It’s not exactly news that hair relaxers may not be the best option for straightening natural hair. Anyone familiar with the process knows about the exposure to chemicals, the unpleasant smell, the burns, and the lesions. However, that hasn’t stopped people from continuing to relax their hair. In fact, a lot of people who were natural for years have gone back to the “creamy crack.” Why? Well, it’s easy. A relaxer simplifies styling, significantly reduces the chance of knots forming, makes humidity a non-issue, and makes natural hair more “acceptable” to a society that still considers afro-textured hair sloppy and unprofessional. Hair relaxers have been a staple in the Black community for decades but does it need to be? We explore why it may be time to just stop using relaxers in 2023.
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About the Expert
Tolu Alli is a trichologist who runs a hair consulting business called Fine Hair Coach and runs the Bloom Hair Atelier, a natural hair salon in Lagos, Nigeria.
When different news outlets covered the announcement that there was a lawsuit against L’Oréal, SoftSheen Carson, Strength of Nature, Dabur, and Namaste Laboratories, it shed light on the recent study that linked uterine cancer to the use of relaxers. The study found that women “who reported frequent use of hair straightening products, defined as more than four times in the previous year, were more than twice as likely to go on to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use the products.” Now, the study did state that uterine cancer is rare and that only 4.05% of women who used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70. So we shouldn’t worry, right?
Despite the risk of relaxers eventually causing uterine cancer being minimal, regular use can cause other problems. According to trichologist and Fine Hair coach, Tolu Alli, “Most of us are familiar with scalp burns caused by relaxers when left on the scalp for too long. Those scalp burns can also cause hair loss in the longer term due to destruction of the hair follicles and what’s known as scarring alopecia.” Unfortunately, hair loss due to scarring alopecia is permanent.
If you are one of the many people who relax their hair because you prefer it straight, we’re not telling you to stop. There are so many better options for semi-permanent straightening that are also safer. So how do we get the straight hair that we want without compromising our health?
Alli suggests swapping relaxers for silk presses paired with texture release treatments for those who primarily wear their hair straight. It’s a smoothing system activated by heat (like a steamer or hooded dryer). Unlike chemical relaxers that work by breaking the bonds of the hair, texture release features amino acids and conditioning agents that penetrate deep into the hair fibers to enable styling versatility, according to Avlon—the company that created the texture release system for professionals.
The treatment is not permanent and is ideal for people who still want to maintain their natural hair.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having tight curls and wearing your hair straight anyway. The beauty of natural hair is in its versatility and the option to wear our hair straight with ease should be available to us and it should be safe.
