //www.scribd.com/doc/29978/My-First-Conk, consider supporting our work with a variety high-resolution. Videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker after you rinse off the..