Oppression And Hardships Of African American Hair

African American hair has so much diversity and flexibility, throughout many years of oppression and hardships they have chosen to alter their natural texture to fit into â€Å"white† standards of beauty. Often feeling the pressures to fit into society, many of these people will purposely damage and harm themselves with a chemical substance called a relaxer. It is important that the millions of women who live their lives solely based on outward appearances know that it is normal to want to feel accepted, but doing so at the sake of your health is not worth it. Traditionally African American hair has and still is the subject of criticism. The constant criticism is not only racially insensitive, it leaves millions of young girls and women feelings self conscious about the way they were born into the world. Many women would disagree when I say that relaxers are extremely damaging. Relaxers contain unnatural ingredients that can greatly damage your scalp and can give you hair loss . A young women stated that â€Å"I recall getting my hair chemically straightened and feeling the chemicals burning my scalp. I would cough because the scent of the fumes was so strong and irritated my throat, yet I continued to chemically straighten my hair during most of high school. I remember bearing with the pain because the longer the relaxer cream stayed on my head, the straighter my hair would be and the longer my hair would remain straightened.† From personal experience I can attest to the pain andShow MoreRelatedThe Double-Fold Oppression Of Intersectionality. The American1642 Words   |  7 PagesThe Double-Fold Oppression of Intersectionality The American nation has long served as a battlefield for whites and their social norms versus African Americans and their native cultures. Although successful in previous years in acquiring basic civil rights, the early 20th century signified the African American downfall as their white foes discovered a new source of perilous power. 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