Sorry, I’m tired– I meant “doesn’t” not “does’nt”.

This is wrong on all levels. And that includes using this photo without blurring the child’s face.
I have tried to figure how the parents did this, and there can be no safe way. This is horrible. Although I do not see why this has evolved into a natural vs relaxed hair debate. This is wrong but has nothing to do with all the rest of your hair.

Before I go into everything you commented let me say this. I do not hate nor throw shade on straight hair. I simply ask and wonder about the effects of different eurocentric adjustments among people of color. In this case it is hair. Information is the key to understanding why asking questions is important. We all need to understand our own background and possible struggles in order to understand how we can progress in an effective way. This is my answer to both your long and short comment.

1. I did state you don’t HAVE to take that responsibility. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I said IF the community is truely affected by this in a negative way (which can be scientifically researched) there is indeed a responsibility. This might not be fair or pleasant, but just simply true. IF it is so, my relaxed sisters might be part of the problem. Self esteem should be taught by the community you live in. Your hair choice doesn’t have to be a reflexion of that, if your head is in the right place. However we (black people) are also considered to be a demographic group and the effect of any eurocentric beauty standard might have a bigger influence on how we conduct ourselves, then we think.

2. You state you are not part of a group of people that are working themselves up. You followed by stating that the term “natural hair nazi” orginated in “my camp”. So first you are not considered black (of African, Afro-Caribian or African-American descent) which is most definately a group that is working themselves up, because we are still recovering of internal and external struggles that still disadvantage us today. And second you claim that the existence of this group is and/or you being part of it is only confirmed by natural girls? Seriously? Or did you misunderstand me? I did not try to force any hair style on anyone, I am simply pointing out the incredibly complicated issues that might lie behind the fact that so many women hide their own hair texture or simply get rid of it. Why is it throwing shade if you are asking legitimate questions? It is like some relaxed sisters don’t want to even talk about the possible negative effects of hair relaxers, a majority presenting themselves with only eurocentric hair styles or the lack of knowledge about their own hair. Knowledge is power, even when it comes to your own curly/kinky hair. Yes it is a choice that you have the right to make. Yes I cannot judge another individual based on their hair. But IF their is a negative side to this, we all need to know about it and work on it. Do not forget why people started chemically relaxing their hair back in the 20′s (after pressing their hair and wearing wigs): to fit in with the Caucasians. So the roots are painful. My questions are about the possibilities of these roots baring harmful fruits. It is not all of a sudden that aiming to look eurocentric is a main reason for black people choosing these hairstyles. If you want to you,can take your own history lessons about relaxing hair back to as far as you want to. You cannot know where you are, if you don’t know where you have been. My point is you cannot be sure unconsciously others don’t struggle with the white beauty myth. As a matter of fact I suggest you google “Channel 4 the white beauty myth”. You will find a couple of British documentaries focused on what I am trying to adress here.

3. You can have hair that is relaxed and not damaged to the core. yes. And if you read well I state that we must be honest and well informed about hair relaxers. If you relax your hair once a year it is very different from touching up every 6 weeks. If you do it once a year then you also deal with your own curls, if you touch up every 6 weeks you avoid dealing with new growth as much as possible. I am mainly speaking of the last way of straightening hair. The people who never show nor truely deal with their own hair and the reasons why they do it. I find questions surrounding that necessary. because it might affect people negatively if they don’t know the risks of such monthly treatments. The hair salons in my area do monthly touchups like that daily. Trust me I have asked them. The churches I have been to (Caribbean, Ghanian even congolese ) for years had more little girl gettingtheir touchups every 6-8 weeks then girls who only did it once a month and this is still the case today. So I speak of a reality that many black women see and know about.

4. I do not have the presumption that all relaxed women wear their hair relaxed all the time. Again I am adressing the phenomenom of black women getting touchups as soon as possible, acoording the the hair relaxer-box. That kind of hair treatment is very different from what you do and describe. I hope you understand (as your third point already stated) that getting touchups every 6 weeks starting from the age of 3 or 6 for instance is very harmful. And no, I didn’t get this from Chris Rock “Good Hair”. I got my first perm at 3 years of age and my baby sister right after her 6th birthday. I have been natural since I was 16 years old (eventhough my mother hated that choice). I do agree that me wearing my hair natural shows my siblings and other family members that they have a choice.

5. When it comes to revenues from the hair industry, you can easily find out why revenues from weave (going mostly back to South East-Asia and Europe) and hair relaxers (Europe and South East Asia) do not benefit the communities as natural hair care products do. Yes major non black owned businesses are focusing on the natural hair movement but that is the thing. Their are a vast amount of black owned hair care brands that already have their clientele because they started aiming at natural hair before companies like Revlon did. The minute you try to avoid SLS, petrolatum and silliciones (like dimethicone),because natural hair immediately suffers under those chemicals, you are left with more black owned companies then non black owned companies that can offer you products that work for you (Taaliyah Waajid is a good example!). I also hope Mixed Girls wins that lawsuit!

6. I actually (eventually) highlighted the bigger picture: self image. My issue is not with the relaxed hair choice but the possible negative place that choice might come from. Like I stated before I would like to know if any eurocentric adjustment (nose jobs, eye surgeries, lip reduction, skin bleaching) has a noticeable impact on the community. Relaxingyour hair is much cheaper then getting a Jackson-nosejob. But how many black women would do it if it was free and what is the true subconcious reson? research can shine a light on that. Lack of self esteem can have you accepting the most horrid situations. From a cheap nose job in the depths of Brazil to risky priscuous behaviour (with high STD-risks). So finding out of these adjustments are really a symptom of a bigger issue is worth investigating. I know that my choice to go natural forced me to understand and heal from the white beauty myth I was fed by my own community. My self esteem was built upon my capabilities as an individual and the worth of my chracter, instead of how fresh my new Yaki weave was. Now I can wear a wig or weave if I choose to without linking my worth to it. That was however my very own journey and story. I would like to know what the scientific answer is to my questions about the community as a whole. Various experts have disputed the mentioned consequences, mainwhile the EU lists formaldehyde (found in Keratin relaxers, No-Lye) AND lye as cancerous substances. In the EU labels are needed to state that the products can have immediate harmful reactions and some products are prohibited because of the high concetrations of these substances. In the US both substances have been found cancerous as well but not prohibited. However, when taking in high amounts of these substances, there are serious consequences that the FDA has stated as well. When going back for touchups every 6 weeks for let’s say 35 years (starting at the age of 5), The consequences are almost always visible. Alopecia being the number one issue directly linked to using hair relaxers frequently for a long time. These chemicals are not the safest thing to put on wood, let alone a scalp. Once a year gives your hair time to recover. 6 weeks simply doesn’t and we need to know about that before going down that road.

And I do not rank hair (problems) as high as obesity or incarceration rates. Never have I stated that so it is foolish to assume I do think this way. My information is not inaccurate my dermatologist can attest to the info I have I suggest you consult one before deeming the info as inaccurate.

Putting chemicals, hot irons, hot combs on an infants head? Why? Babies are beautiful, pure, they need no beautifying. These chemicals used for straightening, I have read in medical reports can cause early puberty and fibroid tumors. It’s bad enough when people who are old enough to make a choice use these things, but to just do it to a child. That’s just wrong!We were all born w the hair, eyes, ears, skin etc that is intended for us. Leave ourselves alone for a while and see the beautiful rainbow that we are.

you forgot to blur out one of the people’s names on one of the comments. Read them all over again.