Black Women, Warning to Stop Using Hair Relaxers, Linked to Fibroids [VIDEO]

Black Women, Warning to Stop Using Hair Relaxers, Linked to Fibroids [VIDEO]

There's some startling news coming from a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study says hair relaxers are linked to uterine fibroids and to young girls early as puberty.

When we think about this, it really brings to light why black women need to embrace the ever growing culture of going natural with their hair. We have always felt relaxers caused issues for our type of hair but who would have known that fibroids was a huge problem because of hair relaxers.

The study continues to state that:

Scientists followed more than 23,000 pre-menopausal Black American women from 1997 to 2009 and found that the two- to three-times higher rate of fibroids among black women may be linked to chemical exposure through scalp lesions and burns resulting from relaxers. Women who got their first menstrual period before the age of 10 were also more likely to have uterine fibroids, and early menstruation may result from hair products black girls are using, according to a separate study published in the Annals of Epidemiology last summer.

This may be a result to black mothers who grew tired of combing their young girls' hair and put relaxers on their heads as young as 4 years old. We have heard of cases like this. The study goes on to state:

Three hundred African American, African Caribbean, Hispanic, and White women in New York City were studied. The women’s first menstrual period varied anywhere from age 8 to age 19, but African Americans, who were more likely to use straightening and relaxers hair oils, also reached menarche earlier than other racial/ethnic groups. So far, there is only an association rather than a cause and effect relationship between relaxers, fibroid tumors, and puberty.

Here are some true and important facts about fibroids

Fibroids are tumors that grow in the uterus. They are benign, which means they are not cancerous, and are made up of muscle fibers. Fibroids can be as small as a pea and can grow as large as a melon. It is estimated that 20-50% of women have, or will have, fibroids at some time in their lives. They are rare in women under the age of 20, most common in women in their 30s and 40s, and tend to shrink after the menopause.

According to US studies, fibroids occur up to nine times more often in black women than in white women, and tend to appear earlier. The reason for this is unclear. Also women who are overweight may be more likely to have fibroids. This is thought to be due to higher levels of estrogen in heavier women.

This is so important that black women take heed to the information here about fibroids and black girls and women. We pray that more black women take in consideration that going natural really is the best way. Take a lesson from a story from our friends at Hicktown Press that was pretty eye opening for many of us.

Watch video below:

Read more »

“A Beautiful Disaster”Short Film Embraces Natural Hair

 “A Beautiful Disaster” Short Film Embraces Natural Hair 

Let's take heed to this poem and short film on natural hair choices over weaved hair. We think this is inspirational and necessary information:

A short film and poem I wrote to highlight the struggles that many black women face when it comes to embracing our natural hair texture and the repercussions of living in a society that often places nappy and unattractive in the same category. For a lot of black women our natural hair texture has been something we’ve learned to disassociate ourselves with from childhood and therefore we lack self esteem and confidence when it comes to being beautiful naturally. I have also noticed that there are a lot of black women who are intolerant to seeing a black man with a woman of another race. I don’t think race should matter when it comes to a relationship, as long as it is based on love and not based on the societal pressure to look a certain way and therefore produce offsprings that fit into that stereotype of “beauty”. If black women continue to associate beauty with eliminating our natural hair texture and making our eyes and skin color lighter, we cannot then criticize a black man for preferring to date a woman who NATURALLY has straight silky hair, light eyes and light skin. We are only reinforcing and agreeing with the ideology that there is only one type of beauty– one that doesn’t include us. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors AND hair textures. I hope that more black women take the initiative to understand the importance of embracing our natural beauty instead of depending on a celeb to dictate to us what’s hot and what’s not. Afro hair is beautiful and so is any other hair texture that is taken care of and every woman regardless of her race should strive to embrace and feel comfortable in her own skin. Please feel free to LIKE this video, LOVE it, SHARE it and watch it whenever you want some hairspiration. Source

Read more »

MTV Casts Black Women Going Natural Hair Transformation

MTV Casts  Black Women Going Natural Hair Transformation

MTV is looking for black women who are in the process of wearing their hair natural.

How are you struggling with your hair? Do you feel natural hair would let you embrace your true self, and you want to go for the “big chop?”

They are looking to follow someone who is ready to cut their hair and follow them on their journey as they transition into their natural hair.

If you appear to be between the ages of 15 -28 and would like us to document your transition to natural hair, email us at casting@lintonmedia.com and tell us about your story. Please include your name, location, phone number and recent photos of yourself.

Source

Read more »