Parents should desist from using relaxers on their children’s hair due to health hazards associated with it, Adanna Enwezor, convener of The African Hair Summit, has said.
Enwezor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, yesterday, that mothers, especially, should be good role models to their children and show them the benefits of keeping natural hair.
According to her, having her hair burnt by a texturiser, when she was pregnant, a few years ago, led her to research on the dangers of relaxers on hair and skin.
Enwezor said she found out that so many diseases were linked to relaxers which inspired her to start the African Hair Summit, to sensitise Africans on the health benefits of keeping natural hair.
She added that it was hurtful to see young children dragged to have their hair relaxed and recalled her own experience as a young girl who wanted to have her mother’s kind of relaxed hair.
“I agree that the home is a very crucial place. I remember when I was growing up, I had very long natural hair and when I got into secondary school, I decided to relax my hair.
“This was because my friends all had relaxed hair and I wanted to be like them.Again, because my mum’s hair was relaxed, I was under pressure.
“I remember her asking me not to relax my hair and I pointed out hers. Every mother should know that your children look up to you so much and you have no idea how much they want to be like you,” she said.
Enwezor told NAN that the 2019 African Hair Summit will strongly focus on getting more women to understand the benefits of natural hair, so their children could learn from them.
She said, “so we are really pulling in a way to get in more women organisations involved and we are hoping that through these organisations, we can also reach out to a lot of women.