Banning the Use of Relaxers and Extensions in the UK
I came across this link on Twitter (can't remember who tweeted it though, sorry) and was very happy when I watched the YouTube clip. I can't say enough how much it bothers me to see relaxers and extensions on small children. I've written some posts earlier on extensions on small children (find previous posts here and here).
Don't get me wrong, I am not a "militant anti-relaxer natural," not at all. I think that women (and men) should be able to wear their hair however they please be is straight, curly, bald, fro, locs, etc etc etc. As an adult you are able to make choices based on knowledge and experience etc. If you choose to smoke cigarettes you are probably aware of the risks that come with smoking, therefore you are making a choice (don't argue with me that it's an addiction not a choice, that's a whole nother discussion). As I wrote in Scandinavian Naturals, I think banning children from being relaxed would never work. I mean any adult can buy an adult relaxer and put it in their child's hair if they want. But I do think that banning relaxers marketed at children would be a good idea. Relaxers are harmful, anyone who's done a little research online on relaxers knows this, so why not make them age restricted from the manufacturers/marketing standpoint? We do it with things like cigarettes, alcohol etc, so why not something that could be very harmful for small children? Wouldn't it be easier to say no to your daughter when she wants to relaxer her hair by saying "No, honey, only adults are allowed to do that" if there are no boxes with cute little girls on them containing "kiddie relaxer"? I think it would be. And I also think a lot of parents wouldn't be as quick to relax their child's hair if there was and age restriction from manufacturers/marketing standpoint.
A child's body is a child's body, it is not an adult body, so we as adults need to respect that and keep that in mind when making choices for our children. I know a lot of people mention that other adults (hair dressers, people in the African/black community) push for relaxers on children because it "makes their hair more manageable" which of course is pure ignorance. It's up to us as parents to find the right info when it comes to our children so we can make good choices, don't let anyone for you in to doing something to your child if you aren't one hundred per cent sure it's the right choice, in the end you are the parent and will have to stand for the consequences.
This is my two cents on the issue, what are your thoughts?
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Very well written, i don't know wether you want me to write in Swedish or English so I take it in English this time:)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree With you. Children should not be targeted for this kind of products. I have nothing against relaxers, used it a lot myself, however, I Think it is a product that you need to have a lot of knowledge about before using and also it should nt be used on a growing body.
My parents kept My hair in a TWA until u was 8 or 9. There were periods i didnt like it but Now I Think it was the best. Kids should have clothes and hair that encourage moving and an active life style. Long or too big hair doesnt do that. Kids need to have opurtunity to develop motoric skills, instead of spending saturdays at the stylist. In addition to that, kids shouldnt grow up being encouraged to change Them selves of what They have is not good enough but need to be altered. In short, i dont Think kids should be encouraged to spend too much time on their looks and They should definately not be allowed to put chemicals on their delicate skin.
Thank you for your comment Lisa! (I think writing in English is the way to go since most of my readers are non-Swedish speakers. ;)
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