Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Are Hair Relaxers dangerous?

I have recently started growing out my perm and I am so happy I did. My hair is returning to the thick, log beautiful hair it was as a child. I did it for safety and health reasons. I had heard about medical students finding a green film under the scalps of the cadavers of black women who had relaxers. I though that was scary. There is never enough research on products that are unique to Blacks and I think as a people we need to become more educated about the things we put in and on our bodies! Therefore, from my own research I found that relaxers are subject to cause alopecia areata and male patterned baldness in 60% of men women and children later on in life who use relaxers on a normal basis say once every four weeks. There is no such thing as a ';better'; perm. I was even appalled to see an organic perm out which to me doesnt make sense considering the fact that a relaxer ';chemically'; changes the structure of our hair! Whats organic about that! Anyways, ';No-lye relaxer'; has been portrayed to the general public as if it is a safer option than Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) and it is no safer in fact. No-Lye relaxers have to use chemicals to straighten hair just as Lye relaxers do. Manufacturers of No-Lye choose to boast No-Lye for marketing purposes. People buy NoLye because ';Surprise!!'; There's No Lye, but what people don't know is that it's just as damaging. Whether the stylist used a Lye or No-Lye (Guanidine Hydroxide) makes no difference unfortunately because both forms of relaxing are equally damaging. Anytime a chemical substance is introduced into the hair, or otherwise, and it subsequently alters the natural condition of the hair, you can best believe that it's damaging. They are also referred to as 'alkaline relaxers' because they contain alkaline caustics, which can cause chemical burns similar to those a person would get if they came in contact with a strong acid. The pH levels are higher than no-lye relaxers. the pH is of 12-14, which is extremely high and these relaxers are formulated with Sodium Hydroxide.The higher the pH the greater risk of damage and hair loss.


They are formulated with calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, and ammonium thioglycolate to make guanidine hydroxide. Some of the ingredients found in Relaxers such as the Sodium Hydroxide are found in drain cleaners, bleach, oven cleaners, toilet cleaners, and other household cleaning supplies. So,basically you can use those relaxers to clean your drains and toilets with! Just imagine those chemicals on your head and knowing your scalp is very porous whatever is on your skin is indeed getting into your bloodstream. And after constantly applying this chemical it is even more dangerous! Even the FDA lists hair relaxers and hair dyes among its top consumer complaint areas. There was this incident I read where thirty years ago a two year old boy got a taste of a caustic cleaning agent SIMILAR to these relaxers and suffered burns in his esophagus and stomach to the point to where he had to get a new esophagus and stomach using a portion of his bowel. Scarring is the ultimate concern of the chemists and doctors testing these products because some of the scarring can only be removed through surgical procedures. The hair is made up of protein and this protein is necessary to promote the growth, strength, and health of the hair. Hair relaxers and perms destroy the protein that makes up the hair by rearranging and breaking the bonds that hold the hair in its natural shape. IMHO,the FDA and Board of Cosmetology have not done enough extensive research to explain and warn of the dangerous effects of hair relaxers over a long period of time due to the capital boom of the cosmetology industry and the high demand dollars that particularly blacks spend on hair care. I hope this info convinces you of how dangerous chemical relaxers and perms are. It convinced me and now Im starting to appreciate my hair texture even more. I am starting to see that my thick,coily,kinky hair is unique and is unlike any other race. Most importantly, my thick,kinky,coily hair was how God created me and I should not treat it as some type of curse by chemically altering it : )Are Hair Relaxers dangerous?
Yes. They are full of dangerous chemicals and your body absorbs them like a sponge.





I'd like to add that there are many dangerous chemicals that are legal. Money talks. And just because something doesn't kill you right away doesn't mean it won't eventually. Especially in combination with other chemicals that are pretty much impossible to avoid. We don't catch cancer and other non viral conditions, we ignorantly (and sometimes unwillingly) nurture them.Are Hair Relaxers dangerous?
Only if you leave the relaxer on to long in which case you'll have no hair on your head.
they can damage ur hair, depending what type u have and use. but also if u leave it in for too long, can b pretty bad
Yes, if you don't use them correctly.
- Yes
honey i have been using hair relaxers all my life and i have never encountered any problem.


Before a product is put on the market it is first tested to see if it's harmful or not .

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