, ▁among ▁other ▁products , ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁standard ▁a est h etic ▁look . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁con king ▁( v ivid ly ▁described ▁in ▁The ▁Aut obi ography ▁of ▁Mal col m ▁X ) ▁became ▁an ▁innov ative ▁method ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁for ▁Black ▁men ▁to ▁straight en ▁their ▁k ink y ▁hair . ▁Women ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁t ended ▁either ▁to ▁wear ▁w igs , ▁or ▁to ▁hot - comb ▁their ▁hair ▁( r ather ▁than ▁con k ▁it ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁tempor arily ▁m im ic ▁a ▁straight ▁style ▁without ▁perman ently ▁alter ing ▁the ▁natural ▁curl ▁pattern . ▁Popular ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁con k ▁hair ▁style ▁was ▁achieved ▁through ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁a ▁pain ful ▁l ye , ▁egg ▁and ▁pot ato ▁mixture ▁that ▁was ▁to xic ▁and ▁immediately ▁burn ed ▁the ▁scal p . ▁ ▁Black - owned ▁business es ▁in ▁the ▁hair - care ▁industry ▁provided ▁jobs ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁African - Amer icans . ▁These ▁business ▁own ers ▁gave ▁back ▁strongly ▁to ▁the ▁African - American ▁community . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁hundreds ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ▁became ▁owner - oper ators ▁of ▁successful ▁beauty ▁sal ons ▁and ▁bar bers h ops . ▁These ▁offered ▁perman ents ▁and ▁hair - stra ight ening , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁cutting ▁and ▁sty ling ▁services , ▁some ▁to ▁both ▁White ▁and ▁Black ▁clients . ▁In ▁this ▁era , ▁men