tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5369380611712720325.post6387939965771407273..comments2023-12-21T04:26:07.285-05:00Comments on thetruthaccordingtotrey: If you knew it could kill you would you still use it?Brittneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895407131323650614noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5369380611712720325.post-28227572061215966482012-02-26T07:58:39.439-05:002012-02-26T07:58:39.439-05:00With the exception of two years in my twenties (I ...With the exception of two years in my twenties (I lived in Washington DC then and felt I could embrace my natural beauty), I wore my hair relaxed continuously from the age of around 9 years through 43. I stopped relaxing my hair last March because I wanted to get away from chemicals. I went natural briefly (about 2 years in my 20s when I lived in DC). Rather than returning to the relaxers when I moved back home to Boston MA, I wish I had continued on my natural hair journey. Had I done so, I may not have the health issues I am now dealing with. I am now 44 and dealing with all sorts scary issues due to uterine fibroids. I've also had four fibroadenoma's removed from both breasts starting at the age of 19. Boston University - which happens to be my alma mater - probably needs to study whether there's a link between relaxers and breast fibroids too. As a black woman who is now re-learning how to embrace my own natural beauty versus the standards imposed by society, I see that a big part of the problem is how WE as black people self-impose these so-called standards. The biggest proponents of my going natural (both in my 20s and in my 40s) have been my own family members and other African-Americans. The unkind remarks, head shaking, references to 'nappy' are not only ignorance but also a reflection of our own psychosis when it comes to OUR natural beauty. If we can't see or embrace the beauty in our own selves as God created us, then how can we expect others to see or embrace it? I can honestly say that having chemically straightened hair was the worse health decision I have ever made and I am now paying the price for it in my 40s. Had my mother known then the risks involved I am sure she never would have relaxed my hair at age 9. Had I known the risks I certainly would not have ever chosen to have my own hair relaxed as an adult. I am happy to see that increasingly more black women are choosing to go natural and to not relax their daughters' hair. For me, the cost of trying to fit into the European standard of beauty came at a price too high - my health and bits of pieces of my life.WingsMassageBdwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00395280246503244023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5369380611712720325.post-79682141783673145812012-02-23T00:40:38.456-05:002012-02-23T00:40:38.456-05:00Thanks for this! My friend cut her hair off and we...Thanks for this! My friend cut her hair off and went natural immediately after we watched Chris Rock's "Good Hair". I think it freaked her out. But I've always wanted to be natural ever since I was a little girl so when she did it, I finally got a little more courage to go ahead. I got fustrated with my hair in the middle of washing so I just chopped it off. <br /><br /><br />I think since a little girl I've always felt that having long, natural hair was a better sign of good health. I've been recently dabbling about whether or not to go back to a perm,because I thought maybe my wanting to be natural was just the result of some long time issues I held. But now with this, I see that I just may have been right on the money. The chemicals of a relaxer will never ever touch my head again! Thanks for sharing!April D. Byrdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08326272436387865111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5369380611712720325.post-61635082804329581982012-02-22T08:47:04.829-05:002012-02-22T08:47:04.829-05:00I shuddered when I read this. I started suffering...I shuddered when I read this. I started suffering from fibroids around age 25, while still relaxing my hair. I went natural at age 26, however, the damage may have been done as I had to have a historectomy at age 33. There is a history of fibroids in my family, but I wonder if relaxing my hair contributed to their rapid development? Thank you for bringing this article to light.WAWYFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00211292227956086915noreply@blogger.com