Relaxers and Women's Health

[Dellas]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=601783

The topic was closed about women's health and relaxers. I did not read all 4 pages so I don't know why it was closed.

I will say that black women have been do have a problem with fibroid and there is something causing it. We owe it to ourselves (and our daughters to find out why). Is it all relaxers or something specific in relaxers that is causing it. Shoot, there might be a law suit that might develop. I for one would like more research that concerns our health.

I hope people did not take that thread as an attack against relaxed hair. I am natural (and sometimes I toy with going back relaxer from time to time). I would like to know, if not for me, for my family members and friends.

 

[aquajoyice]

I heard about this recently and bumping for responses.

 

[Shinka]

If you read the study, they conclude this is relational. They didn't conclude it's a correlation. As someone with a fibroid there are so many estrogen mimicking chemicals in our diet and hair products that I don't think they can form simply from the usage of relaxers. This doesn't offer an adequate explanation for the higher prevalence of fibroids amongst AAs. AA tend to have different styling ( products we use on our body & hair) and dietary habits than other races.

I would take this studying seriously if they compared relaxed AA to natural AA while holding other variables constant (diet, weight, product usage etc)

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[NJoy]

I'm not sure if it's worth anything but, just in case a random survey pops off, which may be as conclusive as their study (as we have a good sampling of AA women here), I've been relaxed 30 years and no fibroids, no low birth weigh children, no in-grown toenails and no tumors. (Thank You Lord)

I'm not opposed to the subject or sharing of info. Just offering up my data.

 

[beloved1bx]

I posted a link for anyone who wanted to read the study in this thread:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=602989

 

[DayStar]

Girl, you wont get a lot of responses and if you do they will be very rude .

 

[Raspberry]

It's all about the estrogen. There are a variety of chemicals, products, behaviours, etc. altering our hormones that we have to watch out for and it seems that doctors/scientists don't have a handle on all of them.

Frequent relaxing increases the risk of fibroids and it has been surmised that there must be some hormonal connection.

Someone recently posted an interesting article about how fibroids are formed and speculated why black women tend to get them more, including the fact that we have higher rates of overweight/obesity.

This hit home for me when I complained to the gyno months ago about menstrual cycle changes, increased cramps, flow, breast tenderness, and PMS symptoms. She told me that if I lost weight (I need to lose 15-20 lbs) that I would see an improvement in my cycle because the extra weight (specifically subcutaneous fat) holds more estrogen.

I've been thinking about all of the indirect effects of holding onto extra weight and eating hormone laden foods. For example, the link between weight and PCOS is pretty clear. While we may get a clean bill of health from the doctors it's probable that we as black women can't afford to accept beinig overweight/obese as the status quo because long-term effects can cause unforeseen problems.

The reason why I'm focusing on weight and diet is because I personally need incentive to keep my health/weight in check lol.. but also, we would be remiss to focus on relaxing as the main thing to eliminate for health reasons when diet and weight (among other things) are likely effecting our estrogen levels on a daily basis, much moreso than a relaxer.

If you read the study, they conclude this is relational. They didn't conclude it's a correlation. As someone with a fibroid there are so many estrogen mimicking chemicals in our diet and hair products that I don't think they can form simply from the usage of relaxers. This doesn't offer an adequate explanation for the higher prevalence of fibroids amongst AAs. AA tend to have different styling ( products we use on our body & hair) and dietary habits than other races.

I would take this studying seriously if they compared relaxed AA to natural AA while holding other variables constant (diet, weight, product usage etc)

 

[Solitude]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=601783

The topic was closed about women's health and relaxers. I did not read all 4 pages so I don't know why it was closed.

I will say that black women have been do have a problem with fibroid and there is something causing it. We owe it to ourselves (and our daughters to find out why). Is it all relaxers or something specific in relaxers that is causing it. Shoot, there might be a law suit that might develop. I for one would like more research that concerns our health.

I hope people did not take that thread as an attack against relaxed hair. I am natural (and sometimes I toy with going back relaxer from time to time). I would like to know, if not for me, for my family members and friends.

Okay...um, you posted the link to the thread, so why not click the link and read the thread. I just did . It's evident why it was closed. You can also PM @Allandra - the mod who closed it.

There is extensive, VALID, research regarding potential causes of fibroids. Black women, relaxed-haired are not the only women who get fibroids. If you want to get to the bottom of this issue "for ourselves and for our daughters," start by talking to your own doctor. That is what I do because many women have had fibroids in family and I am very afraid of getting them. My doctor has advised me to control my body weight (to control estrogen production).

My issue is when we get distracted talking about relaxers as if they are a main culprit affecting black women's health when it's CLEAR that diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, unprotected sexual activities, and other known health risk factors that are under our immediate control are not being addressed. Many of black women's health problems would be reduced or eliminated by losing weight.

I'm all for living a healthier lifestyle overall. I'm so over talking about the dangers of relaxers .

 

[Solitude]

It's all about the estrogen. There are a variety of chemicals, products, behaviours, etc. altering our hormones that we have to watch out for and it seems that doctors/scientists don't have a handle on all of them.

Frequent relaxing increases the risk of fibroids (anywhere from 5-30% increase in risk depending on frequency) and it has been surmised that there must be some hormonal connection.

Someone recently posted an interesting article about how fibroids are formed and speculated why black women tend to get them more, including the fact that we have higher rates of overweight/obesity.

This hit home for me when I complained to the gyno months ago about menstrual cycle changes, increased cramps, flow, breast tenderness, and PMS symptoms. She told me that if I lost weight (I need to lose 15-20 lbs) that I would see an improvement in my cycle because the extra weight (specifically subcutaneous fat) holds more estrogen.

I've been thinking about all of the indirect effects of holding onto extra weight and eating hormone laden foods. For example, the link between weight and PCOS is pretty clear. While we may get a clean bill of health from the doctors it's probable that we as black women can't afford to accept beinig overweight/obese as the status quo because long-term effects can cause unforeseen problems.

The reason why I'm focusing on weight and diet is because I personally need incentive to keep my health/weight in check lol.. but also, we would be remiss to focus on relaxing as the main thing to eliminate for health reasons when diet and weight (among other things) are likely effecting our estrogen levels on a daily basis, much moreso than a relaxer.

I was typing my post while you were typing. I agree with much of what you wrote, but where is your support for the statement in bold?

 

[Raspberry]

I was typing my post while you were typing. I agree with much of what you wrote, but where is your support for the statement in bold?

Maybe I shouldn't make absolute statements, but according to the recent study linked in the closed thread, of the group of women tested who had fibroids, there were slightly higher percentages of relaxed heads among them with frequency indicating higher trend towards fibroids. It's true that other factors weren't taken into account - like relative health and weight. Based on the data I made a numeral guesstimate of risk, which I'm probably wrong for because that doesn't take into account anything else that may be going on in a particular person's body or environment. But I think we can still include relaxing as a risk factor for fibroids, even it is a variable one.

 

[Maayen]

My issue is when we get distracted talking about relaxers as if they are a main culprit affecting black women's health when it's CLEAR that diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, unprotected sexual activities, and other known health risk factors that are under our immediate control are not being addressed. Many of black women's health problems would be reduced or eliminated by losing weight.

I'm all for living a healthier lifestyle overall. I'm so over talking about the dangers of relaxers .

The bolded in my opinion is closer to the truth. Also previous studies have shown that black women tend to have higher Oestrogen levels than any other race of women. Being over weight will also lead to higher Oestrogen levels in women and as black women we do tend to be more over-weight due to dietary and exercise habits.

I do not find this study useful bc it does not disregard all other factors and appears to lack a control group thus making the data un-useful. In fact I think it is akin to scare-mongering given how fickle the data presented is.

Fact is I find it sad that as black women again we are reduced to our hormones directly in relation to our hair when clearly there are often a myriad of factors which will lead to Oestrogen dominance. For example US Japanese women are far more likely to be Oestrogen dominant compared to women back home in Japan due to differences in diet. Maybe this is the case for black women, however we will never know whilst we are continually being reduced to our hair.

 

[beloved1bx]

Maybe I shouldn't make absolute statements, but according to the recent study linked in the closed thread, of the group of women tested who had fibroids, there were slightly higher percentages of relaxed heads among them with frequency indicating higher trend towards fibroids. It's true that other factors weren't taken into account - like relative health and weight. Based on the data I made a numeral guesstimate of risk, which I'm probably wrong for because that doesn't take into account anything else that may be going on in a particular person's body or environment. But I think we can still include relaxing as a risk factor for fibroids, even it is a variable one.

The study didn't focus on women with fibroids. They studied women who relaxed their hair and then surveyed them to see if they had fibroids. But the researchers state that yes, many women did report they had developed fibroids in their lives, but they cannot conclude that relaxers were the cause. they also created this hypothesis based on the fact that they think that the ingredient 'phthalates' is the actual link (not sodium/calcium hydroxide as many of us would've guessed) which is masked under the word 'fragrance' in the relaxers and apparently in numerous other products we use.

 

[Dellas]

Okay...um, you posted the link to the thread, so why not click the link and read the thread. I just did . It's evident why it was closed. You can also PM @Allandra - the mod who closed it.

There is extensive, VALID, research regarding potential causes of fibroids. Black women, relaxed-haired are not the only women who get fibroids. If you want to get to the bottom of this issue "for ourselves and for our daughters," start by talking to your own doctor. That is what I do because many women have had fibroids in family and I am very afraid of getting them. My doctor has advised me to control my body weight (to control estrogen production).

My issue is when we get distracted talking about relaxers as if they are a main culprit affecting black women's health when it's CLEAR that diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, unprotected sexual activities, and other known health risk factors that are under our immediate control are not being addressed. Many of black women's health problems would be reduced or eliminated by losing weight.

I'm all for living a healthier lifestyle overall. I'm so over talking about the dangers of relaxers .

Solitude

I did not see a reason for the closing. erplexed I came pretty late for the discussion and was sad that it closed.

As far as weight and other factors, I don't know. The two people who I know who had those issues where thin and fit (and one was a semi-vegetarian). I know that is a small sample, so I don't know what it could be and if there are other external causes, I would love to know.


Shinka

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Shinka]

Solitude

I did not see a reason for the closing. erplexed I came pretty late for the discussion and was sad that it closed.

As far as weight and other factors, I don't know. The two people who I know who had those issues where thin and fit (and one was a semi-vegetarian). I know that is a small sample, so I don't know what it could be and if there are other external causes, I would love to know.

Shinka

Thanks for your feedback!

I won't list everything but if you do a google search on estrogen and fibroids you will find lots of info: (it's not a fat vs skinny woman issue, just like cancer!)

Dietary causes- hormones in meats/diary, soy based products, chemicals on fruits/veggies - all can mimic estrogen in body leading to fibroids and cancer.

Certain chemicals in makeup, skin lotions, hair products which are directly placed and directly absorbed on skin - our bodies largest organs- have estrogen mimicking chemicals.

Weight- these chemicals can also be stored in fat cells and when releases due to weightless or detoxing can cause problems. Also excess fat can through off hormonal imbalances etc... Creating estrogen imbalances.

hormonal imbalances: thyroid functioning, metabolic issues, lymphatic functioning, etc.. Can effect estrogen levels too.

One great book for me to help me understand how all thes were connected is Metabolism Makeover ( heavily researched based), you can find it from natural-weight-loss-secrets-revealed.com

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see how any diet or lifestyle changes impacted my fibroid as I got pregnant 3 weeks after it was officially discovered. My doctor said because of excess estrogen caused by pregnancy it would counteract any holistic treatments/efforts. Though I did implement changes for general health like eating more organic foods, less processed foods, no soy based products etc.

For me, it was interesting that this fibroid wasnt found until I had some menstrualissues during a 30lb weight loss, was detoxing/fasting, eating more organic foods, and doing moderate to heavy exercise 3-4 times a wk. I think I caused a drastic change in my body that helped to expose it or else I would had never known until I got an ultrasound for any reason.

It has grown about 2cm and it was already considered a large one. Luckily for me, it's outside of my uterus so it doesn't impact my baby but may cause problems with delivery due to its location.

Anyway I see these causes that impact our bodies on a daily basis as more important to share than a product that "may" be related to fibroids and that women use at most every 2-3 months and isn't in most cases placed directly on the scalp. Most Black women in this country (historically) relax their hair and there also is a higher rate of fibroids. However, most Black women may eat baked Mac and cheese so they can probably find that "relational" to fibroids too.

As someone mentioned, they need a control group and a longitudinal study as there are too viables to make this claim.

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