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Source publication
Background:
Hair relaxers are used by up to 70% of females of black African ancestry. Occupational safety regulations list a pH ≥10.5 as irritant and a pH ≥11.50 as corrosive to the skin.
Objectives:
To determine the pH of all relaxers sold on the South African market and whether it is lower in no-lye relaxers and those marketed for children.
M...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... the 121 relaxers from the 39 brands initially purchased were based on alkali hydroxides (Table 1). Of the brands, 18/39 (46%) were local and 21/39 (54%) international (Fig. 1). ...Context 2
... the sodium hydroxide relaxers sold with a neutralising agent (11%, 8/76), 3 had a shelf configuration of relaxer to neutralising shampoo of 450 mL + 60 mL, 3 had 250 mL + 60 mL and 2 had 225 mL + 30 mL. For the 48% (10/21) of lithium relaxers sold with a neutralising shampoo, the respective quantities were 225 mL + 30 mL for 7 products, 255 mL + 60 mL for 1, 250 mL + 50 mL for 1, and 114 g + 44 mL for 1 ( Table 1). The instructions on the packaging state that 225 mL and 250 mL are intended for two relaxer applications and that the hair should be shampooed twice after each application. ...Context 3
... Although sodium hydroxide relaxers had the highest pH, 89% were not packaged with a neutralising shampoo. Lithium hydroxide is primarily targeted at children (38% of lithium relaxers), but 52% of the relaxers (38% of those for children) were not sold with a neutralising shampoo (Table 1). Among the relaxers sold with a neutralising shampoo, a 225 mL relaxer was accompanied by a 30 mL neutralising shampoo and a 450 mL relaxer by a 60 mL shampoo. ...Similar publications
Technological processes mediated by microorganisms and enzymes are promising alternatives for treatment of recalcitrant residues. Keratinases hydrolyze keratin, the primary component of some wastes generated in many industrial activities. The present study was designed to evaluate strategies for obtaining keratinases produced by fungi using submerg...
Citations
... Cosmetic products, specifically hair relaxers [1][2][3] and skin lighteners [4][5][6][7], are commonly used by African women [8,9]. African women have used hair straightening products since the 1940s and home use kits became available in the mid 1960s [2]. ...
Hair relaxers and skin lighteners have been commonly used by African women, with suggestions that they may have hormonal activity.
To investigate the relationship of hair relaxer and skin lightener use to serum estrogen/estrogen metabolite levels.
We utilized the postmenopausal population-based controls of the Ghana Breast Health Study to estimate adjusted geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals of individual circulating estrogen levels by hair relaxer/skin lightener exposure categories.
Of the 585 postmenopausal women included in our analysis, 80.2% reported hair relaxer use and 29.4% skin lightener use. Ever hair relaxer use was positively associated with estriol (adjusted GM 95.4 pmol/L vs. never 74.5, p value = 0.02) and 16-epiestriol (20.4 vs. 16.8, p value = 0.05) particularly among users of lye-based hair relaxers. Positive associations between scalp burns and unconjugated estrogens were observed (e.g., unconjugated estrone: 5+ scalp burns 76.9 [59.6–99.2] vs. no burns 64.0 [53.7–76.3], p-trend = 0.03). No association was observed between use of skin lighteners and circulating estrogens.
This study presents evidence that circulating 16-pathway estrogens (i.e., estriol and 16-epiestriol) may be increased in users of lye-based hair relaxer products. Among hair relaxer users, unconjugated estrogen levels were elevated in women with a greater number of scalp burns.
In this population-based study of hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana, altered estrogen metabolism was observed with hair relaxer use, particularly among women using lye-based products or with a greater number of scalp burns. In contrast, skin lightener use was not associated with differences in estrogen metabolism in this population. Continued investigation of the potential biological impact on breast cancer risk of hair relaxer use is warranted.
... Popular and conventional treatment methods are lye relaxing which use sodium hydroxide as the active and permanent waving which use ammonium thioglycolate (ATG) and hydrogen peroxide. These chemicals are considered too powerful for some hair textures [3,4]. Semipermanents are milder solutions for hair curl reformation with less damaging effect to hair and skin. ...
... Ammonium thioglycolate (ATG) on its own is generally considered safe and less damaging permanent waving salt compared to other hair relaxing chemicals like lye (sodium hydroxide) and formaldehyde [33]. The subsequent application of 2% hydrogen peroxide to oxidize the cysteine back to cystine after ATG treatment is responsible for hair oxidative damage [3,34]. During peroxide oxidation, hair experiences a sudden drop of pH from 11 to 2 resulting in weakened structural conformation. ...
Background
Different hair types respond differently to cosmetic treatments hence many options ought to be availed to the consumer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of antioxidant extract from Dicerocaryum senecioides as active alternatives in hair semi-permanent waving and hair conditioning.
Methods
The antioxidant phytochemicals were first identified and isolated by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and spraying with revealing agents. The antioxidant potency was determined by DPPH antiradical scavenging and ferric reducing power methods. The extract was incorporated in two different formulations to make the extract perm (bio semi-permanent) and the antioxidant hair conditioner (AC). The formulations had their performance examined for hair curling and conditioning on Asian and African hair types. Hair damage was assessed by scanning the surface of treated samples on an Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectrometer (ATR-FTIR) and by quantifying lost protein on Ultra-Violet Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometer.
Results
The extract antioxidant had an IC50 of 26.54 ± 0.34µg/ml exhibiting greater antioxidant potency compared to the controls quercetin (38.84 ± 0.12 µg/ml) and ascorbic acid (35.22 ± 0.07 µg/ml). The extract perm had a lower curling ability indicated by a perm set of 85.10±3.92 % and 81.35±2.35 % for Asian and African hairs respectively while commercial product, ammonium thioglycolate (ATG) had 96.05±1.70 % and 93.60±2.21 % for the same. The curling of hair with extract perm resulted in less oxidative damage with oxidative peak areas of 3.37±0.09 and 3.71± 0.03 as well as lower protein losses of 4.72±0.71 µg/mg and 5.62±0.70 µg/mg on Asian and African hair samples respectively. The application of AC reduced the oxidative damage peak areas of ATG and extract perm treated Asian hair samples by 1.15 and 0.48 units respectively. AC was also effective in reducing damage caused by UV radiation on ATG treated samples by 1.06 units (African hair) and 1.09 units on Asian hair.
Conclusion
The results show antioxidant extracts from Dicerocryum senecioides as a promising and safer alternative for hair conditioning and semi-permanent curling.
... Nell'Africa subsahariana, tra le donne che si rivolgono a un medico per alopecia, il 78% segnala l'uso di liscianti per capelli con una frequenza variabile: mensile (38%), ogni due mesi (45%) od ogni tre mesi (17%) [36] . In Africa meridionale, più della metà delle donne che consultavano un reparto di dermatologia per alopecia usava liscianti chimici o permanenti [37] . ...
Riassunto
La cosmetologia della pelle nera presenta alcune specificità legate non solo a peculiarità istologiche e funzionali della pelle nera, ma anche a diverse abitudini cosmetiche. Le esigenze cosmetologiche specifiche dei soggetti di pelle nera hanno dato vita a un’etnocosmetologia che obbedisce soprattutto a una logica commerciale e che non tiene sempre conto delle peculiarità fisiologiche o dei principi della cosmetovigilanza. È per questo che le donne originarie dell’Africa subsahariana utilizzano delle sostanze schiarenti a scopo cosmetico, come i corticosteroidi topici ad alta attività, l’idrochinone e, più recentemente, il glutatione. Questa pratica è associata a un gran numero di complicanze, inclusi disturbi discromici, come l’ocronosi esogena. A parte l’uso di prodotti depigmentanti a scopo cosmetico, le donne nere africane, così come tutte le donne, ricorrono a extension per le ciglia, ma anche all’applicazione di unghie finte e a diversi tipi di tatuaggi. Pratiche cosmetiche per capelli come l’uso di liscianti a base di soda, l’intrecciatura e la tessitura sono osservate più specificamente nelle donne di colore con i capelli crespi. Queste ultime pratiche sono associate a varie complicanze, come l’alopecia da trazione o l’alopecia centrifuga centrale cicatriziale. La prevenzione di queste complicanze deve basarsi su una vera e propria politica di cosmetovigilanza. Anche se le pratiche cosmetiche sono più frequenti tra le donne, da tempo c’è stata una crescente domanda cosmetica da parte degli uomini neri. Le specificità funzionali della pelle nera, in particolare l’iperseborrea e la xerosi, sono all’origine di una richiesta di cure cosmetiche e, da qui, l’uso frequente di emollienti nei soggetti di pelle nera. Soluzioni alternative si basano sulla cosmetopeia tradizionale, con, in particolare, burro di karité e oli essenziali di piante presenti in Africa. Infine, il grado di pigmentazione della pelle nera protegge dal fotoinvecchiamento, da cui deriva un minore utilizzo delle tecniche di ringiovanimento cutaneo. Tuttavia, vi è una crescente domanda di schermi solari per la prevenzione dell’invecchiamento fotoindotto. La gestione cosmetologica dei disturbi discromici sulla pelle nera mediante l’uso di peeling o laser può essere accompagnata da complicanze come l’iperpigmentazione paradossa, le cicatrici ipertrofiche o i cheloidi.
Chemotherapy‐induced alopecia (CIA) can be a devastating side effect of breast cancer treatment for all racial groups, but may carry unique historical, social, political, and cultural significance for Black patients. Oncologists should gain a deeper understanding of the impact of CIA among their Black patients.
