Introduction
I was in fourth grade when I straightened my hair for the first time. My mom took me to a professional salon, and with my Game Boy in hand, I sat in the chair, nervous and excited. My mom and sometimes other relatives would braid my hair at home, and now, at nine years old, I wanted straight hair. The hairstylist sectioned my long hair, washed it, and then applied a thick white cream that resembled my dad’s shaving cream.
Health Effects of Formaldehyde
The announcement about the FDA’s proposal to ban hair straightening products containing formaldehyde and compounds that release formaldehyde brought back all those memories. Researchers are finding more evidence that formaldehyde causes health issues. As a Black woman and a doctor, I find this proposed ban reassuring. However, safer beauty products are not enough to protect Black women from the anti-Black racism that drives women to use those products in the first place.
How Hair Straightening Works
While we can use a flat iron to straighten our hair, this is temporary. Hair straightening works by breaking the disulfide bonds that form between the sulfur atoms in keratin, a protein found in hair strands. The more disulfide bonds in the hair, the curlier it is. Hair straightening helps pull those sulfur atoms away from each other so they cannot join back together naturally. Typically, the hairstylist keeps the straightening solution in the hair for 10 to 15 minutes and uses a comb to smooth the hair into a straight position. Then, the stylist rinses out the straightening solution with hot water and adds a neutral shampoo to stop the chemical reaction. This step breaks down the straightening solution, releasing formaldehyde, a colorless gas, into the air.
Health Risks of Formaldehyde
Last year, a study showed that women who use hair straighteners containing formaldehyde at least four times a year have an increased risk of developing uterine cancer. Formaldehyde has long-term effects such as worsening asthma and headaches, and short-term effects like nausea, dizziness, and breathing problems. Over 150 chemical hair straightening products, such as keratin treatments or Brazilian blowouts, contain formaldehyde. Activists have also accused companies of hiding formaldehyde in their ingredient lists.
Anti-Black Racism and Its Impact on Hair Straightening Use
Despite a decline in sales of chemical hair straighteners, they remain a staple in Black hair salons. For many, the pursuit of straight hair is an inherent reaction to the degrading way people have dealt with Black hair for centuries. There are accounts of white settlers likening African hair to animal wool. Some enslaved individuals were forced to shave their heads in an attempt to rid themselves of their African cultures. In Louisiana, the racist “Tignon” law forced Black women to cover their natural hairstyles with headwraps to distinguish them as members of the enslaved class and also to suppress the desires of white men.
Racial Pressures to Conform to Whiteness
Racial pressures to conform to whiteness have harmed Black Americans throughout history. Hair racism led to a landmark discrimination case brought by Beverly Jenkins. The judge ruled in her favor, stating that Afro hairstyles would be protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. However, Black individuals continue to face punishment for their natural hair in schools and jobs. This has led to about twenty states passing the CROWN Act, a law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on natural hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids or locs. Researchers have found that Black women with natural hairstyles are less likely to receive job interviews compared to white women or Black women with straight hair.
Challenges
The Challenges Facing Black Women in the Workplace
When I applied for medical training, I straightened my hair; I was afraid that the people deciding my future would focus on my natural curls instead of my natural abilities as a physician. I was accepted into the training program of my choice, but that didn’t stop my hair from being a topic of conversation. My non-Black supervisor saw my natural curls and described them as “fun.” She compared it to how she felt about “being on vacation in the Caribbean.” Herein lies the challenge: conforming to European beauty standards to be considered professional while compromising my health to meet those standards. This type of attention affected my mental health, and the health of many of my patients.
The Impact of Racism on Children
One time, my friend’s daughter, who attended a predominantly white elite nursery, came home upset. “I wish I had straight hair,” she said to us, “then I would be beautiful.” She had beautiful, thick, curly hair, but she started asking her mother to straighten it. There is increasing evidence that experiences of anti-Black racism, such as those targeting afro hair, can lead to depressive symptoms, even suicidal, in children.
The Need to Protect the Natural Hair of Black Women
I am relieved that hair relaxers containing formaldehyde may be pulled from the market, but if the aim is to protect the health of Black women and girls, they should be able to wear their natural hair safely without negative messaging and penalties. Schools should be vigilant regarding racist comments about afro hair. Reporting systems should hold individuals accountable for anti-Black racism behaviors targeting Black hairstyles. The CROWN Act should become federal law, not just a state law. Black children and adults should not fear losing jobs or their standing in schools or their health because of their natural hair.
Conclusion
This is an opinion and analysis piece, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of “Scientific American.”
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Amanda Joy Calhoun is a resident in pediatrics/adult medicine at Yale University School of Medicine/Child Study Center. She is an expert on the mental health effects of anti-Black racism, with a focus on medical racism, and is currently writing a book on this topic.
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