Cornrow

Cornrows or braids, also called canerows in the Caribbean, are an ancient traditional African style of hair grooming, in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often formed in simple, straight lines, as the name implies, but they can also be formed in complicated geometric or curvilinear designs.

Depending on the region of the world, cornrows are worn by men or women, or both, and are sometimes adorned with beads or cowry shells. Often favored for their easy maintenance, rows can be left in for weeks at a time if maintained through careful washing of the hair and regular oiling of the scalp. Braids pulled too tight or worn for considerable lengths of time can cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia.

Cornrows are a traditional way of styling hair in various global areas. Depictions of women with cornrows have been found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara, and have been dated as far back as 3000 B.C. The tradition of female hairstyling in cornrows has remained popular throughout Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa and West Africa. Historically, male styling with cornrows can be traced as far back as the early nineteenth century to Ethiopia, where warriors and kings such as Tewodros II and Yohannes IV were depicted wearing cornrows.

Cornrow hairstyles in Africa also cover a wide social terrain: religion, kinship, status, age, ethnicity, and other attributes of identity can all be expressed in hairstyle. Just as important is the act of braiding, which transmits cultural values between generations, expresses bonds between friends, and establishes the role of professional practitioner.

Cornrows made a comeback in the 1960s and '70s, and again during the '90s, when NBA basketball player Allen Iverson repopularized this hairstyle.

An elaborate form of cornrows, known as box braids, became fashionable among urban black women during the 1990s after their prominent use by Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice. This hairstyle is often characterized by "boxy" or square-shaped hair divisions similar to a French braid.

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Wikipedia