“We were doing these perm relaxers with no idea that we were giving ourselves cancer all these many years,” one woman said. “I’m never using it again.”
First, great article. Second, I can't believe we were straightening our hair every few weeks for years and basically rubbing cancer into our scalps and letting it sink in. And THEN we'd run a hot comb over it and breath in the cancer fumes! And when someone finally does some research and tells everyone that it causes cancer, we still have to fight everybody in the industry to BAN the chemicals!?!? Make it make sense! I am so glad I went natural 20 years ago - and I never used relaxer on my children's hair, but I'm still terrified. Now I get to wait, like a ticking time bomb, thinking when will cancer show up in me? Thanks beauty industry :(
Interestingly, I graduated from Amherst Regional HS in Amherst, MA in 1993 with Dr. Bumpus’ older brother whose name was Kwame Bumpus at the time. Amazing family.
First, great article. Second, I can't believe we were straightening our hair every few weeks for years and basically rubbing cancer into our scalps and letting it sink in. And THEN we'd run a hot comb over it and breath in the cancer fumes! And when someone finally does some research and tells everyone that it causes cancer, we still have to fight everybody in the industry to BAN the chemicals!?!? Make it make sense! I am so glad I went natural 20 years ago - and I never used relaxer on my children's hair, but I'm still terrified. Now I get to wait, like a ticking time bomb, thinking when will cancer show up in me? Thanks beauty industry :(
Really a great article. And how sad and disgusting the FDA dropped the ball
Interestingly, I graduated from Amherst Regional HS in Amherst, MA in 1993 with Dr. Bumpus’ older brother whose name was Kwame Bumpus at the time. Amazing family.