At age nine, Monique Rodriguez started relaxing her hair after her mother suggested she wear a straighter hairstyle. For so many Black girls at that age, hair relaxers play an important role in their lives. It boosts their confidence and relationship with their hair.
However, many young girls are not aware of the negative effects hair relaxers can cause, including underlying health issues that are now linked with the usage of the product.
Rodriguez is one of many Black women who had a negative reaction to hair relaxers, recalling horrific moments from the adverse effects of the product. “My scalp was raw after every session, and I never felt like it had volume or bounce,” Rodriguez told the Daily Dot in an interview. “I just look back and cringe at the reasoning behind suffering for straight hair.”
Hair relaxers are causing more than just “hair” problems.
In addition to the damage the processing can inflict on natural hair, certain ingredients in hair relaxers can cause serious health issues.
“One of the greatest concerns is the link between chemical relaxers and serious health conditions, including hormone disruption, reproductive issues, and even some cancers,” hair specialist Zoey Taylor told the Daily Dot.
A 2022 National Institute of Health Sister Study found a high likelihood of ovarian and uterine cancers with frequent use of hair relaxers and exposure to their chemicals, such as parabens and formaldehyde.
Among the use of hair relaxers, the cancer risk and endocrine disruptors are not adequately taught to women who choose to use the products, mainly due to false advertising and the presence of social media normalizing hair relaxers.
Many Black women continue to use them out of fear of hair discrimination. This form of discrimination affects 66% of Black women, as Afro-textured hair is deemed “unprofessional” within a job environment, per the Economic Policy Institute.
A 2017 thesis conducted at Elon University indicates that young Black women grew up with the belief that natural hair needed to be “permed” or “relaxed” to keep up with their white counterparts. Because of this, it can create an unhealthy relationship with one’s natural hair, and the pressure to chemically straighten their hair as a means to fit in will only further damage their mental health.
”Black women have always faced pressure to conform to the Western standard of beauty,” Rodriguez said. “Especially in professional settings, Black women also faced pressure to perform in the workplace and maintain a non-ethnic or even unthreatening appearance to be viewed as professional.”
Talking hair online
Most women have documented their hair journeys on social media platforms, such as YouTube, showcasing why they chose to wear their natural hair and detailing the damage that hair relaxers have caused. Life coach Tiffani Walker took a different approach by detailing her hair journey on online forums dedicated to Afro-textured hair.
As a content creator on Instagram and Facebook, Walker has made it her mission to help women heal from heartbreak and change their lives for the greater good. For Walker, her emotional hair journey was a large part of this.
“I grew up thinking relaxers were just part of life,” Walker told the Daily Dot in an interview. “I shared my story in hair forums back in the day, and I think social media has given both sides of the relaxer debate more volume.”
Dr. Ross Kopleman, a hair transplant surgeon and a YouTuber with 56,000 followers, educates his patients about the dangers of hair relaxers and how to use them appropriately.
Throughout his career, he has treated patients who have suffered from a multitude of problems related to hair relaxers, like breakage, scalp burns, and alopecia. Concerning hair relaxers, Kopleman believes that the ingredients in hair relaxers should be banned and replaced with safer ingredients.
“Ingredients like lye or formaldehyde-releasing compounds can severely irritate the scalp and compromise follicle health,” Dr. Kopleman told the Daily Dot in an interview. “Repeated chemical processing, especially when combined with heat or tight styling, amplifies the risk of permanent hair loss.”
The journey of hair acceptance
The natural hair movement continues to see many strides from those who have ditched hair relaxers once and for all. Social media has allowed women to share their hair stories and inspire others to do the same. Rodriguez believes this wholeheartedly, but sharing her hair story online isn’t on her bucket list, as she says it’s a touchy subject.
“At this moment, the use of relaxers has become normalized again, along with the choice to stay natural, which wasn’t an option except in the 1970s,” Rodriguez said. “It’s more normal to see celebrities, influencers, and even models with natural hair.”
Even Dr. Kopleman believes social media is an essential tool in raising awareness for the dangers of hair relaxers.
“I’ve had patients tell me they stopped using relaxers after seeing honest testimonials and before-and-after photos online,” Dr. Kopleman said. “That kind of raw, peer-to-peer transparency helps cut through marketing and really resonates with people. It’s creating a cultural shift where natural hair and scalp health are prioritized.
Active lawsuits against hair relaxers
Among the ongoing lawsuits against hair relaxers, brands like Just for Me and Olive Oil are currently being sued due to their products’ ingredients being linked to cancer development.
Despite this, Dr. Kopleman said that hair relaxers will remain on shelves, mainly due to their high demand among consumers.
“I do think we’ll see regulatory changes and more pressure on companies to be transparent about their ingredients, but it’s likely these products will stay available,” Dr. Kopleman said. “That’s why education and early intervention are so important—because by the time you see the damage, it may be permanent.”
Even Rodriguez believes that the product will stick around. Not because of market demand, but rather because it allows women to have a wide selection of choices for hair straightening.
If a woman chooses to use hair relaxers, Rodriguez advises her to educate herself about hair health. Never be afraid of standing in your own truth, she suggests, especially if that means embracing your inner beauty.
“It’s liberating, and you begin to have the freedom to love your true self, including the flexibility to start a healthy hair journey,” Rodriguez said. “Your curls are your crown. You should be able to love your hair in any state, whether straight, curly, coily or kinky. Learn to love your natural beauty—you’ll never regret it.”
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