Finally hair relaxers containing formaldehyde will be banned by the FDA next year

I recently saw a youtube compilation of hair relaxer fails and while funny still serves a reminder how dangerous chemical relaxers can be. And even though the natural hair movement has been ongoing for several years now, It's a shame that some women will still put that white crack on their child's hair just to maintain it because even today many people still believe, "nappy hair is not good hair". Anyway, reading the comments, I got word that the FDA was planning to ban hair relaxers containing this carcinogen next year which is awesome and looked further into it.

You can read the rest from the link below but I wanted to focus more on this:

Research in recent years has helped raise awareness about the potential dangers of using chemical hair relaxers. A study published last year by the National Institutes of Health found that women who used hair-straightening chemicals more than four times in the previous year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to those who didn’t use the products. While the study didn’t collect information about specific brands or ingredients used by the participants, the researchers noted that formaldehyde, parabens and other ingredients found in chemical hair straighteners may contribute to the increased risk of uterine cancer.

Additional research published this month by Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study — a long-running study, launched in 1995, that tracks the health of 59,000 Black women — found that postmenopausal Black women who used chemical hair straighteners long term had a higher risk of developing uterine cancer. The study was designed to emphasize the dangers of chemical hair straighteners and help identify safer alternatives, said the study’s lead author, Kimberly Bertrand, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Several Black women have sued Revlon, L’Oréal and other cosmetic brands within the past year, alleging that the companies’ hair-straightening products caused them to develop uterine cancer, breast cancer and other health complications. In other cases, women also claimed the products caused infertility.

The FDA’s proposed ban comes months after Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, wrote an open letter in March asking the federal agency to investigate to determine whether chemical hair straighteners contain carcinogens that lead to a higher risk of developing uterine cancer. Many Black women use such hair-straightening products to adapt to societal standards as a result of anti-Black hair sentiment, the letter said.

Black women have used hair relaxers for social and economic advancement, and should be able to “show up in the world” without putting their health at risk, Pressley told NBC News in a statement. “I applaud the FDA for being responsive to my and Congresswoman Brown’s calls to ban harmful chemicals in hair straighteners and relaxers,” Pressley said. “The public health — especially that of Black women — is at stake, which is why the Administration must finalize and implement this rule without delay.”

In addition to the FDA's proposed ban, Pressley and other advocates have pushed for policies like the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, known as the CROWN Act, which prohibits employment and educational discrimination based on hair texture. Since the U.S. House passed the bill in March 2022, more than 20 states have followed suit, including Texas, where a Black teenager was suspended this year after school officials said his dreadlocks violated the district’s dress code.

The target date for the FDA’s proposed ban is April.

News link:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-proposes-ban-hair-relaxers-formaldehyde-rcna120866

link to one of the studies:
https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/newsreleases/index.cfm/detail/946451/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-with-higher-uterine-cancer-risk

bijouxbroussard · F

There’s a lot of controversy about our hair, always has been, and like the example in your post, mainstream criticism still exists about whether or not natural hair looks "professional" in business or school settings.

Many black people are conflicted about their own hair because of how it’s been disparaged by the majority culture. Yet several within the mainstream culture are now "borrowing" many of the hairstyles that are traditional to those with such hair.

When I was in college I wore an Afro, and the leader of our Glee Club (I was its pianist) made comments ("who is under all that hair ?") .

Once, before a performance, I’d straightened my hair and had it cut into a bob, similar to the other girls. We were assembled with the men’s choir from our brother college.

Our leader (an elderly man who teased all of us) remarked, "Young people, you all look splendid ! And even Ms. Broussard has combed her hair ! I’m very pleased !" 🤦🏽‍♀️

basilfawlty89 · 31-35, M

@bijouxbroussard I tend to call white people braids Grinch Fingers. Tell me you didn't see it too.

Puppycat23 · F

@bijouxbroussard When I got away from relaxing my hair and wearing it in an afro, my Dad didn’t want me to because of the negative views afro hair has gotten in the past. I think my exploration was during the time when Pinterest became a go to for hair tutorials and afro hair styles were slowly showing up. Even today some people will never get use to our hair, all they’ve known is one texture: straight and silky. And tbh, when it cones to braids I’ll never understand the hypocrisy people have when other cultures wear box braids, cornrows, Senegalese twists, etc. We’ve been viewed as ugly/ghetto for wearing them while non-black people are seen as creative/artistic.