Gloria Moraa has tried nearly every hair relaxer available but now embraces her natural curls. Photo by Brian Otieno, courtesy of The Examination.
April 15,2024 Story by: Editor
As the festive season approached, eight-year-old Gloria Moraa sat with a mirror in hand while her aunt applied chemicals to straighten her curly hair. “All the young girls would get matching hairstyles for the holidays, and relaxers were fashionable back then,’’ recalls Moraa, now 28, living in Nairobi, Kenya.
Moraa has since stopped using relaxers, noticing her hair was thinning. However, she had tried nearly every relaxer available, solely to achieve silky hair, without concern for the ingredients. “I did not have the time or the expertise to discern the effects of listed ingredients,” she says. “I’m a consumer, not a chemist.”
Recent concerns have arisen regarding the safety of these ingredients.
In October 2022, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a study indicating that women using hair relaxers more than four times a year had a higher risk of uterine cancer. This study built on over a decade of research linking exposure to endocrine disruptors in these products with the development of uterine and breast tumors.
Endocrine disruptors interfere with hormones that regulate various bodily functions, including mood, appetite, cognitive development, and reproductive health.
In the US, many black women are now rejecting chemical straighteners, leading to thousands of lawsuits against manufacturers. Meanwhile, sales of these products in some African countries continue to rise.
Countries like Tunisia, Kenya, and Cameroon saw significant sales growth for perms and relaxers between 2017 and 2022, with Tunisia and Kenya experiencing a 10% increase over the five years. South Africa and Nigeria also reported growth.
“People still use hair relaxers as much as they did in the past,” says Joseph Kiemo, who owns Kiemo Hair and Beauty Studio in Nairobi.
Africa represents a lucrative market for the cosmetics industry due to its young and fast-growing population, expanding middle class, and increasing number of millionaires. Hair and skin products are being developed to cater to these consumer needs.
The global hair relaxer market, valued at $718 million in 2021, is projected to reach $854 million annually by 2028.
Companies facing lawsuits in the US produce some of Africa’s most popular brands. Dark & Lovely, owned by L’Oréal, is the top-selling relaxer in Nigeria. Ors Olive Oil No-Lye Relaxer by Namaste Laboratories ranks second. In Kenya, TCB Naturals, owned by Godrej Consumer Products, dominates the market. These brands are all named in the lawsuits.
For many black women, chemically straightening their hair is influenced by Eurocentric beauty standards favoring long, straight hair, rooted in colonialism and racism. However, manageability and social acceptance are also significant factors.
“We understand that black women use hair relaxers for a range of reasons, some within their control, some not,” says Seyi Falodun-Liburd, a strategist at Level Up, a UK gender justice organization. “So, for us, it’s not about shaming any black woman about making whatever choices she makes.”
Falodun-Liburd emphasizes the need for government and corporate accountability, advocating for the disclosure of potential health effects and banning dangerous ingredients.
In May 2022, Level Up published research on black women’s experiences with relaxers in the UK, surveying over 1,000 women. The findings revealed that 77% were unaware of the increased cancer risk associated with long-term use of relaxers.
“I think most black women would not consciously decide to put something on their head that would harm them, and the issue is that most don’t know,” Falodun-Liburd says.
Ikamara Larasi, a Level Up campaigner, argues that producers of hair products should be more transparent about their ingredients. “The price of black women’s beauty should never be black women’s health.”
Mary Cunningham from New York City is among thousands suing haircare companies. Her daughter, Telichia Cunningham-Morris, died of uterine cancer at 50 in June 2021. Cunningham-Morris had her hair chemically straightened every six to eight weeks from a young age. Source: The Guardian
Cunningham and her younger daughter, Travias Cunningham-Case, believe endocrine disruptors in the relaxers caused Cunningham-Morris’s death. Both women also had hysterectomies due to related health issues.
Scientists highlight some concerning ingredients in relaxers, such as formaldehyde, a carcinogen, and phthalates, parabens, and Bisphenol A—chemicals known or suspected to be endocrine disruptors.
A sample of products sold in Africa revealed the presence of parabens. Phthalates, often found in fragrances, are typically not listed as separate ingredients.
Regulations on these chemicals vary. The EU bans some endocrine disruptors in cosmetics and plans to phase out more by 2030. Brazil and Canada have restricted formaldehyde in relaxers, and the US FDA is expected to decide on a ban soon. Nigeria has advised consumers to avoid formaldehyde-containing hair products.
Most governments require ingredient disclosure on product packaging, but health experts argue this is insufficient for consumer understanding.
“The more we educate [people] about what these chemicals are and the potential adverse health effects that may be associated with them, perhaps people could make more informed decisions about whether to use these products,” says Prof. Adana Llanos, an epidemiologist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, who is co-authoring a 2022 article on reducing exposure to harmful hair products. Llanos is collaborating with the Kenya Medical Research Institute to study hair and personal care products in Kenya.
American women began suing relaxer manufacturers after the NIH study was published. A federal judge in Chicago recently r
