"Creamy Crack"

Relaxer, perm, creamy crack- the name may change but it product stays the same. This product, most commonly called relaxer, is predominantly used by African-American and Latina women, or in general people with a tighter curl pattern, in order to straighten out the hair. The problem with relaxers are the chemicals they contain, and what they can actually do.

On the back of a box of relaxer that can be purchased at places like CVS or walgreens,

ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, guanidine hydroxide, thioglycolic acid and lithium hydroxide can be found. These chemicals together, when placed in the hair, break down the bonds of the hair in order to straighten it. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well they actually do a lot more than that. These chemicals, if left on the scalp for too long, can cause severe burns, scars and hair loss that are incredibly painful and sometimes permanent, deep ulcerations in the skin, drying and cracking of the skin, and if they get into the eyes, they can cause eye damage and even blindness. A study by Boston University in 2012 found that “black women who use hair relaxers are at slightly higher risk of developing uterine fibroids” which causes non cancerous tumors to grow on the walls of the uterus causing heavy bleeding and painful periods, and are a leading cause of hysterectomies.

Beyond this, it’s equally surprising to hear what else these chemicals are found in, besides products some women put in their hair every four to six weeks. Sodium hydroxide can be found in drain and pipe cleaners such as Drano, septic tank and cesspool cleaners and oven and grill cleaners. Sodium hydroxide is used to dissolve hair in sinks, so why would anyone knowingly use a product like relaxer in their hair when it’s one of the main ingredients? Even with all the risks, millions of women and girls take their chances.

However, the numbers of women discontinuing their relaxers and “going natural” are growing. Thankfully, the stigma of “bad hair” is dying away, and more and more women are not only embracing their natural kinks and curls, but they’re choosing safer ways to take care of their hair, like using protective styles, instead of just relaxing and flat ironing it. This change is definitely for the better, seeing as it will dramatically reduce the health issues that can come with relaxing ones hair, and will help to build confidence in wearing natural hair.