To Perm or not to Perm - We answer the question

As black women we have always strived to look a certain way based on society’s standard of beauty. We have been taught that our hair is not acceptable and we fool ourselves with excuses such as, “natural hair is not the look for me.” or “perming makes my hair easier to manage”. Unconsciously, women of color strive to achieve a “Caucasian” look by chemically altering their natural crown of beauty, not realizing what they have been already blessed with. Do you really know the truth of what chemical manipulation does to your hair, as well as your health? Read on and learn, then you decide if to perm or not to perm.

Figure 1
The chemical process is a harsh one that, over time, damages the hair and scalp. When one relaxes the hair, one is chemically straightening the curly or kinky texture, permanently changing the hair’s natural character. The chemicals in relaxers work by manipulating the molecular structure of the hair and breaking down the polypeptide bond. This bond is the chain that determines the shape of the hair strand creating the overall texture of the hair. In the case of kinky or curly hair, the strand has an S-shape. Once the bond is broken, the hair looses its natural elasticity.
There are two types of chemical straighters that dominate the hair market today. Sodium hydroxide "Lye" perms and Guanidine hydroxide also known as Lithium hydroxide "No lye" perms. Sodium hydroxide with a high pH level of 12-14% is an extremely corrosive alkali chemical (a substance above the neutral pH level of 7.0%). The pH ( Potential hydrogen) in a product refers to the degree of acidity or alkalinity found in a substance. "Anything above the pH level of 7% is alkaline and anything below is acid." The highest level on the pH scale is 14%. The FDA (Food and Drug Association) banned the use of more than 10% of sodium hydroxide in its household liquids and drain cleaners. Now, one may believe that perms containing "No lye" are safer and milder, however when you think about it, there really is no difference. In reality, a lower pH level is only replaced by more acid causing the same damages to both the hair and scalp.

For permanent curl processes, the hair is first chemically straightened with sodium hydroxide which strips the hair of its natural oils, the hair is then rolled on perm rods with another chemical called ammonium thioglycolate. These chemicals are left in the hair during which time it is being absorbed by the scalp. Once this part of the process is done, the hair then is rinsed and another chemical called sodium perborate is applied to neutralize the acids that curl the hair. Finally, heat is applied where the client is placed under the dryer for several hours causing further trauma to the hair and scalp. Due to this four-step process, the hair is left over-processed and dry, necessitating the use of several moisturizers to maintain the curls and hydrate the hair.

Figure 2
Both of these procedures inflict damage to the scalp such as; chemical burns that result in the formation of scar tissue. This inhibits hair growth due to the hair’s follicles being blocked by the hardened scabs. The ultimate result of over-processing is breakage, hair loss and balding as well as dangerous toxins being absorbed through the scalp into the skin, cells and bloodstream.

Not only do these toxic solutions harm the hair but also present a general health risk. Just think, if a beautician has to use gloves to protect their skin when applying chemicals to the your tresses, what’s protecting you? Have you ever stopped to think of the long term damages of these chemicals to your body when inhaled? For instance, sodium hydroxide causes lung damage and ammonium thioglycolate causes irritation to the eyes, rashes on skin, ears, forehead, neck and eye, and swelling of eyelids and legs. It so powerful it can damage any metal fabrics! Over time certain diseases were found to develop due to the absorption of free radicals deriving from the toxins in chemical processing. “ Free radicals are abnormal molecules that cause damage to the orderly process of the body’s immune system.” This disruption leaves the immune system vulnerable to tumors, lung cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and low blood sugar. More studies are continuously being done to find out what other effects chemical processing has on the system.

Figure 3
Healing from the chemical warfare is not as hard as one would think, you have to be patient! The best remedy is to stop using the chemical process that is mutilating your hair. Start on the road to recovery by going back to your hair’s natural state and re-discovering how unique and wonderful your hair is. One method of growing out chemical processing is by braiding or twisting hair with or without the use of extensions depending on the desired style. As new growth appears, gradually cut away at damaged ends until you have a full head of healthy, natural hair. You will find that natural hair is not hard to work with if you have the proper information and the right products to care for it. There is no limit to what you can do with natural hair! From flat twisting, cornrows, coil twists, locking, even blow drying hair to have that straight look if desired.

So now that you have new found knowledge on chemical processing we ask again; “To perm or not to perm?”, knowing what you do now, is it really worth it? Is it even necessary ? Make the right choice and stop destroying your natural beauty. You’ll be glad you did.

The subject of Hair

I recently became privy to an issue that concerns me. It exists mainly in the workplace, and perhaps in some cases on the fringes, but regardless it still remains a concern: black hair. It has become a contentious issue. Hair is seemingly being equated with intelligence and the ability to perform. Several persons have told me that some Black professionals have been overlooked for promotions mainly because of their hair. I repeat, hair.In corporate settings Black women who want to keep their natural hair often face resistance.

There is a long history in this country, not just in the belle province, of only accepting minorities with attributes that some whites perceive as less ethnic. The “you are not like the rest of them “ sentiment became a cliché for a reason. A white friend once confessed to me that she had an aversion to locks as she considered them unclean.

At work, some of my colleagues were heard effusively praising a new wig that a staff person wore as being professional.Her wig was literally the talk of the office that entire day with people coming from other floors to check it out and saying how different she looked. Although many companies are embracing a broader idea of professionalism to be sensitive to cultural differences (or avoid discrimination/lawsuits) yet there is still debates behind closed doors as to whether Afros, locks, braids, and twists are appropriate for the office or work milieu. A correlation between hair texture and success is made, consequently directing Black women to change their hairstyle in order to move up the ladder.

Today it is rare to see Black women, even young ones, sporting their own hair; everyone is embracing shoulder length hair, glossy curls, attachments, pieces, or wigs that immediately raises a question of their ethnicity, let alone self worth. We do go to lengths for length.

The term good hair is also thrown around carelessly in the Black community, and strangely enough is the title of a documentary film made by the comedian Chris Rock. Seemingly, the more African you look the more risk you run of being ignored and overlooked in the workplace. Whites tout their love for Naomi Campbell with her annoyingly long, straight Asian weave. She has reached their acceptance level. Get this straight…. hair does not mean the same thing to white women as it does Black women. Hair to Blacks is a physical indicator of the ways in which we are different. Even in the workplace black hair has been a subject of conversation and curiosity. People would touch it and ask questions about its care as if it was some kind of pet animal.

In a culture that constantly teaches that anything black or associated with blackness is negative, to publicly wear your hair natural is to embrace blackness as a positive. To me natural hair equals revolutionary, as it says I do not covet whiteness. It clearly says that I have de-colonized my mind and no longer seeks to embrace the qualities of my oppressor. My natural hair is one of the truest expressions of the ways in which I love myself because I have made the conscious choice to say that I am beautiful without artifice or device.

More often than not when the media chooses to portray Black women as angry or revolutionary our hair is altered to its natural state, even if the woman in question has straightened hair. A recent example of this was seen on the magazine covers and posters wherein Michelle Obama was depicted with an Afro and a rifle. Sad but true, Black people are the only people who are required to change the naturalness of who they are because of what other people think of us. We must stand firm and close to our roots. Dismiss the societal prejudice that motivates us to steer away from our natural hair as irrelevant.

Black hairstyles that are natural should not force us to placed in a position where we are not considered worthy enough or considered not beautiful. We must not change the terrain and move into the mainstream [ style]. Hear me loud and clear, it is not the job of any Black woman to make her counterparts and bosses feel more comfortable with their hairstyle. Instead, let us attack such situations and raise awareness. Also, let us not forget for one moment that as a Black race we are also guilty of causing this to be an issue in the first place, namely our non-acceptance of black hair: chemicals, relaxers, etc., and also our ungroomed look when wearing our natural hair.

To have to change one’s hairstyle to be “promotable” should never be an issue. This bias, if with any bias, should not be allowed to go unchecked as it is detrimental to business. Let us strive to perpetuate the statement loud and clear so the mainstream can hear that Blacks are not their hair and need not stay back. Hair texture is not equal to ability. Aleuta--- The struggle continues.

Written by Yvonne Sam Published in the October 8 2009 issue of the Montreal Community Contact

Taking the “Ouch” out of hair care for Kids

There you are with your little angel, she’s just had her bath and all is well. This is a nightly ritual that both of you enjoy, but you know that it will soon take a turn for the worse when you approach your child with a comb. All of a sudden chaos breaks out and you’re both frustrated, probably both in pain and exhausted.

Taking care of your child’s natural hair should not be an ordeal “to be gotten through” or something that has to “be left to a professional stylist”; it should be a way to keep your little one’s natural hair healthy and beautiful while also reinforcing a positive view of their hair.

I think the first step towards a good hair experience is having a positive attitude yourself. I have heard some parents say, “Oh her hair is SO hard and tough…”, and then proceed to yell at their child when they cry out in pain from having it tugged at. Instead of starting with this negative attitude, which immediately puts the child on edge, make sure to tell your little one that their hair is beautiful and be patient! Here are some tips on how to keep your child’s hair healthy, soft and manageable.

• Shampoo hair with a moisturizing shampoo.  This isimportant because you do not want to strip the hair of its natural oils but you do want it to be well cleansed.
• Condition, condition, condition!  This step is crucial in taking care of natural hair.  You should also do a deep penetrating conditioning treatment once a week preferably for 30 mins. 
• Do the majority of combing before rinsing out the conditioner! Too much combing during styling equals poof!
• Do not blow dry curly hair to dry it, unless you are straightening it, or diffusing the roots.
• Apply your leave-in cream while the hair is wet in small sections.
• Part it into 4 or 6 sections (depending on the amount of hair), applying the cream liberally to each section.
• Comb through each section with a wide tooth comb so the hair doesn’t get tangled, and proceed to style your child’s hair as desired. Cornrows are a good option as they last for a few days, but you could also do comb or finger twists:
• When hair is still damp take a TAILCOMB and starting at the root comb down the section while twisting and keeping some tension on the hair. 
• You can also part the hair in a few ponytails and then double strand twist or braid the ends if each ponytail.
• On days when you don’t shampoo if your child’s hair feels a bit dry apply a little natural oil or moisturizer to the ends after unbraiding/twisting each section.  Comb through (at this point the hair will still be manageable and detangled) then proceed to restyle the hair.