If you think the topic of hair is trivial, think again.
In the black female community, there is a debate regarding two popular hairstyles that has attracted national attention — chemically-straightened, or relaxed hair, and the natural look.
But the controversy isn’t just cosmetic; it stems from cultural and health-related issues.
Chemical relaxers are facing immense criticism and many African-American women are making the decision to leave the chemicals behind for a more natural look. And that decision is not always easy.
Business junior Dasha Jones said black women received a much-needed wake up call when actor Chris Rock produced the 2009 controversial documentary “Good Hair.”
While it wasn’t the first work to spotlight the topic, “Good Hair” helped reveal facts about black hair maintenance, such as chemical products and hair pieces. Some applauded the film, but it also drew criticism from those who felt exposed.
“He was basically saying what many people were already thinking,” Jones said. “So of course people get offended when they are faced with an ugly truth that they are not exactly ready to accept yet.”
“Good Hair” comically addresses topics like weaves, but it also tackles serious issues, like the dangers of chemical relaxers to hair.
A relaxer — completely different from the commonly misused word “perm” — is a cream-based product that uses chemicals to break down the curl patterns of hair.
The active ingredient in a hair relaxer is sodium hydroxide, a chemical commonly found in drain cleaners. If not applied correctly, a relaxer can severely damage the hair, burn the scalp and, in extreme cases, cause hair loss.
And despite the dangers associated with chemical relaxers, the majority of black women still get them.
Mass communication junior Jelisa Burney said some women just prefer straight hair.
“I love my relaxed hair, and I see no problem with it,” Burney said. “I just like the way it looks, and it is easier to take care of.”
But sports administration junior Alexis Guess said she’s embraced the natural look.
“If God intended for me to have straight hair, I would have it,” Guess said. “After acknowledging that, it made the decision for me to go natural an easy one.”
Going natural is when a woman stops applying chemical relaxers to the hair to allow the natural hair texture to grow out. The amount of women who are deciding to leave the “creamy crack,” the product’s nickname, behind is quickly rising.
“There has definitely been an increase of girls with natural hair on campus,” Jones said. “I love that women are finally comfortable with the hair that they were born with.”
But the process to go natural is a long one. If a woman decides to go natural, she usually gets the “big chop,” a term for when she cuts the hair to expose only the new growth. For many women, making the decision to go through with the big chop can be emotionally challenging.
“I was a bit hesitant when I did my big chop,” said Guess, who has been natural for two years. “Short hair is looked down upon usually, so before I went through with it I tried transitioning instead.”
Transitioning is a method many women take to avoid going through with the big chop. To transition means to gradually grow the natural hair out while only trimming the relaxed hair.
But it’s not easy, Jones said.
“Transitioning is tricky because you are dealing with two hair textures: the relaxed hair and the natural hair,” said Jones, who has been natural for 3 years. “The hair will be extremely fragile at the place where both of those textures meet, so take extra caution
when transitioning.”
Jones also said do what is best for you, when it is best.
“Don’t feel pressured to abandon your relaxer if you’re not feeling it,” Jones said. “To go natural, you definitely need to be ready and go through some trial and errors. You can’t learn your hair through a computer. You’re going to have to experiment.”
