TRENDING

See the picture at the top? In case you didn’t know, girls of color don’t just wake up like this. Our hair is naturally kinky and curly. If we want a sleek 'do we turn to relaxers: a chemical treatment that permanently straightens hair. And while this sounds super convenient (and the results look gorge), recent studies show that straight strands may not be worth the risk. 

Losing length

Dreaming of long, luscious locks? Yes, it’s possible with a relaxer, but most of the time it just doesn’t work. In order for kinky curly hair to become straight, the relaxer has to break down the hair’s natural structure, thus making relaxed hair weaker. In her article, “Weak Hair Shafts, Split Ends, and Breakage…Oh My,” Trichologist, Dr, Kari Williams suggests that the hair chemicals found in relaxers will denature the proteins in your hair shaft—in other words, this treatment can totally drain hair of all of the naturally occuring nutrients and good stuff it needs to stay strong. Weak hair is susceptible to breakage at the ends—making it harder to retain length. 

Skin sitches

Healthy hair starts at the roots. Unfortunately, relaxers just don’t care. You may see labels on your relaxer box, promising there is no lye (a horribly toxic chemical), but a Mount Holyoke University study points out that with or without lye, all relaxers have a very low pH level (highly acidic). The acid contained in the relaxer's active ingredients can literally burn your scalp (oh yeah, it hurts!) and create sensitive scabs and dander. Sometimes the burns are so deep that they damage hair follicles. This irrevocable damage makes it impossible for new hair to grow in the affected area.

Scares down there

A fibroid is a tumor made of muscular and fibrous tissues. They usually grow in the walls of a woman’s uterus. This illness can cause pain down there and in severe cases cause infertility. Though any female can develop fibroids, Dr. Lauren Wise of Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center discovered that women who had an increased rate of fibroid growth were also women who used relaxers. Wise also notes that while this illness is more common in middle-aged women, the use of relaxers (as a child) are likely to make black women develop fibroids at a much younger age.

The alternative 

Luckily, nobody needs a relaxer to look adorbs everyday. Get comfortable with your hair's natural texture. Tons of celebs are making natural hair more and more popular—just look at Skai Jackson AKA Zuri Ross from Disney Channel's Jessie. If you want to go sleek 'n' straight every now and then, pick up a straightener or hot comb for new look that is less damaging...your hair will thank you!

They say that beauty is pain, but what do you think—is a hair relaxer really worth it? Sound off in the comments below!

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