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Was she fresh from the chair? What kind of relaxer does she use? Did Oprah lend her Andre?
Sure, she moved us with her patriotic speech. And we teared when she recounted her first child's ride home from the hospital, with a nervous Barack driving.
But we couldn't help but notice the hair - in all its perfection.
So here you have it. The big news is that Michelle is a no-lye lady.
It may not seem like a big deal, but black women for centuries have been trying to get that hair nirvana - without chemicals.
After the much-talked-about purple Maria Pinto sheath Obama wore when Barack clinched and the White House/Black Market sundress that sold out in hours after her appearance on The View, we have more reason to pay attention to our potential first lady's style choices.
Her heavenly mane is blown out by Johnny Wright, a California-based stylist at Frédéric Fekkai on Melrose Place.
Wright, a consultant for Soft Sheen Carson, works his magic on Anita Baker, Vivica A. Fox and Vanessa Williams. He met Obama after he styled her hair for the cover of Ebony magazine.
The news first broke that Wright was Obama's stylist on BellaSugar.com in late July. New York magazine picked up the story as well, insinuating Obama was snooty for requesting her stylist travel with her to the convention. (Isn't that the right of a potential first lady?)
While Fekkai has been reluctant recently to talk about Obama's hair, citing privacy issues, company spokeswoman Denise Davila did say that her hair was blown out by Wright and that he did not use chemicals in her hair. And yesterday morning, the Today show did a segment touting Frédéric Fekkai products.
The bigger question is: How is this mane magic possible? Can black women have such a silky look without chemicals at all?
"It is totally possible to have hair that straight without having a relaxer," explained Brandy Davila (no relation to Denise), hairstylist and color specialist at Bubbles Salon on Walnut Street. Davila styles the 10! Show's Lori Wilson, an African American anchorwoman with a sleek style similar to Obama's.
"The key is in the products and the tools that are being used," Davila said.
Davila said that in the last five years, more black women who wear their hair straight are moving away from relaxers because they desire more movement. Women with color-treated hair also are moving away from chemical straighteners because of breakage issues.
To get the look, Davila said, she shampoos and conditions hair, then applies a dime-size amount of Phytodefrisant and Phytolisse cocktail. These two products, she said, protect the hair from the heat of the blow dryer and help with shine.
After that, Davila said, the hair is blown out under low heat with a paddle brush. To get the maximum body, straightness and curl, Davila uses a flat iron, which gets as hot as 400 degrees. Right now the most popular flat irons in the black haircare market are Chi and Fhi irons.
"These irons let you control the heat," Davila said.
Davila said the style could last from three to six days, depending on the humidity.
A blow-out at her salon ranges from $45 to $65.
Log on to www.philly.com/philly/
blogs/mirrorimage/ to read the Mirror Image blog.
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