Sixteen years ago, Linette Rabsatt quit using chemical relaxers to straighten her hair’s tight curls. She had good reason, she said: Sections of her hair had been breaking off.
“I couldn’t deal with that anymore,” Ms. Rabsatt said.
The new hairstyle took time to get used to: Like many women of African descent, Ms. Rabsatt didn’t have much experience with wearing a natural hairdo.
Now, her 6-year-old daughter also has natural hair. “It is the next big thing. Actually, they are just going back to the real thing,” Ms. Rabsatt said. “People are finding that relaxers are causing them health issues.”
Resherma Lyons, a hairdresser at JDC Beauty Salon, said that she, too, has noticed that Virgin Islands women are increasingly opting to avoid chemical relaxers.
Within the last year, two Facebook groups were formed by residents sharing information on natural hair care.
The groups, Sageroots and Naturally Curly BVI, collectively have about 360 members, many of whom affectionately refer to themselves as “curlies” or “naturalistas.”
The forums recommend products and techniques for handling natural hairstyles.
‘It feels great’
Kristin Frazer, an administrator of Sageroots, said the page was created by herself and three of her cousins, who are also “naturalistas.”
“All my life, I have never put a perm on my hair,” Ms. Frazer said. “It feels great.”
Since the formation of the Facebook group, she has offered advice to many women about their hair.
“Every day I see a new face. Young women and older women are going back to their roots and I love it,” Ms. Frazer said. “We just want people to embrace their natural hair and have healthy hair.”
Simone Foster gave up relaxer three years ago. “I enjoyed it a lot more when it was shorter, but I still prefer natural hair than going through the creamy crack torture every six weeks,” Ms. Foster said, referring to a common nickname for relaxer, which many women find painful. “Those chemicals can’t be good for you. Something that strips away the beauty of your hair can’t be good.”
Study
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that there might be a link between toxic chemicals in hair products and fibroids. The scalp absorbs sufficient amounts of chemicals to increase the risks of adverse health effects in women or their infants, the study claimed.
However, Ms. Lyons, the hairdresser, said part of the problem is misuse.
“Lately, the chemicals are stronger and most people misuse them,” she said. “They like to colour their hair immediately after using relaxers, and this adds more chemicals to the hair and damages it.”
The process would be less harmful if carried out properly, she added. “People just don’t like the safer way,” Ms. Lyons said. “It is recommended that you process your hair not more than once in six to seven weeks. But most people, as soon as they see a little growth, they process the hair, and they over-process it.”
Though many of her clients have decided recently to go natural, few stick to that decision for long, Ms. Lyons said.
‘Hard to deal with’
This may be because they are unfamiliar with methods to care for natural hair.
“At first, the natural hair was hard to deal with, because there weren’t many people with their hair that way,” Ms. Rabsatt said. “I would wash it and braid it myself and when it grew a bit longer, I started to have a lot more fun with it.”
Jamelia Neil, also a “naturalista,” said she considers returning to relaxer each time she has to handle her unbraided hair.
But in the end, she said, she always decides the extra effort is worth it. “I really can’t deal with relaxed hair. The ends are always looking strange,” she said. “Natural hair is difficult to deal with, but it is stronger.”
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