Afro hair: the aesthetic (and social) drama of black women

In the last days, have appeared numerous reviews in press that signal the straightness products of the hair like dangerous for the health. However, this news refers to a type of formulations specifically aggressive that use to straighten the peel afro and that hides behind the racial discrimination that suffer the black women in United States.The afro-american women are those that more resort to this type of treatments, sometimes even from early ages, with the aim to be able to look a straight mane, to adapt to the models of beauty imposed. In fact, in United States, has made public the case of Jennifer Mitchell of 32 years, the one who has reported to a multinational manufacturer of this type of cosmetics like manager of his cancer of uterus after almost 20 years using them. Her complaint has situated again in the public debate the pressure that suffer the black women for trying adapt to a canon of beauty in which his type of hair doesn't fit.What doesn't explain is that the afro-american women suffer an enormous pressure to hide the true nature of his hair and with this is not only pointing out a capillary texture, with the imposition of this restrictive model of beauty, it is attacking its ethnic identity.In United States to the hair afro designates it "bad hair" the concept that already is by himself totally discriminatory and racist. It is badly seen that the black women carry it to the natural and do it considers a fault of cleanness. "Fix the peel" for many of them is hide his curl or collect it in braids. Look good is to fulfil with the aesthetic parameters eurocentrics taxes. In some states of the country have sacked to workers for attending to the work with the hair without collecting. Therefore it is so frequent the use of wigs, extensions and straightness treatments. What is very unknown in our country is that Beyoncé does not have the straight hair, nor Naomi Campbell, nor Meghan Markle. Only it is necessary to fix in the root of the scalp to see as it emerges the true nature of the hair.Another example of the pressure that feel the black women by not showing his curl see it in the figure of Michelle Obama. During the presidency of his husband, Barack Obama, his hair was sleek, because of the use of wigs or extensions. However, when it left to be First Lady began to show his hair to the natural. The social message that offers , in this case and in the other, is that to be elegant and have a good image, the hair afro-american is not never suitable. And it is that there weren't antecedents of a black woman in the first line of the political power in United States and, Michelle Obama didn't want or could not break stereotypes, deciding fulfil with the canon imposed.We have fro the evidence that the black women do not have the straight hair and is very difficult that have it. The type of curl of the population afro-american are characterised for being very marked, screwed, and corresponds to the type 4C. It own texture hampers that the natural tallow of the scalp hidrate the fibres capilares, what causes that have tendency to see encrespado and dehydrated and, therefore, was more proclive to the break. It is a delicate hair, although it do not seem it. So, to straighten it, must be used aggressive products to modify a structure in spiral until doing it flat, in spite of that it can damage it.To achieve it do lacking treatments that modify the capillar strand or wigs and hairpieces that give the appearance that they are it. This need generates an enormous business that goes from the chemical products to the extensions or wigs of peel natural or synthetic.The wigs and extensions of peel natural are the most expensive option, since in his preparation use capillar fibres of women of the Indian, whose hair of course is black and straight. This option can cost some 1.000 dollars. In the case of the extensions supposes besides more work in the beauty salon, since it is necessary to fix them in the hair and make a maintenance, the hair does not leave to grow. It is the most comfortable election to carry, but the costliest, especially by the additional cares. Carry extensions supposes a maximum care and, thus, a lot of women do not leave that anybody touch his peel, not even his couples, do not want to attend to the gymnasium not to abuse it and neither wet it in the beach or the swimming pool.The black population is, according to data of the Census of the United States of 2016, the second in the ránking of poverty with an index of 26,2%, the first are the native Americans with 27,6%. To this adds him that the women in general terms are poorer that the men, 16,3% in front of 13,8%, according to the data of the same source.Therefore, the women afro-american have fewer economic resources to adapt to some aesthetic requirements imposed that other women do not have. It treats of a double discrimination, by race and by gender.The straightness products that use the black women in United States are not the same with which treats the European hair, to exception, of the women of African origin. The curl of the white is much more docile and to modify it must to use less aggressive formulas. The quality of the resources that use is used to to go in accordance with the price of market. And no all the black women can allow the same products. Inside the industry exists variety of prices that adapt to the different acquisitive levels of the population. That is to say, it is not the same the treatment that can allow an actress or black artist that the one who pays a normal worker. The social differences also hit in the possibilities of aesthetic changes, the resources are not equal, although the pressure was the same. Therefore, it exists at the same time an economic discrimination.The industry of the beauty in this country moves million dollars. Only the black consumers spend to the year 1 trillion of dollars, of which 473 millions are in products for the hair. It is clear that the afro-american women have to face an extra cost to take care his image, investing until 6 times more than a white woman. To this adds him that they do not find in the market a lot of variety, that the prices of these products are 70% more expensive and that use with greater frequency that the cosmetics for peel smooth. Besides, to find specific products for his pattern of curl have to attend to skilled shops or products with a higher price. This causes that the black women seat little represented, in spite of being those that more spend, and that his needs are excluded of the formulations of the main marks, as well as of the campaigns of advertising.The key is in understanding that the canons of beauty are always restrictive and discriminatory. Behind them they hide social concepts that for nothing are superfluous. The hair explains besides with a strong symbolic weight in our identity concept and social. It determines clearly our image and if we feel us validated or no. The afro hair is indicating a racial inequality that affects much more in the women and in the social layers more depressed. Claim his beauty is a question of justice.

Afro hair: the aesthetic (and social) drama of black women

Afro-american women have to face extra expense to take care of their physical appearance and they invest in it 6 times more than white women

Esther Cañadas

Journalist and beauty writer