Whether you use serums, oil or gels, for most of us, lovely locks are an everyday essential. But for the Afar tribe who live along Ethiopia’s northeastern border with Djibouti and Eritrea, the pursuit of a gorgeous ‘do involves one very unusual ingredient.
Their distinctive ‘asdago’ afro hairstyle is created using butter, which lends their locks a slightly ashy appearance as well as protecting it from the sun and keeping it perfectly supple.
And it’s not just asdago hairdos that benefit from a spot of butter: another look, the ‘dayta’, also relies on dairy as a means of keeping the elaborate curls, created using a stick, in place.
‘They apply the butter to keep the curls in place,’ explains photographer Eric Lafforgue. ‘They look a little bit like Victorian ladies, or, if you prefer, Rastas. The curls are full of cow fat and butter.’
‘They put so much that it streams down the back and looks a lot like blood.’ To keep the look tidy, regular haircuts are also on offer, although as Lafforgue explains, they aren’t of the type found in a high street salon.
‘They take a stone and a knife to cut them with,’ he explains. ‘A few minutes and it is done!’
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