Elvis Presley’s Biggest Haircare Routine Included a Scalp Massage and Regular Brushing
Elvis Presley is perhaps one of the best musicians to have ever lived. His soulful music and captivating dance moves kept audiences far and wide swooning over the crooner. Presley held the record for the bestselling solo artist. The late crooner left behind a legacy of music, movies, and controversy that was like him at the time.
Although his swinging hips and melodious vocals stamped Presley as the King of Rock and Roll, it’s his elegant jet black hair that stole everyone’s attention. His hairstylist recently came out to give Presley’s fans the singer’s regular hair routine, and it is in-depth.
Presley’s star shone early
Presley was born in January 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley. The family lived in Tupelo, Mississippi, before moving to Memphis, Tennessee. Presley had a twin brother who unfortunately died at birth. Growing up, Presley was close to his parents, especially his mother.
The musician’s singing foundation was solidified in the local Assembly of God church. Presley’s father did odd jobs to support the family. In 1938, the Presleys lost their home after the singer’s dad was found guilty of altering checks.
Presley’s career launched in 1954, and in two years, he had become a musical sensation. In 1958, Presley enlisted to be in the army, but his stardom still shone through even then. His manager Colonel Tom Parker played a significant role in ensuring that Presley enjoyed a successful career.
While Presley’s music career flourished, his acting career didn’t do so well. Presley himself noted that King Creole was his best performance yet. Regardless, audiences everywhere couldn’t get enough of the singing sensation.
Presley died tragically
Presley’s life was much like that of any other superstar, living his life on the fast lane. The frequent use of drugs eventually begun taking a toll on his health. By the time the ’70s rolled around, Presley wasn’t in excellent health. The star had gained a considerable amount of weight and was sometimes unable to perform on stage.
In 1977, Ginger Alden, who Presley was dating, found the crooner comatose on his Graceland estate’s bathroom floor. He was later pronounced dead, with the doctors declaring the singer’s cause of death as cardiac arrest.
Although Presley passed away more than 40 years ago, there has been controversy regarding his death, and most people speculate that the number of drugs he’d been taking over the years had played a role in his untimely death.
Presley’s autopsy later revealed that the musician’s system was full of different drugs, including Demerol and Percodan. Presley sadly died at the very prime age of 42.
Presley’s mane was his trademark
Aside from his voice and dance moves, the King of Rock and Roll was also known for his jet black hair. The singer’s mane always seemed to have a life of its own. The man behind the glorious head of hair is none other than hairstylist Larry Gellar.
Gellar had opened a men’s salon based in West Hollywood where the big names in entertainment at the time went to get their hair worked on. After he got hired to style Presley’s hair, the stylist packed up his shop and became the singer’s personal hairstylist.
According to Gellar, maintaining Presley’s healthy black tresses required some creativity. Talking to Yahoo, Gellar would always go to the health food store for some shampoo and vitamin capsules. Gellar reportedly shampooed and dyed the singer’s hair regularly and would massage his scalp. He would also brush Presley’s hair for 60 strokes to keep the singer’s mane healthy and full while talking about a wide range of topics.
