Hair straightening

The hair will tend to revert to its original form due to environmental factors, mainly contact with water from washing, rain, humidity, etc.

This includes water in styling products such as gels applied after straightening, although careful use of such treatments can produce usable results.

The main methods used today are: Relaxers can contain carcinogens such as formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, and other endocrine-disrupting compounds,[12] according to National Institutes of Health studies.

The compounds can mimic the body's hormones, and studies have found them to be linked to breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.

Her vegetable shampoo and Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower (an ointment that contained sulfur) were designed to heal dandruff and severe scalp infections that were very common during a time when most Americans lacked indoor plumbing, electricity and central heating.

While the practice has at times been a controversial issue in discussions of racial identity, visits to the hair salon have become embedded in black culture, fulfilling an important social role especially for women.