Many middle-aged
black women have made weaves and wigs their popular and choice hair-dos. Even though it may be considered a fashion en vogue, the truth is that many have suffered serious loss of hairs and others gone bald due largely to either wrong or prolonged application of hair relaxers. It is certainly not a pretty sight to behold.
The Tide’s Women’s Desk moved into town; and observed that fixing of weavons and wigs have become the major services rendered in many hair salons in town with just a hand few engaging in permings and matting or weaving as popularly called.
Difficult though it was to unravel the reason behind the more patronage on wigs and weavons as many hair dressers just felt it was just the vogue and so beauty seekers look odd when they tend to drift from the popular hair style.
“Not too long ago, women would prefer to relax their hairs first deciding before to either fix weavons, wigs or braide and weave as the case may be. These days it issurprising that women would rather prefer fixing wigs and weavons on natural hairs instead of subjecting their hairs to any chemical treatment, I don’t understand why” says a beautician.
Nkechi Duru, a civil servant found in one of the salons visited declared that she is more comfortable fixing her weavons on natural hair because of the pains she encounters while relaxing her hairs.  In her words “I ‘ve tried several relaxers to see if there is any that would not pain me but all I get is decoloration and serious breakages of hairs.
“If you check my hairs, they are no longer equal as the front hairs are already uprooted out”.
Nkechi has therefore settled for fixings on natural hair.
For another customer, it costs pretty cheaper to fix on natural hair than on relaxed hair besides, it makes no sense as both the natural and the relaxed are hidden below the weavons.
It will be recalled that the early 19th century, witnessed a strong desire and passion for curly hairs looking like the western women, became the allure of the black woman.
The quest to achieve this feat, ushered her into a world of perming.  Although she is able to beautify herself and perhaps gain more admiration of her peers, she also had to contend with the harm that comes with perming.
Hair perming involves the use of chemicals or heat applied to hair, says Pam Jefferson, basically, perm works when the hair is rolled and heated or chemicals applied.  That in a way, may be a good way of getting fuller or lush curls, but it can also severely damage hairs.  Pam Jefferson noted that the use of hydrogen peroxide can result to serious burns.
Hair relaxers are generally used to straighten tightly curled hair.  There is the Lye relaxers and the No Lye relaxers.  The No Iye relaxers are milder than the Lye relaxers.  However, they both contain sodium hydroxide, a chemical ingredient which is used in various cleaning detergents, probably because of its unique characteristics of easily dissolving through surfaces like fabric, plastic and even the skin.
Sodium hydroxide, when it seeps through the air, breaks the natural bonds that are meant to protect the hair, thereby altering its natural structure.
Findings have revealed that hair relaxers generally have a PH ranging from 11-14, which renders them corrosive as they are capable of destroying or damaging any substance they come in contact with.
Continual use of a relaxer can cause alopecia where hair follicles are damaged beyond repair or outright baldness.
Not only does sodium hydroxide have the potential to permanently damage the hair follicles.
It is also proven that breathing in this toxic chemical can also damage the lungs.
According to ATSDR, the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, “Sodium hydroxide is very corrosive and can cause severe burns in all tissues that come in contact with it.  Inhalation of low levels of sodium hydroxide as dusts, mists, or aerosols may cause irritation of the nose, throat, and respiratory airways.  Inhalation of higher levels can produce swelling or spasms of the upper airways leading to obstruction and loss of measurable pulse; inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur”.
Badly done perms can have hair lost its normal elasticity, making it brittle, fragile and prone to breakage.
Other side effects include scalp damage, which can include redness, itching, burning and peeling. Perm can also alter hair texture, making it frizzy.  Above all, some perm users may find out that heading to the salon to receive a perm can be a painful experience.  Not only can the ammonium thioglycolate solution burn the scalp during application, the hair has to be tightly wound in curlers when it has been applied and this can be a painful process, as the curlers must be placed tightly to the scalp, and can cause pulling or tearing of the hair which makes the pain even worst.
Life no doubt is a risk and behind every beauty expedition lies an attendant risk.  The one whose hair is being relaxed is not alone on this risky venture, the one whose business it is to effect the relaxation could be a higher risk taker due to the impact of its inhalation to the lungs and contact with the hands.
However, to reduce the destructive impact of hair relaxers, Hair dressers often apply neutralizers  which is designed to bring  the hair back to its original acidic range.  Au contraire, this makes no difference because once the hair has been straightened, it cannot be reversed as the hair follicles are permanently damaged, and hence weakened.
At this point,  Hair breakages become regular due to the destruction of the chemical bonds in the hair.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Cross section of women, during a public function in Port Harcourt, recently.
Photo: Nwuieh Donatus Ken