A new law goes into effect on January 1, 2020, in California that will let people more freely wear their natural hair.
The Crown Law (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) prohibits discrimination against a person at work and at school based on their hairstyle and hair texture and that includes afros, braids, twists, and locks.
State Senator Holly Mitchell sponsored the law. She said that workplace and school rules that require race neutral grooming policies disproportionately affect people of color.
She cited an example from New Jersey last year when a high school wrestler was forced to cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit his match.
ABC7 news anchors Kumasi Aaron and Jobina Fortson have dealt with having to straighten or hide their natural hair throughout their careers in journalism. They shared some insights about what they have faced.
VIDEO: Anchor Ama Daetz explains why she chose to wear her natural curly hair after years of straightening her hair.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This week, you may notice ABC13's very own Shelley Childers sporting a new look.
Over the weekend, Childers cut off 12 inches of her hair and donated it to an organization based in New York.
Hair We Share was formed in 2014 and is led by hair replacement specialists and cosmetologists who donate wigs to children and adults suffering from medical hair loss.
"I knew I wanted to donate my hair after being able to grow it out during my pregnancy. And when I found out I could track my hair donation, I knew this was the organization for me," Childers said.
She went to Zena Salon in Richmond for the big chop.
"I've been growing it out for two years, so there's a lot to cut here and I'm really excited, but very nervous," Childers said.
Those nerves were quickly swept away when her hair was sectioned off into four ponytails, measured and chopped off.
"My shortest hair cut ever, but for a good cause," Childers said.
In 2018, the organization received 2,000 ponytail donations which made about 200 wigs. This year, it received 37,000 donations, which has created 600 wigs so far.
"If the person receiving that wig allows us and permits us to show their photos, we then show the individual where their hair actually wound up, on whose head," co-founder of Hair We Share, Dean Riskin said.
Whether you look at New Year's Eve as a way to say "good riddance" to a year you're more than done with or to enthusiastically embark on your next trip around the sun, it's always a great excuse to have a little fun with your hair and makeup. And of course, celebrities feel the same way, not only going all out to welcome what we all hope will be the best year ever but also getting a little help from their glam squads to do so.
This year, some of our favorite entertainers have started the New Year's Eve looks especially early (like, starting right after Christmas) giving us lots of time to get ideas for our own NYE beauty looks. Some are all-out glitzy, others are low-key, but they all suit their famous faces. Nary a speck of highlighter is out of place on the Jenners, Lizzo's look is topped off with an amazing mass of curls, and Bella Thorne is kicking off the new year with a new hair color — inspiration is everywhere (and especially on the stars' Instagram grids).
Even if you're not going out to a New Year's Eve party, these year-concluding celebrity beauty looks are worth bookmarking for your next night out. Check out our favorites below.
Some old friends recently gathered for a reunion at a restaurant along New York’s Central Park, and as friends do, they began singing an old favorite.
Pretty soon, other patrons noticed, “Hey! Isn’t that the cast of the 1979 movie, Hair?”
Hair first debuted as a hit Broadway musical in 1968 with music by Galt MacDermot and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. It tells the story of a small band of Central Park flower children during the Vietnam War, who are loosely led by George Berger, played by actor Treat Williams in the 1979 film.
Dorsey Wright, Treat Williams and Beverly D'Angelo all starred in the movie based on the hit Broadway musical, "Hair." (Courtesy of Avon Theatre)
Williams is the one who organized the recent reunion of the Hair cast in New York. “It’s like being back with your family,” he says. “We were very, very close. We know each other very, very well. We all were grateful and happy to see each other.”
The songs from Hair, such as “Aquarius”-- sung by Ren Woods — topped the pop charts and blared from radios. They were sung around the world — and they still are. Hair is one of the most produced pieces in high schools. Williams says Hair still resonates today because it’s a story about “kids finding their strength and independence,” he adds. “It’s about breaking out and finding yourself.”
The assembled actors also toasted their late director Milos Forman, who also directed the Academy Award-winning 1973 film One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Forman grew up under both Nazi and Communist occupation in Czechoslovakia.
Williams says the themes of repression in Hair are expressions of Forman’s life.
“We all realized we were in the presence of a true artist,” he says. “If we weren’t being real, he would always say, ‘No, no. It’s not real.’ ”
The film was also very personal for actor John Savage, who played Claude Bukowksi, the young man from Oklahoma headed for boot camp and then Vietnam. (Savage is host Robin Young’s brother).
At the time, Savage was also playing a soldier in The Deerhunter, one of the defining films of the Vietnam War era. His childhood friend was killed at Kent State. Savage had little kids, so he avoided the draft, but he watched other friends get shipped off.
“I really felt like I was doing one movie. It was my life. It was what I had all around me,” Savage says. “Friends that were being shot at home for demonstrating. It was disturbing.”
Williams describes Savage has “such a beautiful actor.”
“I’d never had a chemistry with a male actor like I had with John,” he says.
The two also shared a plot twist. At the end, Williams’ character, Berger, convinces Savage’s Claude to trade places at the Army base to give Claude a day off. But it backfires, and it’s Berger — dressed as Claude — who goes to war.
“And the guy says, “OK, we’re going. You’re going. We’re all going,’ ” Williams recalls. “And they’re driving us to put our stuff on to get going. And the camera pushes in on me, and I remember thinking, ‘Well, I’m like a caged animal.’ So I started making these almost whimpering sounds.”
That scene brought Williams back to the night he was waiting for his number to be called in the Vietnam draft.
“I remember sitting at my parents’ kitchen table by myself with a six-pack of beer, and my number came up, 347, so I didn’t have to go,” Williams says. “I was terrified that night.”
Back in New York, the reunited tribe made its way to Central Park, site of the iconic dance scenes choreographed by Twlya Tharp.
Annie Golden, who played the impossibly hopeful flower child Jeannie, now has the role of Norma, the mute singer, on Orange Is the New Black. She traces that role to Forman picking her out of the punk rock band, The Shirts, after seeing her perform in New York’s underground clubs.
“He came to CBGB’s because that was the scene,” Golden says. “He likes unknowns. He likes raw diamonds. And he picked me for Jeannie.”
Golden says that role was “life changing.”
“And then I get Orange Is The New Black, and it was [producer and writer] Jenji Kohan who had seen Hair as a child, and she said, ‘That woman should be … a household name,’” Golden says. “Everything kind of unfolded.”
Williams says he can’t believe it’s been 40 years since they shot the film.
“I can remember every single day of shooting of that film,” he says. “What I’m loving is that it seems to have a life still.”
The next day the tribe made its way to the Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut — Williams’ hometown — for a raucous sold out screening of Hair with sing-a-longs.
“What I honor is how generous everybody was,” Williams says. “Everybody was so generous. Everybody wanted it to be good, and I loved it and I’ll always love it.
“Oh, I never wanted a role so much in my life as this. Nor since by the way. Nor since.”
"Somebody dyed my hair, and they burnt half of it off," Eilish told TMZ . "Now, it looks like a mullet, that shit is not on purpose, though." She also took the opportunity to let fans know that she has zero plans of keeping it: "I'm growing that shit out."
When Matthew A. Cherry’s plan to make, and stay on, an NFL roster fell through, he knew it was time to enact his Plan B: break into the film industry.
“That was the first time where I was good enough, but it didn’t work out ...,” Cherry said. “At that moment, I was like, ‘It’s not even about ability; this is about politics and a whole bunch of other stuff that’s outside of my control.’ I started to think about my Plan B in a real way.”
That plan has Cherry, a filmmaker, director, and writer, on the cusp of an Oscar nomination.
His current project, “Hair Love,” an animated short film about an African American father who attempts to do his daughter’s hair for the first time, was recently named to the animated short film list for the 92nd Academy Awards.
“Hair Love,” which was shown in theaters with “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” debuted in August.
“You have a situation where Mom may have to go into work early and Dad has to get the kids ready,” Cherry said. “... The gender norms that existed back in the day aren’t really the same as they are now.
“I feel like everyone has to step up and get it done. Black fathers have had one of the worst raps in mainstream media as being portrayed as being deadbeats and not being involved.”
Cherry, 38, grew up on the Northwest Side playing Pop Warner football at Portage Park and baseball at Gompers Park.
He later attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where he was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. While at Loyola, he played three sports: football, basketball, and baseball, while being a member of the school’s Radio and TV Club.
Matthew A. Cherry played football, basketball, and baseball at Wilmette’s Loyola Academy. In 2018, he was inducted into Loyola’s Athletic Hall of Fame. | Provided Photo
Next, Cherry attended the University of Akron on a football scholarship, where he majored in radio/TV broadcasting.
As of 2019, Cherry continues to hold the school record for most punt return yards in a season.
After leaving the NFL, where he had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens, he started working his way up on music videos from a production assistant to director, a process Cherry calls a “project to project progression.”
Matthew A. CherryAndrew Toth/Getty Images
His film, TV and music video credits include directing well-known musicians including Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg and Common.
Cherry’s first feature film, “The Last Fall,” which made its debut on Netflix, details the trials and tribulations of a professional athlete who tries to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL. The film won several screenwriting and directing awards/nominations.
Matthew A. Cherry played briefly in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens. | Mary Garrad
A year before the film was released, the NFL locked out its players after the league and the players’ union couldn’t agree on a new collective bargaining agreement.
“The thing I noticed was that everyone was pretty much on the owners’ side,” Cherry said. “Most fans say, ‘Why should I care if an NFL player gets a million dollars, or $2 million? That’s more than I’ll ever see in my lifetime.’ ... Every team has four or five players who make big money; everyone else is trying to figure it out.”
Cherry has directed episodes of the TBS series “The Last OG” with Tracy Morgan and Tiffany Haddish and the Chicago-based CBS drama “The Red Line” from executive producer Ava DuVernay.
He was an executive producer on “BlacKkKlansman,” a film directed by Spike Lee that won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Cherry also worked at Jordan Peele’s production company Monkeypaw (“Us,” “Get Out,” CBS All Access’ “The Twilight Zone”) as a film and television executive.
“This was something I knew I wanted to do beyond football,” Cherry said. “If I didn’t make it, I’d retire and move to New York or L.A. and try out my second career.”
The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards are scheduled to be announced Jan. 13.
By the end of Gerwig’s film, Jo has written the novel Little Women, started her own school, and (maybe) married Professor Bhaer; Amy has married Laurie; and Meg has married John Brooke, Laurie’s tutor. However, it is never lost on the viewer that the March women remain parts of a whole, forever interwoven like braids — not because they want to be, but because they need to be to survive.
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LOWELL — Sharon Clohesy examines the condition of Ann DiPalma’s scalp and hair follicles, using a microscopic camera that projects a magnified image onto a monitor.
“When we do an analysis by a dermoscope, it’s important to look at the overall scalp to make sure that the hair follicles are active, to make sure there’s no excessive scaling or oil plugging that could be impacting the hair growth cycle, as well as the environment of the scalp,” Clohesy said.
DiPalma’s scalp is healthy now, but the Chelmsford resident had experienced persistent itchiness before seeking Clohesy’s help at Hair and Scalp 360 a couple years ago.
Clohesy, of Tyngsboro, opened her Hair Salon 2000 almost 20 years ago. Now at 225 Steadman St., the studio is home to both the salon and Hair and Scalp 360, opened in 2016.
DiPalma has been a client of Clohesy at Hair Salon 2000 for about 15 years, and has always been impressed with Clohesy’s knowledge of hair. So when DiPalma found herself constantly scratching her scalp to the point of bleeding, she immediately thought Clohesy might be able to provide some answers and solutions.
Throughout her years as a cosmetologist, Clohesy said she found again and again clients were having problems with scalp conditions that dermatologists and other doctors couldn’t seem to help them resolve.
Sharon Clohesy of Tyngsboro, owner of Hair and Scalp 360, examines hair and scalp of client Ann DiPalma of Chelmsford. (SUN/Julia Malakie)
In her research, Clohesy discovered trichology, the study of the hair and scalp and related conditions. Finding a way to combine the art and science of hair, she was hooked.
Clohesy became a certified trichologist through the International Association of Trichologists, completing a course of education online and clinical training in San Antonio, Texas. She will also speak at IAT’s 2020 World Conference in Iceland this August.
“I wanted to grow the knowledge of trichology in the area, and I wanted to be able to do consulting with clients to be able to allow them the opportunity to know that there’s other choices out there that they can make,” Clohesy said. “There are answers to the conditions or things that they’re experiencing.”
With Hair and Scalp 360, she works one-on-one with clients to solve their individual scalp problems, assessing both internal and external factors, from hair care regimen to diet. She helps them understand what their hair and scalp needs really are, what products are suitable for their hair texture and type and how to properly use those products.
Magnified scalp on screen as Sharon Clohesy of Tyngsboro, owner of Hair and Scalp 360, examines hair and scalp of client Ann DiPalma of Chelmsford. (SUN/Julia Malakie)
Having a longtime interest in preservatives and skin sensitizing agents in hair products that can cause irritation, Clohesy suspected DiPalma’s problem had to do with the ingredients in the products she was using.
She recommended various products to DiPalma to try out, but none produced the results they were looking for. At the same time, Clohesy had begun working on creating her own products, and gave DiPalma samples to try.
In less than a week, DiPalma’s itching had stopped — and it hasn’t come back since she’s been using Clohesy’s product.
“Not only did the itching and the scaling go away, my hair felt cleaner. It felt more manageable,” DiPalma said. “I didn’t even have to use as much hair spray and other volumizing products. It’s just wonderful. I love it.”
Clohesy worked with a Texas lab specializing in cosmetic development to produce her line of hair care products that just became available for retail sale Dec. 16.
Some items from the ROgHa Hair System developed by Sharon Clohesy from Hair and Scalp 360 in Lowell. The products are manufactured in Texas and are designed to be the appropriate pH balance and free of known carcinogens, allergens and irritants. (Sun / Alana Melanson)
Her ROgHA Hair System includes a daily shampoo and conditioner and weekly clarifying shampoo that are free of potential carcinogens, allergens and other irritants that can be found in many body products. All of the ROgHA products have a pH balance of 4.5 to 5.5 — a slight acidity that is ideal for the hair and scalp — and do not contain sulfates, parabens, ethanolamines (ammonia compounds DEA, MEA, TEA), triclosan, synthetic fragrances or colors, silicones, formaldehyde-releasing compounds, preservatives like phenoxyethanol, methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone, and other known irritants and allergens.
ROgHA, she explained, is the Irish word for “choice,” and she kept the “g” lowercase in the name because it’s silent.
Despite her dedication to it today, Clohesy never intended to become a cosmetologist, or to open her own salon, or to design her own line of products.
In the middle of her sophomore year at Greater Lowell Tech, she decided the vocation she had chosen, childcare, wasn’t right for her. Wanting to be able to graduate as a full senior, she found cosmetology was the only shop that would allow her to complete the whole program in two years.
Clohesy didn’t even like to do her own hair, so she didn’t welcome the idea of working on other people’s hair.
She entered the program with the attitude that she just needed to do the work required to finish school, and told the instructor she didn’t need much attention because she didn’t really want to be there. That quickly changed, however, and Clohesy ended up taking home silver and gold medals in school and district competitions, and even scored the best in the state one year.
After graduation, her parents pushed her to get licensed, even though she didn’t want to continue in the field. While working other jobs, she continued to work in a salon, and found there were many changes she wanted to make, such as with the products used, that she didn’t have the power to make.
Again, her parents encouraged her to see it through, and Clohesy did more training to earn her instructor’s license. In April 2000 she opened her salon, and began teaching full time.
“I was always hungry for knowledge, and I haven’t looked back since,” Clohesy said.
She said she found her profession was much more than just cutting and coloring hair, and that she could really help people and impact their lives. That has only grown with Hair and Scalp 360, and through a unique oncology program she’s created.
Many people dear to Clohesy — including her mother, father and nephew — have suffered through cancer and the hair loss and other complications that can arise during treatment.
About a year ago, she launched her Hair and Scalp Wellness During Chemotherapy and Radiation program aimed at the needs of cancer patients. She holds regular sessions at Lahey Oncology & Hematology at Parkland Medical Center in Derry and Salem, N.H., and she hopes to expand to include cancer centers closer to home.
The free program covers what kind of hair and scalp changes the patients can expect during and after treatment, and how they can care for their scalps during hair loss or thinning and regrowth.
“I feel I can be another resource for them while they’re going through a time of uncertainty,” Clohesy said. “The doctors and nurses, they have other things to take care of, and I feel like if I can just help that patient, or give that direct contact, I have that knowledge and I want to help.”
For more information about Hair and Scalp 360, visit hairandscalp360.com or call 978-856-5774.
Aloe vera is one of those ingredients that everybody and their mom, grandma, and great-grandma (you catch my drift?) swears by as the cure-all fix for beauty issues—like making your hair grow longer and healing breakouts. All of this hype has me thinking: No disrespect to your Nana, but is aloe vera really be the answer to all of our beauty problems? Curious to find out if the secret to great hair has been hiding in my kitchen plant all along, I asked dermatologist Nava Greenfield, M.D., from Schweiger Dermatology Group in Brooklyn, NY and Michelle Blaisure, a certified trichologist from Bosley Professional Strength to find out the truth about aloe vera for hair.
What is aloe vera?
Aloe vera is much more than the cute plant you have sitting in your kitchen that's still alive only because you rarely have to water it, and it's nothing new—the plant has been used among many different cultures throughout history to address a myriad of concerns. According to Blaisure, aloe vera is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Dr. Greenfield adds that it also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it's commonly used for healing burn wounds and skin irritation.
Can aloe vera regrow lost hair or thicken hair?
Now that we know that aloe vera has all these great properties, what exactly does that mean for your hair? If you search around the internet, you might find stories from people who swear that it makes their hair thicker or grow faster. In reality though, there are no actual studies on this, only personal anecdotes and traditional usage claims, Blaisure says.
According to Dr. Greenfield, there have been studies that demonstrated the beneficial effects of aloe vera on skin, and it's possible that aloe vera could help hair growth by addressing inflammation. "There are many, many causes of slow to no hair growth, collectively referred to as alopecia," Dr. Greenfield says. It's possible that aloe vera can promote hair growth when the cause of the alopecia is an inflammatory condition.
More likely is that aloe vera contributes to healthy hair because it conditions and moisturizing the hair and scalp, says Dr. Greenfield. Proper hydration is a must for healthy hair and askin barrier.
How do I use aloe vera on my hair?
Blaisure recommends using aloe vera on the scalp for skin benefits and on the hair as a mild cleanser to remove oils and make the hair soft and shiny. "Due to its gel-like texture in its raw form, aloe vera acts as a mild cleansing agent so it would be best to use on the scalp and hair then rinsed off since it may feel sticky if left on hair," Blaisure says. "As for hair types, look for conditioners for your hair type that contain aloe vera to get the benefits along with the smoothing or volumizing effect of the conditioner."
4 Best-Selling Aloe Vera Gels
Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel
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$19.95
Amara Beauty Aloe Vera Gel
amazon.com
$15.95
Green Leaf Naturals Aloe Vera Gel
amazon.com
$11.95
NaturSense Organic Aloe Vera Gel
amazon.com
$13.89
Dr. Greenfield says you can squeeze the gel out of the leaf of an aloe vera plant and apply it directly onto your hair and scalp, but if you're not into rubbing plant leaves on your hair (fair), you can also just use traditional haircare products (like conditioners, treatment masks, and leave-in conditioners) that contain aloe. "Products may contain the extract of aloe vera, which is a more potent version of the gel directly from the plant," Dr. Greenfield says. "Which formulation you use will depend on the type of hair you have and your reason for use."
How often should you put aloe vera in your hair?
How often you use aloe vera depends on what you're using it for, but, in general, Dr. Greenfield recommends applying a few drops of a liquid-based formula distributed evenly throughout the hair and scalp one to two times a day. Blaisure recommends rinsing after 30 minutes to an hour and following it with shampoo if your hair still feels sticky.
Does aloe vera have side effects?
As great as aloe vera is, it can cause irritation or allergic reactions in some people, says Dr. Greenfield. "If you find that your skin turns red, itchy, or scaly after using aloe, you should consult with your doctor and likely stay away from the product in the future."
What's the bottom line?
All in all, if you're not sensitive or allergic to it, aloe vera can be beneficial if your goal is to make your hair and scalp hydrated. Will it make your hair grow faster or any thicker? Eh, probably not. If thinning is your issue, Blaisure recommends using the Bosley Pro BosRevive Kit For Color-Treated Hair. But if you also want to throw in a little aloe vera to your routine for added benefits, why not! Make your grandma happy.
Brooke ShunatonaBrooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.
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