Chemicals in hair relaxers linked to serious health issues
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Roughly 90% of Black women have used relaxers at some point in their lives to chemically straighten their hair. New reporting in The New York Times Magazine highlights the severe and often unknown health risks these products can pose. Linda Villarosa, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the report's author, joins CBS News to unpack her findings.
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Enough with the “society doesn’t accept our hair” Force them to accept it. Wear your own hair and embrace it. That’s true liberation
💯
Right? Like start proudly wearing your Natural hair and the so called "society" will accept it
Sorta like wearing your black skin every day and experiencing racial discrimination and and colorism. Folks still do not accept it and skin bleaching is a global issue.
I agree, but let's not act as if especially in the south, wearing your natural hair in the past 5-10 years that having braids and your natural hair during an interview, DIDNOT dictate how yt ppl saw us as unpeofessional.
ASK ME I HAD SOMEONE SAY THIS TO ME . OR.....
I DON'T RECOGNIZE YOU BECAUSE YOUR HAIRSTYLE CHANGES EVERYDAY.
let's be transparent and truthful
@@Myopinionmattersthemost
Fact #💯
What is sad is the fact that black hair stylists are still using these on their clients, encouraging them.....and they charge outrageous prices for natural hair styling
It's all about money some of these hair stylist don't care about their costumers
The Board would have to stop it. That will change everything since our Cosmetology license is mainly required because the use of chemicals.
And in Asian countries like India women still bleech their skin to look “higher caste” despite extremely harmful effects of skin bleech😊
We still eat foods everyday that have proven links to cancer.
The products should not be available. I'm sure the stylists are unaware and didn't expect dangerous products to be allowed. I remember when they started "No Lye" hair relaxers. Products with Lye were still around as well.
I’m glad I stopped using relaxers over a decade ago.
Me too. My big chop was 2/2009. Now I have a huge Afro.
Me too. 2012.
👩🏽🦱👩🏾🦱👩🏿🦱 👑
Same here, big chop in 2005 and never turned back
Same. Had 2 relaxers in my life as a teen and haven't tried it again since I was 15 because I liked my curls much better.
They’ve known this for 50 years
I’m 63. Known it even longer.
$$$$$
@@AZITHEMLGPROself hate=$$$$
🤣🤣🤣 yes
No different than smokers. You choose this, you've been warned, it's your fault.
I live in Canada and I am blessed with a mother that never allowed me to relax my hair until l was 18, but by the time l turned 18 l was so used to my natural hair l never cared for a relaxer. I'm 38 now and still natural. Thanks, Momma, l love you❤
That’s what I’m going to do with my daughter. I grew up literally ashamed and hating my natural hair because my family made me think that my hair texture was a bad thing. I’ve unfortunately had a few perms during childhood but not many. I’ll be damned if my daughter grows up feel like her hair is ugly, “not done”, or weird. I want her to be comfortable in her own skin and hair! We have to break the cycle
Yep its a shame when its our close friends and family shaming us
Amen
You ate one of the lucky ones. It starts with parental influence.
Lucky you
IDK about other black moms but mom always said "you NEED a perm", like it was a multivitamin or some regular regime that was necessary for hair growth. I asked her how in the world something that burns your scalp can be healthy but was told I didn't know what I was talking about
🙄
Exactly but I've learned to love my long 4c despite being conditioned not to.
smh. My mum gave me my first relaxer at 3.
I think they didn’t know any better. They didn’t have easy access to information like we all do today. Nowadays more people are more informed due to the internet.
Most black mothers I've been around do that same nonsense! The negative stigmatizations come from family first and then so-called friends. I just hope the reports on this keep coming and more start to wake up and see and change before it's too late.
I have the same experience 😢
Chemical relaxers aren’t worth the risk to your health just for societal acceptance.
So what to you suggest? Wear our hair the way it grows out of our head and be discriminated against? Lose jobs or not get hired because the texture of our natural hair is not acceptable?
@@Lqtech00 you could just wear any professional looking natural hairstyles or even wigs. There are many options. We now have the CROWN act to protect us. Sorry, but no excuses!
I've never seen anyone discriminated against for wearing a natural ponytail, bun, bob, twist out, etc. There are so many options. Relaxers are not the only way to have presentable, groomed hair.
Your cosplaying. Why tf would you do something like that? @@Lqtech00
Let’s also talk about the chemicals in synthetic braiding hair and the fact that the FDA does not mandate product labeling on Kanekalon and the likes.
This is my first time even realizing this!😮 There is *no label* on braiding hair. We have no idea what chemicals are used to process braiding hair. That's scary to think about. 😱
I just heard about that...back to the drawing board. I wonder if edge control is next?
@@ExoticalHoney we need to also think about the fact that it's not actual hair
@@akilaj553 You're right. Braiding hair some type of highly flammable inorganic chemical composition... that we don't actually know because there's not product labeling whatsoever.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
What’s sad is influencers are apart of making relaxers trendy again.
It's risking being a follower of just anyone.
You should make your own decisions and not be influenced by anyone, and that's the problem.
BW need to work on not having minds too weak to think for themselves. Outside voices need to be blocked when working on self-worth development and love.
They don't care, as long as they're making that coin
The wig influencers I guess. I don’t care what they do; nobody can make me wear a lace front wig; ever. It looks fake; so no way.
The sad part is, black women/girls wouldn’t be consistently using products like these if their natural hair was more accepted in society…we’re not addressing that
i hear what ur saying, but i think its black women themselves setting the expectation on this.
@aujax1 Society's expectations did start this, and I've even had jobs where my natural hair was not permitted. It was seen as "unkempt." I'm only 37 by way too.
Yesssssss
@@brittney4u932Facts. I’ve had corporate jobs with the same language in their policies. I even sometimes had family members question why my natural hair “wasn’t done” Im 36 turning 37 later this year. These expectations of constantly looking “neat” or “perfect” at all times have been placed on bw unfairly for generations.
And there "Lyes" the problem.
It goes deeper than relaxers…. Food industry is an issue too
As a black woman when i went natural non-black men had no problem with it at all. Black males however had alot of nasty comments to make towards 4c hair.
Same here. But it’s fine by me since I never dated or dealt with them anyways
Same. it's absurd
Same experience
So you’re blaming all of us or some of us ? Black men adore black natural hair, we’ve been asking yall to stop wearing wigs and weave for decades. Even relaxing it looks odd on yall.
@@vmlksm9boom mic drop😂
This journalist has done an excellent job of collecting the various studies and summarizing the findings. Now it's on Black women to listen, accept and make a change.
I stopped getting relaxers a long time ago.
There’s too much shame in wearing natural hair. Black women will either choose to straighten their hair or cover their hair with wigs, weaves, and extensions. Even today, very few black women will wear their own natural hair loose or loc’d.
Linda Villarosa has always been a phenomenal reporter.
She was once an executive editor for Essence.
Yes exactly
You do know that's easier said than done. Not everyone can maintain their natural hair with ease. Not everyone can get away with wearing weaves and wigs. That's like telling an alcoholic, "oh just stop drinking, you'll be fine". Major change takes time and money, which not everybody has in abundance.
There should next be a lawsuit against EVERY corporation that "pressured" black women into straightening their hair as opposed to supporting natural hairstyles.
WW straighten their hair too 😂😂😂. That's not strictly a BW thing lol
@@trawlins396 yes but at the threat of losing their job?
@@miurtouissi1093who was threatened with that?
Why do y’all believe straightening is synonymous with “relaxers”. You’re a natural regardless of your style simply if there’s no chemicals added. I’ve seen women with 4c achieve straightening without relaxers
@@trawlins396 Straightening our hair isn't the issue it's the relaxers..
That was the plan from the start.
Exactly!
You’re woke
Indeed it was.💯
Black Women diagnosed with gynecological cancer
Some end up with most aggressive ones.
It’s very sad & unfortunate. We have to remember our skin is also an organ - the largest one.
I stopped getting relaxers almost 20 years ago. I’ve saved so much money over the years.
That's something how that stuff is linked to fibroids because the fibroids are mainly found in black women
Right , I've never known white women with fibroids
True, many of the women in my family have them, but I don't. I stopped getting relaxers 13 years ago.
I've never ever used relaxer in my hair, never smoked, don't do drugs, am a healthy weight etc still have a huge fibroid that is causing me problems.
@@Rice10120my last one was in 2012. Never again.
I stopped relaxing my hair after I was diagnosed with fibroids, 5 years later, they returned, so no relaxer was the determining factor here.
A Boondocks episode featured explosive hair relaxer... People still bought it.
Wow! That says a lot. The desperation for a certain look. ...
Do you believe everyone watches boondocks?
Which episode was that?
Boondocks is a cartoon. I doubt people watch it for medical advice, lol!
@@tammygant4216this is more than desperation because their are other brands out there
Every reason why the crown act is important to our wellness health life
FDA, do better.
lol government policing themselves
Bw don't have to use them it's a choice not forced.
@@Vale0x3 of course, but the FDA needs to do a better job at regulating a plethora of products that are harming Americans daily.
The FDA is in the business of killing US! Wake up! The government has not had our best interest at hand since the 30s
@@Vale0x3 congrats, you played yourself
I read a study some 25 years ago about how the chemicals in Black hair products were causing early puberty in Black girls. One Black woman in my office at the time had a hard time accepting the information because it was so normalized in the Black community. We also talked about about the possible connections to higher cancer rates. I'm glad to see an acceptance of natural hair styles among Black women.
This is definitely something I noticed, when I was in Africa I never had issues with my natural hair however when we moved to the US, there was a need to get my hair relaxed because I was made fun of. This society really tries to make people change but we must remember we are not made to conform to the pattern of this world. Thank God I stopped relaxing my hair and started embracing the natural hair God gave me. Natural hair is the best!
Very true...its easier to wear natural hair in the Caribbean etc
Hi. This might be a dumb question to ask but do you still use conditioners, shampoos etc. Is it only relaxers that are problematic?
@@trip_t2122 Heyy, it is not a dumb question. Back then I did use shampoos and conditioners however I was getting whatever I could afford. I still use shampoos and conditioner but I try to get the ones that has no sulfate, paraben, you know the ones that work 4c texture, such as SheaMoisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Shampoo and conditioner. It has worked for my hair, there other natural shampoo and conditioners out there, I think it’s all bout researching them and identifying what will work for your hair.
No one accepted my hair more than non black men. The most hatred I received about my hair texture and skin tone was from black men/ The comments from white professionals was nothing compared to the vitriol of black men.
Maybe you where around black people more than other people
@@The.End.Begins24nope. It was a mixture and I mostly date non black men now. I go where I’m accepted. Not hanging on to “kangs” who spend every opportunity telling the world why they hate black women.
Other ethnicities have been making fun of afro hair texture for years.
Study people's responses online (non-filtered.. so off social media platforms) and your perception will probably skew again. Genderwar arguments can also always be spun toward the other side. Always
Agreed. Of all of the nasty comments made to my students who are African-American girls, sadly, it was the African-American male students who aimed for their hair calling the girls’ styles “worms”, “ugly”, “dirt”, “mush”, “bushwhacked”, etc. I have seen the long term, negative impact of Black girls' esteem when the Brothers target their personhood. I would always educate the students and help them understand that their words reflect internalized oppression and what they may have picked up from older Black men in their company/ family needs to change to stop the ongoing oppression of Black women.
Sadly, this was known in the 1970's. It's just now becoming public knowledge. Absolutely shameful. It makes me wonder if these beauty products contribute to the many health issues that plague the community.
Its not just relaxers...baby powder and a whole lot of other products as well
@semoneg2826 That's why I said "beauty products" and not just relaxers. In general, so many items marketed for beauty are actually pretty bad for your health. Smh.
It's been public knowledge since 1995 🤦🏾
It does, and it is exactly.
I developed endometriosis, infertility (recurrent pregnancy losses), and chronic inflammatory disease…autoimmune disease and so many other things. I am now wondering if it was the constant use of relaxers as a child. my mom relaxed my hair all through middle school and high school and I only stopped my second year in college.
You should document this and join a class action suit. They owe you damages.
It's very possible!
Have also wondered the same about my own health.
I have the same problem, but I’m not going to stop. In fact, I can’t stop. I have a job and a man that demand my hair be silk pressed every 4 days to look perfectly presentable. I also have to workout every single day for this job, and I can’t maintain natural hair with all these requirements. A relaxer makes it easier. But it’s all still absolute hell on earth to actually do. My hair is not healthy or attractive, but if they’re happy, that’s all they want.
@@beckya640 so sorry to hear that.
Our natural hair is absolutely striking 😍 The way it defies gravity is magic. We have to raise our daughter's to love their natural hair and to stop putting straight hair on a pedestal. I literally dedicate my life to helping black woman to fall in love with their hair, it's so important ❤️
Children reaching puberty earlier than 10 years is one thing that shocked me when I moved to America.
what?
@@seeharvesterwhat’s not clear about their statement?
I got my period at 9. My mother got hers at 14. All of my friends who have daughters are getting their 1st periods at 8 - 11. This is a big problem no one wants to talk about.
I was 9 and that was 50 years ago.
@@againstthegraingolf301
The "shocked" part.
I wonder where they are from?
How many news reports before something happens? They report on this yearly.
Monthly.
Which is probably why they keep running the story.
Yep. I remember this story from last year.
No way is my old college professor on CBS giving interviews 😯 I was like….hmm she looks familiar ….. 🤣
Ok
I knew this stuff was toxic when I was a kid. My cousin got it in her eye and I had NEVER heard anyone scream like that
It smelled awful. I hated it😢 Went natural as soon as I graduated high school.
Did she go blind?
@@val6189SAME!
If people read the warnings on those jar you would clearly see avoid eye contact....its a chemical that burn
😂
Now I wonder about bleach, peroxide, tattoos, PFAS and other chemicals in makeup. Only recently found out that gas stoves release benzene. Every step we take seems to have a carcinogen.
Exactly
The culture of shaming black women into altering their hair isn’t as bad as it was 10yrs ago, but still going STRONG. The worst is when that shame comes from family, friends, other black men and women. The fact that relaxers poison the body has been known for YEARSSSS now and woman rather use them than feel ashamed or unwanted or whatever. The whole culture needs to change.
The incidence of Lupus and sarcoidosis is considerably higher among black women too. There’s a genetic component, but I do suspect that the cosmetic practices black women tend to take part in may be contributing to the development of these autoimmune disorders. Synthetic hair for braiding also has a host of harmful chemicals. Not sure how much press its gonna take to get more funded research that investigates the negative effects of these poorly regulated products.
How about people take responsibility for their agency instead of blaming shame and the opinions of others? It takes courage to live in this world as a loving person. It also take courage to do many things in this world that go against the status quo. Embracing natural 4c hair is simply another act of courage. And we all can do it.
@@jessicaT12345 yes we all have the ability to embrace are natural selves!! Brains are flexible and our thought patterns can be changed. BUT let’s not minimize the MAJOR role that shame and outside opinions have on our behavior and self- perception. For some, embracing their hair only requires some courage. For others…. They need to know how to tackle engrained misperceptions and unlearn damaging thoughts that have been reinforced since youth. This could take years, and even call for methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
It’s the same, you’re just older.
@@froggybug Lol sure
@@ALOLAhaha I know I’m older, I have a young daughter though. It’s the same….unfortunately 😢
I had a dream 12 years ago after giving birth to my third child.
Went to my hairdresser, put the relaxer on, and all my hair fell off my head. I looked in the mirror, my scalp was burning. I got so scared, started screaming 0:06 until I woke up.
I prayed for God to give me the explanation of the dream. I was confused for a while but then felt peace.
The Lord revealed the danger to me in a dream and I listen.
I flat iron my hair now and then.
I braid my girls hair and teach them how to love their curly hair.
No more relaxer for me or my children.
I will share this video with my nieces, cousins and friends.
Let’s spread the word and help save our sisters!!!🙏🏾❤️
Amen 🙏🏾 thank you for sharing your story. I have been natural for almost 10 years but recently I was considering a perm. I have changed my mind. Thank you.
@@Heyjayy-k4q You're welcome. I'm glad you changed your mind.
❤
That actual thing happened to my ex husbands mother over 15 years ago in a hair salon. Real life she still has no hair.
The same thing happened to me in college when it came to eating pork. After one week of eating pulled pork by Friday I felt like death. I pray to God to tell me why I felt so terrible and he told me to stop eating pork and to cleanse my body with water and vegetables and a laxative. Please do not pollute your bodies.
Uhhmmm.. ya’ll SO LATE to this conversation 🤦🏾♀️
Right? People have been saying this for years 😂
some black people only listen to things when white people say them this is a conversation that needs to be had (natural black women are beautiful)
While these products are dangerous, black hair is still stigmatized. Young black athletes being told to cut their dreads and black women being told that their natural hair is unkept.
It is because we live in a Euro-centric world.
Many Afro Women have chosen to be natural beauties and celebrate the gorgeous textures of their hair.
It is up to society to unlearn the racist ideals around Afro people and our presentation. Their envy of our rich indigenous features is not our problem. Blk males need to defend and promote the beauty and value of their own racial group…the way other races promote their own. Blk parents need to teach their children to love their own image and use positive language when referencing Afro people’s image.
It will take time, but we will get there.
I've been conditioned since I was a child by my own mother to hate my natural 4c hair.
@ieshjust16 I’m very sorry you went through that. Unlearn it, 4c is the best hair in the world.
Well said
@@ieshjust16 Have you asked why? There should be a documentary that features Blk people ( of all nationalities including Asia, India and Latin America) that explain why they have accepted the standard of beauty that excludes them.
I start relaxing at age 19.
I had 7 uterine fibroids removed at 41. I had started a soy protein diet. My surgeon told me soy was not good for a western diet. It causes tumors to grow.
I stopped relaxing my hair at 47.
I now wonder if that and soy was the cause.
Same here. I used to drink soy milk a lot and I started relaxing my hair at 12 years old. When I was 39 I had 25 fibroids removed. I don't know of it was one or the other or both of these items which caused it. I also now lost most of the hair at the crown of my head and I'm fighting to regrow it.
It was the relaxers folks. Non GMO soy or soy based products are healthy in moderation.
It could have been a combination of other factors as well. I’m mid-30’s, have been receiving relaxers since I was at least 4 years old, and I am healthy, with no reproductive or chronic health issues. I also drink alternative milks, though that didn’t start until about 5 years ago. There are so many other things in our diet and our movement habits (or lack thereof) that contribute to these chronic health and fertility issues. Relaxers may play a role, but it could also be completely unrelated.
I jumped on the soy milk trend in the late 90's early 2000s and had the worst menstrual problems in my life. So bad in fact, my doctor thought I had fibroids. As soon as I got off soy milk my issues eventually cleared up. Soy has natural estrogen and coupled with my relaxers and age it was a complete disaster for me. Been relaxer free since 2010 and soy free since the early 2000s.
@@ME-js5hdThere alot of women with natural hair with fibroids...up to this day doctor's dosent know what cause fibroids
In the early 90s a friend of ours was in college to become a coroner, he told us when performing autopsies black women who used relaxers had green scalps, closest to the skull. I've been natural since 1994.
😳
Your friend told you this,?
This was a huge rumor in the nineties, Everyone talked about this. I don't think your friend told you.
Wow thanks for sharing this.❤
Wooow
Why can't healthier alternatives be made for black women who desire versatility for a variety of hair styles. White women wear curly perms which contain chemicals and they are not getting sick from the usage. Same as hair dye, we need healthier alternatives.
They don't use it to the extent black women do. Their hair gets damaged from dye all the time. You can literally see it here on youtube.
Perms used by non black women are regulated by the Federal government same with hair dye. Relaxers have never faced the same regulations.
@@FatHeadEnterprisesokay but at least their hair perm isn’t placing them at a high risk of developing cancer. It’s mainly due to black hair products not being regulated, even synthetic braiding hair has harmful products, but what is the FDA doing to regulate it? This is a billion dollar industry, surely there should be tighter regulations governing its practises.
Honestly, I'm not too sure about the chemicals in the curly perms either... 😳 Wouldn't be shocked if they were dangerous as well.
The skin is the largest organ. It absorbs EVERYTHING you put on it. Consider embracing your natural hair.
2023 was my last year of using relaxers. Am natural.
I'm 10 months into this natural thing. Transitioning though
Good
Yep I stopped during the pandemic.
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
I’ve stopped using relaxers as of April 2024. Currently transitioning to natural.
Seems like we are going backwards from the moves away from relaxer in the early natural hair era 09-2010… we had made SOOO much progress … in the last 2019-2024 we have back-peddled so much . We are in DIRE need of a NEW natural hair movement. Those OG type FOUR hair natural hair youtubers of 2009-2011 taught me so MUCH! Hopefully we can see some change again😢
Finally . I been trying to tell my family this for years and they think I'm. Crazy
I stopped relaxing my hair in 2009 after over 3 decades.
It's been known for years and they are still using relaxers😬
I did a Brazilian Blowout when they came, my hair stayed straight for 2 months but I unfortunately suspect that there was formaldehyde in it so women of any race could have been exposed to those dangerous chemicals.
I am heat trained and ny hair stay straight for 3 months now
it's not just Relaxers but also these chemical hair dyes . If you look at the data Most Hairstylist have a Higher incidence of Cancers due to being exposed to these fumes chemical hair dyes and solvents day in and out
It's wild because its in most of the hair care products. I've been natural for a while and I thought I was doing good. Looked at the ingredients in my leave in conditioner and theres cancer causing chemicals in it. I'm definitely going to be checking from now on
A lot of the same pigments in hair dyes are also used in tattoos. And there's a new study out just this month showing that there's an increase risk of lymphoma in people who have tattoos. There are so many reasons why we should not be altering our natural bodies to this degree.
WE KNOW THIS ALREADY!!! That’s why Black women that try to justify still using relaxers baffle me 😔😖🙏🏿!
No, we didn’t all know this 😢
First relaxer was when I was 13 and the last was when I was 15. When I turned 16 I told my mom I didn’t want anymore chemicals in my hair and she hasn’t used relaxers for the same amount of time too.😊 I knew with my intuition that those chemicals weren’t good. And it’s been known for a long time that the chemicals in those relaxers are poison.
You have an awesome mom. More moms and dads need to start reinforcing the fact that their children are already beautiful as they are. Let's all stop making future generations feel like they aren't good enough.
How come people weren't warned earlier??? Back in 1989 I was warned not to use aresol spray deodorant!!!i h I had 12 surgery's for clogged arteries and fibroid tumor!!!
The same reason that the Democrat party lied about what they did during the Tuskegee experiments.
Y'all been warned, this aint new information
Ignore the other comment. I got mine when I was 9 and didn’t know until recently. By then I was already natural for years. It was just passed on.
We were, tf?
this has been common knowledge for at least a decade now😂 people are just in denial enough to have buried the info
I'm a 32 year old South African woman, my late mother started relaxing my hair when I was still young, using kid's hair relaxers until she passed away when I was 10. I then started going to hair salons to get my hair relaxed on a monthly basis. I think this is a call for me to start afresh and go natural, I have very beautiful long hair but, after hearing this I think it's time I visit the barber shop😕.
Thanks for covering this topic. Natural hair on Black women is discouraged in Corporate America and certain professions so many feel pressured to straighten their hair. This has to change. It's been suspected for years that these chemicals may be linked to certain cancers.
Exactly its a society
FDA needs to be dismantled and replaced. EWG is doing a way better job.
The EWG has hair relaxers as non- hazardous.... because the active ingredient sodium hydroxide in rightly classified as a non carcinogenic ingredient. There are shampoos and conditioners that rate as hazardous on their site because of the preservatives and fragrances they contain.
@@hairelementsproductsceoI’m sure this will be changed on EWG very soon
What’s EWG?
FDA and EWG have different roles. We need both.
@@Lulu060986-- The EWG is the environmental working group, an independent activist group that does studies on potentially toxic substances.
We need safer alternatives for those of us that prefer having straight hair for the convenience. I love natural hair, i like looking at it but i prefer to have my hair straightened and i always will.
Embrace your natural hair texture and shape. All these chemicals and dyes get absorbed in your body...
BW still need to work, and many jobs (and schools for girls) are against natural hair. I'm natural, but it's so anxiety provoking to interview for a job or attend a meeting with higher-ups if you're natural. Women getting fired and girls kicked out of school for wearing natural hair needs to stop.
I hear you however certain work plan as and schools see it as unprofessional... This is not just about black women its about society
Okay, so straight/relaxed hair is reinforced from school, work, the media and more to Black women. I retired from hospice and some of the worst, horrifying, excrutiatingly painful and gross cancers I've seen were uterine cancers among Black women. As a Black male health care provider I felt I could not be heard. For all their millions of dollars, a powerful thing they could do with more impact than money is fight honestly abnormal development and cancer, by being out and out direct about the danger of these hair care products. Where are you Beyonce and other influencers of color? If health promotes wealth, write us some songs of freedom from beauty/chemical genocide!
Beyonce & others are much too busy wearing their weaves and sew-ins.
They are all wearing long, flowing hair. Wigs aren't a physical danger, but chemical straighteners are. Plus there is the message that one type of hair is "good," and another type of hair is "bad." A 2009 documentary called "Good Hair," narrated by Chris Rock, is a real eye opener. I no longer straighten my curly hair, and only did so for a short while. But many straighten their hair all the time. That is the biggest problem.
There are already black women artist who have made natural hair songs such as India Arie "I am not My Hair". But those songs aren't as popular.
seems like the data is new. if they're just reporting on it - maybe artistic expression is next. honestly idk if a song or whatever solves the broader issue. societal pressure (and all the tentacles relates to hair politics) is HEAVY
@@marilyndee969…are you 4C?
That was exactly my thought. That's a lot of harsh chemicals over a lifetime! Our scalp is richly supplied with blood vessels and pores that can absorb these chemicals. I'm glad this is getting attention. I love to see natural black hair! I was thrilled when Michelle Obama started wearing it more natural. We need more women and men in the media showing this.
True but do you know she could not wear natural hair as the first lady
@@semoneg2826 sadly, yes. She handled herself with so much class despite the insane levels of expectation and savage attacks.
There are videos on how braiding hair is linked to health issues too but i didn't watch those videos... Will watch them later for sure
I doubt it. Braiding has been done for centuries all over the world. Relaxers are relatively new and 100% chemical.
Candace Owens 😢.
yes she came to my mind too
How?
What about her?
She is essentially the spokesmodel for self hatred. At one point in her life, she knew enough to point out racism, and actually sued her school district over it. But now she finds she can make more money by telling right wing people what they want to hear.
We always knew about that, we not dumb, we did the research, still we used it, we just don't get it close to our sculp, and use good vaslin on our sculp to protect it, and not regularly, the last time I used it was in 2018, after I did braids then burn it straight everyday until covid saved me 😅😅😅.
Let Afros come back. Conformity sucks. Reality is varied, rich, and important.
Yaasss!
Not everyone have the hair type for afro.... Black women hair texture is very diverse
My hair is too hard to maintain - I went back to relaxers after 7 years natural. It was just too much work and expensive for me....
Same❤
Why are the products allowed to be sold?
Why haven't products been removed from market?
If they insist on selling why don't they have warning label like cigarettes?
💰💰💰
When I first went natural back in 2005, I went to get my hair done by my hair dresser who did my relaxers and she and the her co owner laughed at me for wanting my natural hair styled. Fast forward 10 yrs, she got cancer and stopped relaxing her hair.
😮😮😮
Aren't there issues with extensions as well?
Yes it’s intentional
Yes! Im just recently learning this and was shocked. Apparently the chemicals used to make extensions are toxic to humans and can cause cancers also.. its crazy
Wow, I didn't know that. I've been natural for 15 years, but my mom started with the chemicals in my hair when I was around 10. I kept it going as an adult because I needed a job, and most places weren't even friendly to braids, far less for a fro. I got so much pushback from jobs and a sudden barrage of hateful and negative comments from black men. I got used to my natural hair, but still wear a wig for interviews.
The same as our food...cleaning products... Medications etc.....most of the things we use is harming our health
There are alternative hair extensions at least for braiding hair that are much better than the typical kanekalon hair.
I don’t know why black women feel the need to straighten their hair. It looks great natural and braided. In this day and age with all the crazy lax styles with rainbow colored hair. People wearing pajamas out in public. Why sacrifice your health to have straight hair.
BW still need to work, and many jobs (and schools for girls) are against natural hair. I'm natural, but it's so anxiety provoking to interview for a job or attend a meeting with higher-ups if you're natural. Women getting fired and girls kicked out of school for wearing natural hair needs to stop.
It’s a self-hate issue.
because Black women's hair is VERY difficult to take care of, being natural is expensive and not everyone knows about how to properly take care of their hair. Relaxing black hair, is an easy option. Imagine for a moment that it would take you three or four hours to comb through your hair in its natural state, now imagine you got a relaxer and those 3/4 hours turned into 10 minutes. Imagine how much more time you'd save and how stress-free doing your hair would be. Everyone makes the false assumption that black women wanting straight hair is about them trying to be European but people who don't share the same struggles with doing black hair can't speak or project their misinformation on black women's psyche.
Also, this study is so Ludacris and filled with falsehood. The study contained a very small sample size of women, with 1 percent of the participants being black or of black decent. The study was more of an observational study and it was a response by black women, who were part of the nature-hair movement, reacting to the fact that more and more black women were leaving the natural hair movement and returning to relaxers. Then suddenly this study comes and furthermore, relaxers cause 'cancer' but only in black women.
@@MsVakong Never heard of that happening, and I find it hard to believe.
@@auroraoghene8073 I don’t know if I trust that study anyway.?
It blew me away when i found this out and there still selling this smmfh!
Old knowledge and this been going on!
I hope this creates a push for natural hair! I'm hoping more black women will understand the standardized beauty standards that are marketed are not what attracts the opposite sex for those that don't understand that! Not to mention unnecessary body augmentations. I'm a single parent of 2 African-American daughters 14 & 15, and it's so hard to get them to understand this. The power of cultural and peer influence of wanting to fit in is so overbearing sometimes!
The fact of the matter is, I got a LOT more male attention when I lived in Atlanta and had straight, shoulder length hair. Non-black men generally don't care as much because in their mind textured hair is "black people hair" so that's what they expect black women to have. (LOL)
Could only dream of that. Many of us have known of the harmful effects for decades, but oh, well. Everything is bad for us, so pick your poison!
@BearingMySeoul I can't and won't deny your personal lived experiences, but men like myself are generally around more black men on a daily basis and have conversations that most women will not hear. Overwhelmingly, most men do not like anything fake or unnatural (80% in my 37yrs). I'm included in that group. Some don't mind it either way cause they might be in a place in their life where they're just looking for sex. The 80% who are looking for a wife, life companion, mother for children, do not like the extra! It's actually a turn off. The turnoff for men doesn't mean that they'll be disgusted and walk away, it means they may not commit to you, sex zone you, or have someone else. If monogamy is your thing and you're looking for a good man to have a good future with that is. Men like natural. If more men listened to women about women's wants needs and dislikes and women did the same vice versa instead of ridiculing and questioning it, things would be a lot easier than they are.
There has been a whole natural hair community for over a decade! This is old news, I don’t know that many women who are still relaxing their hair.
@@mrpearson1230 This definitely differs by region. And hair type. I had 4C hair. #1 Nobody even knows what that looks like cuz it's never out in the wild. 4C hair HAS to be tied up or dreaded or braided or something. It's hair that will start rasta dreads within a week! 😂Guys up north generally don't care/prefer natural (or non-black altogether). Guys down south still chase down long hair. The only men who complimented my natural hair (back in the day when I still had hair) were white guys, rastas, and "conscious" black men. I'm not into cults so that cut most of them out. lol
That said, dating is one thing, workplace is another. It's much easier to make other cultures "at ease" with hair that they understand. I'm all for throwing on a wig but I'm absolutely NOT tamping down my personality! 💯
Ok! If we are addressing dangerous substances in the products that we use on a daily basis why not discussing all the chemicals in the food and drink that can also contribute to cancer ?
Believe it or not, people can actually be concerned about both things simultaneously. Don't pretend that we can ignore one issue just because there is not yet enough attention paid to the other. The answer is we need to pay more attention to both.
True...however they need to start bending A lot of chemicals in these products
I didn't know the process of this. This sounds awful. We need to get over this. This isnt okay.
Well support the Crown Act which would prevent black women from being discriminated against at work in the basis of our natural hair.
@@Lqtech00 I will. I'll research to find out how I can. Thank you
Just be happy the way God made you. Stop trying to be something you’re not.
Its not that simple Sorry
Profit over everything
@cbs I think topics like this warrants more time. The researcher did an AMAZING job👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
After I saw the docu Chris Rock produced years ago I went natural REAL quick!
Isn’t this old news?
I'm so glad I stopped relaxing my hair in 2009.
I vow to this day to never get a relaxer again. It’s just not worth it.
So MANY are still ignorant to the fact.
I stopped using relaxer before locked down. I will never go back to it. It is dangerous
same goes for perms and hair dyes
Say that again! Keratin treatment, Brazilian blowout and similar treatment has those same chemicals and their pushing those to us as replacement alternatives. The alternatives doesn’t lasts as long, cost 2x-5x more compared to a professional salon relaxer done by a professionals. And if you use a sulfate shampoo, it washes those expensive treatments out. If you ban relaxers ban those treatments, perms and dyes too.
Who's dying a 6 year old child's hair?
@@nini4775 🎯🎯💯
Stop using relaxers- the hair coming out of your head naturally is enough.
Tell that to the n bosses who believe natural hair looks unprofessional
There is nothing 'relaxing' about straightening afro hair. I always struggled with putting chemicals on my hair to make it straight, for a week later my beautiful curl would stand strong again. This proves its traumatizing to the hair, and indeed your health! Embracing my afro for 20+ years now and she is beautiful.
My stomach turns thinking about my perm journey. It was traumatic and brought on deep insecurities as a girl. I didn’t understand why I had to go through such a painful process from 5-23. Terrified to think of the effects 😭
For the Black women here, you'll know this as it's not new information. Chris Rock Good Hair (2009) even mentions these same facts. It's on y'all to stop using it!
The vitriol some black women had for me when I brought that documentary up. When asked what he got wrong though it was a bunch of deflection and experiences through someone else. In my 30+ years of life I've never once been judged for my various hairstyles over the years. I don't know anyone who has. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, just that the problem may not be as widespread as people claim.
@@Fenrir190I disagree heavily. Maybe it depends on your job but just because you didn’t experience it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. My white supervisor was constantly telling me had had happy hair and claimed a black customer with relaxed hair was looking at me funny when I know she was not. This was at a hospital. And when I do straighten my hair white colleagues have actually told me I look professional. It does happen depending on the job
@@BonBonWasHere111 "I don't know anyone who has. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist it doesn't exist, just that the problem may not be as widespread as people claim."... The same way my experience doesn't dictate the entire picture. Yours doesn't either. I have a female friend who works in a hospital with locs. She's never felt discriminated against because of her hair. Does her experience not matter?
I was in my early 20s when this came out and didn't understand the message then.. I thought he was just pushing us as black women to love our natural-ness and not feel judged by society to look the way "Others" think we should look imma watch that again! ...thank youu! ☀️🫡💯💯💯✌🏼
@@144VenusianWurk stay safe and be blessed sister
Is there a class action against these corporations? I would like to sign up
Used them as early as 5 years old. The health issues I have are almost everyone named
If there is ever a class action lawsuit I will be joining it. My mom had fibroids and I think it contributed to her death. She was severely anemic when she was admitted to the hospital the day she died.
I am a black woman and I have stopped using relaxers for about 8years now.
I have never been judged.
Just keep it tidy
I'm glad that has been your experience, but that is not the reality for many other black women.
Define "tidy"
@@robinsonfamily222lol, anything except 4C!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Using the word tidy sounds off...its as if only us have untidy hair
@@mlo8081exactly 😢
I am glad i stopped using relaxers years.
I stopped over 30 years
We’ve known for a while now, it’s not really news. The sad thing is some people are still using relaxers, and will continue to do so even as more and more news and lawsuits come out.
Mostly because most pf the products we use including medication is harmful to our health...
This is one of the reason i started microlocs. I was relaxed with for 23 years. I lost one of my ovaries and I believe there could be a link between the cyst they found to my relaxed hair. I've stopped now because i don't want any further issues
My mom told me to never use relaxers or dye. My hair has always been virgin hair, now my husband and I have 3 daugters and I set the example also my husband says we are not allowed to do and isn’t attracted to it. Most men want is natural anyway, it saddens me that even with the risk blk women still use relaxers do to self hate and laziness of not wanting to deal with thier natural hair
I like the natural afro on black women, i think they look so much more beautiful. Straightened hair make their faces look smaller and not as attractive.
These days, afros on women are a rarity and it's sad. In my opinion the harshest critics of afros are the black people themselves.
Smaller face looks attractive. Big face looks manly. I agree that afros look good, but its not the only natural hairstyle that black women look good in. I think they look more attractive in braids or dreads..
Wonderful comment BarnaliD!
Not every black woman has an afro... Hair comes in many textures. And women should style their hair however makes them feel beautiful. Not just your preference 😊
@@princessmorebucks
Exactly... Only 4c hair type carry good afros...black women hair comes in many different textures
But we continue to see some hair dressers say that relaxers can still be performed on hair and it remains healthy. It 's way more to the use of relaxers than just the integrity of your hair. They really should be discontinued.
There should be a lawsuit on the plastic toxic hair they are selling you. They won't do that because too many women would be paid....Getting locs was the best decision I've made with my hair.
I am so glad I stopped using relaxers years ago and my hair is long and beautiful and now I rock my curls. ✊️
Not everyone have curls to rock
They get the relaxers for the job, career, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR LOVE LIFE!!! That’s what she forgot to mention instead of repeating the same subject of making money….. It’s crazy to me why we won’t acknowledge the obvious THE WORLD IS STARVED OF TRUE GENUINE LOVE AND COMPANIONSHIP AND WOMEN WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET IT INCLUDING BURN THEIR SCALPS FOR LOVE!!! PERIOD….🤨
Can we focus more on the obesity problem. Obesity causes more fibroids and cancer than relaxers do.
thats also an FDA issue. both are terrible
Can we not focus on both? Why should one issue take precedence over the other? This is an important matter to discuss. Relaxers are damaging the health of black women. The information ought to be disseminated and discussed so black women are informed and therefore make informed decisions. Don't push this under the rug.
@brendadaviswilson9243 THANK YOU!! I’ve been searching for a comment that mentions this!!
Both are very harmful. Concentrate on both!
2 things there is much more fibroids and cancer caused by obesity than relaxers and the body positivity movement makes it difficult to make it a big priority.
I also heard of tight braids causing black people to lose hair/ have receding hair lines, & feel concerned for people when I see it. The truth is, we all can live deeper, all races, than superficial appearances & be free of such harm. It is a trick of the eye, to think you will be loved if you do this or that external factor, to make you 'better.' Don't do it at the cost of harm to the self. Look at obese people, for example- so many become a couple & marry. I've heard it said, "there's someone for everyone." You don't have to hurt yourself for love. True love goes beyond that. I was abused as a child, & grew up with a lot of lack of love. It set me up to have learned dysfunction & to have ptsd, which messed up having love relationships as an adult.... on & on. So much of my life has been without love. I've had threat of hair loss in recent years, or thinning. Yes, I care about that. But one thing that caused me to take a pause, was putting things in true perspective. I've never been loved my whole life, while dealing with bullying & abuse, & mistreatment & cruelty & severe life assault, even with hair. Even with long blonde hair (after it turned gray, & just dyeing it light). So, it hit me. If i lost my hair, that''s probably when I will have the most true love in my life. So much is an illusion. Don't let people outside you effect your sense of value. Your value is God endowed. Be secure in that... & that self confidence & being real is a greater force of love than artificial things. YOU ARE LOVED. God Bless. Peace. Love wins.
I’m glad that this topic is still in the mainstream media.
May we all continue to make healthier choices and learn to love our natural hair.
That’s why I went natural 7 years ago and my hair is as full as ever. Relaxers are absolutely terrible
I’ve had two fibroid removal surgeries during the due to hair relaxers.