▁including ▁legal ▁and ▁social ▁disc rim ination . ▁Some ▁women , ▁and ▁a ▁smaller ▁number ▁of ▁men , ▁light ened ▁their ▁hair ▁with ▁household ▁ble ach . ▁A ▁variety ▁of ▁ca ust ic ▁products ▁that ▁contained ▁ble aches , ▁including ▁la und ry ▁ble ach , ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁af ro - text ured ▁hair , ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁as ▁African ▁Americans ▁demanded ▁more ▁fashion ▁options . ▁They ▁used ▁cre ams ▁and ▁lot ions , ▁combined ▁with ▁hot ▁ir ons , ▁to ▁straight en ▁their ▁hair . ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁hair ▁care ▁industry ▁was ▁initially ▁domin ated ▁by ▁White - owned ▁business es . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁African - American ▁entrepr ene urs ▁such ▁as ▁An nie ▁Turn bo ▁Mal one , ▁Mad am ▁C . ▁J . ▁Walker , ▁Mad am ▁Gold ▁S . M . ▁Young , ▁S ara ▁Sp encer ▁Washington ▁and ▁Gar rett ▁August us ▁Morgan ▁revolution ized ▁hair ▁care ▁by ▁invent ing ▁and ▁market ing ▁chemical ▁( and ▁heat - based ) ▁applications ▁to ▁alter ▁the ▁natural ▁tight ly ▁cur led ▁texture . ▁They ▁rapidly ▁became ▁successful ▁and ▁domin ated ▁the ▁Black ▁hair ▁care ▁market . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁Anthony ▁Over ton ▁founded ▁a ▁hair ▁care ▁company ▁that ▁offered ▁sap on ified ▁co con ut ▁sh am po o ▁and ▁A ID A ▁hair ▁pom ade . ▁Men ▁began ▁using ▁pom ades