One thing we know for certain when dealing with Black hair is that it’s not just hair, whether that be because of history or society or a personal view. WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a local group centered around environmental justice for communities of color, decided to take a closer look at chemical hair straighteners and skin lighteners among women of color in Harlem and the South Bronx.
The Beauty Inside Out study surveyed 297 women and LGBTQIA+ people of color about their hair care and skin products in an effort to raise awareness about beauty perceptions and health impacts.
“I’m glad this study is being done so that we can know about our hair, the hair of Black women,” said Harlem Councilmember Kristin Richardson Jordan, who keeps her hair natural and in an afro style. “I would never tell any Black woman how to keep her hair, but I think it’s important that we get educated about different health effects and we know the impact.”
The study found that Black women surveyed were more likely to use relaxers than non-Black ones. Family members who expressed a preference for straight hair had an influence on what women would use, as well as the perception that straight hair or lighter skin was beautiful, professional or youthful.
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The study concluded that there is still a “pervasiveness of racialized beauty norms” in the hair care and beauty realm. In addition to relaxers and keratin treatments, women of color used skin-lightening products for the face more than any other place on the body.
Beaumont Morton, director of environmental health and education at WE ACT, said at first glance, this may not seem like an environmental issue. But what people put on and in their bodies is important, she said, in thinking about how many beauty stores, salons and hair care products are located in mostly Black and brown neighborhoods.
“It was very interesting to see, across the board, that folks in the study did think that straight hair made them look more beautiful, more professional and attractive,” said Morton. “That was sorta shocking to see, especially when we think about the prevalence of the natural hair resurgence.”
Jennifer Jones-Austin, 54, chief executive officer and executive director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) who previously chaired the NYC Racial Justice Commission, keeps her hair natural as an adult. She said that for a long time, in primary and elementary school, she was the only Black student in class, causing her to imitate white girls’ hair care. Her mother also had naturally bone-straight and thin hair. She recalled her and her sister begging her mother for a relaxer for her thick hair when she was about 13 years old.
“I wanted my hair to look like the other little girls in this predominantly white school,” said Jones-Austin. “We insisted that she get us relaxers that she didn’t even know a lot about. We kept, kept, kept [asking]. Finally she got us perms. and it didn’t take but two or three weeks for our hair to begin to break off.”
In 2009, Jones-Austinwas diagnosed with leukemia and ended up losing her hair twice. Doctors attributed the cancer to environmental factors, possibly caused by the fallout and debris after the 9/11 terror attacks that Jones-Austin had been caught in in 2001. She said during this period, many women made a point to tell her that her hair would be more “lustrous” and the “texture would be better” when it grew back.
Currently, Jones-Austin considers her natural hair to be fairly soft and curly in what could be seen as “easier” to handle. She is careful not to judge other women’s hair journeys and perceptions of their hair.
“I remember during COVID, many of my sistas not being able to get a perm or relaxer and trying to figure out what to do with their hair,” Jones-Austin said. “Many said they were getting a wig, or figuring out wraps or ties, because they weren’t able to get to the stylists. And I remember many times feeling like ‘Don’t even weigh in on this conversation, because I don’t have that issue.’”
Morton said that colorism, hair textures and anti-Blackness play a specific role in the conversation about Black hair and skin care.
The Crown Act was signed into law in July 2019 by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in an effort to end hair texture or style discrimination. Morton said it was helpful in protecting women from the pressure to have straight hair styling for work and other settings.
“I think it’s helpful to be reminded that we had the civil rights act, voting rights and affirmative action, but that didn’t necessarily change mindsets, values and beliefs. Having a law that offers protection will do but so much,” said Jones-Austin of the Crown Act.
Senator Jamaal T. Bailey, one of the original sponsors of the Crown Act, said the law was passed to uplift the message that Black hair is beautiful. Bailey said that creating legal protections against hair discrimination across the state was a “vital step” toward creating a more “respectful and open world” for natural hair, as well as ending racialized beauty norms and colorism that disproportionately affect Black women and girls.
“As a father of two girls of color, I want my daughters to understand that they are beautiful and belong in all spaces exactly as they are,” said Bailey. “It’s critical that our policies address these needs and continue to improve access and inclusion for all women and girls of color at all levels of society.”
Morton also suggested that there should be legislation around more label transparency for beauty products. Morton didn’t specifically ask about health effects in the WE ACT study, but research done by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Tamarra James-Todd and others have.
James-Todd’s research found that Black hair products, such as relaxers, oils, moisturizers, lotions, leave-in conditioners and gels with certain “endocrine disruptors” chemicals, may be linked to serious health issues such as breast cancer. She also noted that elements like phthalates could cause obesity, increased risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, as well as preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes in pregnant women.
Morton said that manufacturers fail to disclose the harmful chemicals in their beauty products while targeting their marketing to women of color.
“A concerning number of beauty and personal care products marketed toward Black women and girls are linked to serious health concerns and toxic chemical exposure, which further drive racial health inequities and poor health outcomes,” said Bailey. “Women and girls of color are at greatest risk for exposure to marketing of beauty products that say their hair needs to be worn a certain way, or their skin should be a certain shade in order to be seen as beautiful and conform to social norms and expectations.”
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.