We've Known This for Years — So Why Are Children's Hair Relaxers Still on the Market?

The dangers of chemical hair relaxers have been known, published, and willfully ignored for decades. A study published back in 2007 in the British Journal of Dermatology confirmed that hair relaxers were associated with scalp burns, hair loss, and scarring alopecia in African school aged girls. That's over 15 years ago.

The Damage Isn't New, It's Just Normalized

The British study found that even school aged girls with relaxed hair are developing scalp diseases like:

• Traction Alopecia (TA)

• Acne Keloidalis Nuchae (AKN)

In 2020, the University of Cape Town (UCT) tested 121 commercially available hair relaxers. ALL of them were found to be corrosive to human skin. Not just irritating — corrosive. And what's happened since then? Not nearly enough.

Both can cause permanent hair loss and scarring. And all because our children have been sold the idea that European hair is better, more professional, more beautiful - a beauty standard rooted in colonialism and enforced by harmful chemicals.

That means they can literally burn through skin tissue, causing chemical wounds, infections, and scarring. And yet here we are — in 2025 — still marketing these products to Black girls and young women like they're harmless.

Legal and Regulatory Responses

In response to these concerns, there have been significant legal and regulatory developments:

• Lawsuits: Thousands of families have filed lawsuits against major cosmetic companies, alleging that their hair relaxer products caused cancer and other health issues in young girls. A U.S. District Judge in Illinois recently allowed a class action lawsuit to proceed against companies like L'Oréal USA and Revlon.

• Regulatory Actions: The FDA has proposed banning hair straightening products that contain or release formaldehyde, citing increased risks of developing uterine cancer - but haven't done so yet.

We're Done

We're tired. Tired of the burns, the lies, the "gentle formula" labels slapped on products packed with industrial-grade chemicals given to our daughters.

Tired of watching another generation of little girls lose their hair and confidence over this.

We don't need industrial strength chemicals to define our children's beauty. We don't need another burn to convince us. We don't need another lawsuit. We want change.

Your Health Glorifies God

Your hair is a reflection of how God created you. No child should have to compromise their health to conform to societal beauty standards. By embracing the natural hair that God gave our daughters and advocating for safer products and policies, we can protect the bodies God blessed them with and teach them to glorify Him through appreciating their natural beauty.

Please support our petition to remove children's hair relaxers from the market. Let's honor God by protecting our heritage.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalms 127:3