Relaxers

I was in fourth grade when I got my hair relaxed for the first time. My mom took me to a professional salon, and Game Boy in hand, I sat in the chair, nervous but excited. My mom and sometimes other relatives had always braided my hair at home, and now, at age nine, I wanted straight hair. The hairdresser took out my long braids, washed my hair, and then applied a thick white cream that looked like my dad’s shaving cream.Within seconds, it began to burn, a lot. I clenched my teeth, bearing the searing pain in my scalp…

Few things demonstrate the beauty and versatility of Blackness better than Black hair. The variety of styles is almost innumerable: locs, cornrows, curls, afros, twists, braids, and beyond. Many Black people—women in particular—care for their crown with a combination of hair products such as oils, shampoos, deep conditioners and relaxers. Research has found that Black women in the U.S. purchase these types of hair products at a rate nine times higher than women in other racial and ethnic groups.Some of these items,…