Hair In The African-American Culture

When I look around me I see people that are different shapes, sizes, and are different races, however what seems to be very interesting and unique about everyone is our hair. Our hair defines our personality that we carry into the community. Especially in the African-American culture our hair is considered ever changing, new, and trend setting. From the braids, to locs, perms, or just being natural, African-American women do not play about their hair. Though when we get our hair done it is a process and it takes time for our hair to look so good, we struggle with issues that come along with how are hair looks. If our hair doesn’t look a certain way we get teased or laughed at because it doesn’t meet the standards of how “African-American” hair

This concept of relaxers or “creamy crack” by some people or its scientific name sodium hydroxide; while women of different races use relaxers to add curl to their hair, black woman use them to straighten their hair. Using this chemical you need to be careful. This relaxing, not so relaxing chemical treatment has an irritating sting and burn. When it stings, that should let you know that it is time for you to rinse it out. As you are rinsing it out you can already feel how straight your hair is. The chemicals in the perm are so strong it can burn a soda can which can break off women’s hair. Hip-Hop Mogul Sandra Denton from the group Salt N Pepa’ shared her story of the asymmetrical trend back in the late 80s, early 90s of her sister giving her a perm which burned the side of her hair. Rock speaks to young girls as young as the age of five years old getting their first treatment. He also, talks to the late Maya Angelou who didn’t get her first perm till she was 70 years old. What are we saying to our children about hair? Relaxers are an addiction that women can’t seem to stop. And if it isn’t the relaxers that women are addicted to then it is