There’s no denying that hair is a vital facet of a girl’s appears to be like, in addition to their well-being. As a black girl, straightening your hair can undoubtedly make you look sleeker and bolder, including a hanging factor to your curvy or curly hair. And if you happen to’re like many ladies of coloration, hair-relaxing lotions might be certainly one of your go-to options for this.
However have you ever ever stopped to wonder if these merchandise are protected on your hair, scalp, and basic well being? Might your product of selection be able to inflicting sure damages, or does that rely upon the way it’s used, and the frequency of use?
From the potential dangers to significantly safer options, learn on to study extra concerning the use and security of hair relaxer merchandise amongst African American ladies.
Understanding Hair Relaxers
Hair relaxers are chemical-based merchandise used to alter the curl sample of sure hair varieties, notably for these with extra tightly coiled curls like African American ladies’s hair. They’re among the many commonest methods to straighten hair or loosen up it for black ladies.
Because the title implies, chemical hair lotions or relaxers work by ‘stress-free’ the feel of curly or kinky strands right into a smoother and sleeker look. And whereas they certainly assist carry out a extra put-together look, utilizing a chemical relaxer might be related to sure dangers.
That is, nevertheless, extra of a priority for black ladies whose scalp is of course uncovered extra usually because of common use of styling merchandise, shaving, and shaping their hairline near the basis.
As we’ll uncover later, some widespread dangers of utilizing hair relaxers embody itching, burning, scalp injury, or thinning hair, with some research indicating their potential of inflicting most cancers.
Frequent Elements Present in Hair Relaxer Merchandise
Most hair relaxers comprise a base of chemical substances, comparable to calcium hydroxide or aluminum chloride, and different oils that weaken the bond between protein strands in curly or wavy hair so it may be styled right into a straighter texture. Extra substances might embody fragrances, dyes, and preservatives to stop the degradation of the product over time.
Given their chemical composition, hair relaxers differ from different styling merchandise available on the market as they will have extra extreme penalties when used improperly or too usually. That is particularly for black ladies with textured hair, which is most inclined to break because of its kinky/coiled construction and low moisture content material ranges.
Subsequently, it’s vital to learn labels fastidiously earlier than buying any sort of hair product (together with styling gels, and mousses), ensuring the substances inside are particularly meant for pure curls and suit your particular person wants.
The Dangers of Utilizing Hair Relaxers
Hair-relaxing merchandise have certainly been related to sure security issues. These vary from gentle irritation of the scalp to growing the consumer’s danger of struggling sure sorts of most cancers. A hair relaxer lawsuit replace by The Louthian Agency revealed a rise in lawsuits from ladies suing beauty corporations that make these merchandise. The rise was witnessed shortly after an NHI examine established a hyperlink between chemical hair relaxers and a fourfold danger of uterine most cancers.
Frequent Quick-Time period Results of Utilizing a Hair Relaxer
When hair is uncovered to a relaxer, it could possibly trigger injury starting from gentle to extreme. This contains dryness, breakage, warmth injury, or discoloration. Irritations and scalp burns might happen if used incorrectly, as an illustration when the chemical is left on too lengthy earlier than rinsing out throughout utility.
Apparently sufficient, nevertheless, some short-term outcomes could also be constructive relying on particular person wants. These merchandise are well-known to assist in taming frizz and briefly restoring moisture ranges in hair, albeit when correctly balanced options are chosen.
Nonetheless, an excessive amount of of something is toxic, and hair relaxers aren’t an exception. It is at all times finest to keep away from utilizing hair straightening lotions excessively, as their harsh nature over time is properly documented.
Frequent Lengthy-Time period Results of Utilizing a Hair Relaxer
Apart from doubtlessly growing most cancers dangers, utilizing hair relaxers may cause long-term injury to your hair and scalp. It may weaken the cuticles, which leaves them weak to breakage, break up ends, dryness, and irritation over time. Your hair’s pure texture may grow to be impaired because of broken collagen protein bonds, resulting in thinning or elevated shedding.
Furthermore, sure substances utilized in hair relaxers comparable to lye can result in scalp burns and irritation if not utilized appropriately. That is one thing notably regarding for black ladies who’ve naturally coarse and thick hair shafts. For these people, choosing a extra mild strategy comparable to steam therapies or no-lye formulations might be appropriate options relying on their wants and styling objectives.
Alternate options to Chemical Relaxers – Pure Choices for Textural Administration
Utilizing pure options is the most secure method to obtain your required hair texture with out compromising your total scalp and hair well being. A few of these encompass DIY recipes utilizing substances present in most households.
For example, aloe vera gel and shea butter are nice soothing components that nourish locks whereas additionally shaping them right into a straighter look. Some make the most of fat-free yogurt and different substances like coconut oil, molten coconut cream, and pure hair straighteners like Apple cider vinegar (ACV). The most effective half is that you could find tons of DIY tutorials on-line on the best way to put together them, but it surely’s at all times safer to cross-check and conduct additional analysis on the particular substances.
And for what it’s value, you don’t at all times have to make use of relaxers to realize that glamorous, modern, hair look that makes you look beautiful and put-together. Apart from hair styling strategies comparable to braiding and setting, you can at all times think about using a flat iron that’s particularly created to guard pure hair from warmth injury.
These options might be efficient whether or not you’re in search of a semi-permanent hair care answer, or simply want an additional increase of confidence when rocking gorgeous hairdos.
Suggestions for Minimizing Threat When Making use of a Hair Relaxer
Contemplating the numerous sorts of hair relaxers on the market, it’s vital to take time earlier than utilizing any product, totally consulting the label for substances, instructions, and warnings. Additionally, utilizing skilled salon companies might be helpful by way of acquiring an correct prognosis of any preexisting scalp/hair points that would trigger additional injury if not addressed beforehand.
Furthermore, it pays to keep away from leaving the chemical stress-free therapy on longer than prescribed as this might result in dryness or breakage over time. Lastly, moisturizing your strands with pure substances like shea butter or coconut oil post-treatment might help replenish needed nourishment for more healthy locks.
The Bottomline: Is it Actually Protected to Use a Hair Relaxer for Black Ladies?
In the end, the security of utilizing hair relaxers is determined by the way you go about selecting, making use of, and managing them. With restricted use, constant hair care, and correct upkeep, these merchandise could also be used with none main long-term penalties on hair scalp well being.
Nevertheless, it nonetheless pays to make use of such a product sparingly, particularly after assessing your particular person wants and the potential dangers. It additionally pays to contemplate pure or heatless styling strategies, a few of which give related textural outcomes however with much less potential injury over time.
It’s smart to at all times learn labels fastidiously so you may choose the suitable product particular to your texture/hair sort, follow protected strategies when utilizing them, and keep away from overuse or misuse.
