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Edwards L, Ahmed L, Martinez L, Huda S, Shamasunder B, McDonald JA, Dubrow R, Morton B, Zota AR. Beauty Inside Out: Examining Beauty Product Use Among Diverse Women and Femme-Identifying Individuals in Northern Manhattan and South Bronx Through an Environmental Justice Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (PRINT) 2023; 16:449-460. [PMID: 38074851 PMCID: PMC10704575 DOI: 10.1089/env.2022.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The disproportionate use of chemical straighteners and skin lighteners by women of color is a growing public health concern given the link between product use and adverse health effects. Prior studies examined product use as an individual choice but neglected social-structural factors, which influence beauty perceptions and personal decisions around product use. We used a community-based participatory research approach to characterize product use by demographics and investigated how racialized beauty norms impact use among 297 women and femme-identifying individuals in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. Product use varied by race/ethnicity, nativity, and messaging from family and peers. Black respondents were more likely to ever use chemical straighteners than non-Black respondents (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2-3.2), as were respondents who heard that family members express a preference for straight hair compared with respondents whose family members expressed mixed preferences about hairstyles (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.1-3.7). Compared with non-Asian respondents and respondents born in the United States, Asian respondents and respondents born in other countries, respectively, had threefold higher odds of ever using skin lighteners (Asian: OR = 3.2; 95% CI = 1.4-7.0; born in other countries: OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.9-6.1). Respondents' perceptions that others believe straight hair or lighter skin confer benefits such as beauty, professionalism, or youth were associated with greater use of chemical straighteners and skin lighteners. These findings highlight the pervasiveness of racialized beauty norms and point to the need to reduce the demand for and sale of these products through community education, market-based strategies, and public policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lariah Edwards
- Dr. Lariah Edwards is an Associate Research Scientist at Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA and was a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Lubna Ahmed
- Lubna Ahmed was Director of Environmental Health at West Harlem Environmental Action for Environmental Justice, New York, New York, USA
| | - Leslie Martinez
- Leslie Martinez was Survey Administration Coordinator at West Harlem Environmental Action for Environmental Justice, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sophia Huda
- Sophia Huda is a Toxics Specialist at West Harlem Environmental Action for Environmental Justice, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bhavna Shamasunder
- Bhavna Shamasunder is an Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Urban and Environmental Policy, Occidental College, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jasmine A. McDonald
- Jasmine A. McDonald is a Assistant Professor at Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Dubrow
- Robert Dubrow is a Professor of Epidemiology at Department of Environmental Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Beaumont Morton
- Beaumont Morton is the Director of Environmental Health and Education at West Harlem Environmental Action for Environmental Justice, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ami R. Zota
- Ami R. Zota is an Associate Professor at Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA and was an Associate Professor at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Abstract
Hairstyling trends among Black women fluctuate with social, cultural, and environmental pressures. Dermatologists should be aware of current trends and their associated risks in order to provide the best care to this population. In order to summarize the updated trends and associated health risks for the most common hairstyles worn by Black women, a literature review was performed. PubMed and EMBASE were used to identify articles related to hair styling practices, studies on the effects or risks of various styling practices, and magazine articles citing current styling trends among women of African descent. All hairstyles were found to have associated health risks; however, natural styles had the fewest adverse associations of all styles reviewed. Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) is the most cited hair disorder in this population, possibly linked to both chemical relaxants and traction styles. Additional studies are needed to further establish causality between these styles and CCCA. Additionally, while acceptance of natural hairstyles is on the rise, there is more work to be done throughout society to help protect and encourage women who choose to wear Afrocentric styles. Dermatologists should be well versed in these hairstyles and ready to lend appropriate advice to patients when it is requested.
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Hair Maintenance and Chemical Hair Product Usage as Barriers to Physical Activity in Childhood and Adulthood among African American Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17249254. [PMID: 33322020 PMCID: PMC7762987 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Qualitative studies have identified haircare practices as important culturally specific barriers to physical activity (PA) among Black/African American (AA) women, but quantitative investigations are lacking. Using the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids data among 1558 Black/AA women, we investigated associations between hair product usage/hair maintenance behaviors and PA during childhood and adulthood. Participants reported childhood and current chemical relaxer and leave-in conditioner use. Self-reported PA included childhood recreational sports participation, leisure-time PA engagement during adulthood, and, at each life stage, minutes of and intensity of PA. Adjusting for socioeconomic and health characteristics, we used Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each PA measure for more vs. less frequent hair product use/hair maintenance. Thirty-four percent reported ≥twice/year chemical relaxer use and 22% reported ≥once/week leave-in conditioner use at age 10 years, and neither were associated with PA at age 10 years. In adulthood, ≥twice/year chemical relaxer users (30%) were less likely (PR = 0.90 [95% CI: 0.79-1.02]) and ≥once/week leave-in conditioner users (24%) were more likely (PR = 1.09 [95% CI: 0.99-1.20]) to report intense PA compared to counterparts reporting rarely/never use. Hair product use/maintenance may influence PA among Black/AA women and impact cardiometabolic health disparities.
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Abstract
Skin color is one of the major attributes that defines both individual distinctiveness and differences between groups. There is a preference for lighter skin world-wide, among both light- and dark-skinned individuals, further leading to skin-color bias based upon skin-color hierarchy within certain ethnoracial groups. The psychiatric and psychosocial ramifications of skin color are important in several situations, including (1) disorders of skin discoloration (eg, vitiligo), which can significantly affect the psychosocial development of the patient especially when it has its first onset during adolescence; (2) widespread use of skin-lightening products, which are used despite knowledge about serious toxicity from inorganic mercury and potent corticosteroids that are some of their main constituents; (3) indoor tanning, which is a recognized carcinogen and practiced by over 50% of university-age adults and 20% of adolescents. Educating about photocarcinogenicity does not change tanning behaviors, which is strongly driven by peer pressure; and (4) when a psychiatric disorder, such as body dysmorphic disorder or major depressive disorder, is the primary basis for skin color dissatisfaction. Despite the role of complex sociocultural and psychiatric factors in clinical manifestations involving skin color, a supportive relation with the dermatologist can significantly aid the patient in managing their disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhulika A Gupta
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Psychmed Research, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Aditya K Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mediprobe Research, London, Ontario, Canada
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Gaston SA, James-Todd T, Harmon Q, Taylor KW, Baird D, Jackson CL. Chemical/straightening and other hair product usage during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood among African-American women: potential implications for health. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020; 30:86-96. [PMID: 31641276 PMCID: PMC6917990 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-019-0186-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have characterized life course hair product usage beyond ever/never. We investigated hair product use from childhood to adulthood, usage patterns in adulthood, and socioeconomic status (SES) correlates among African-American (AA) women. Using self-reported data from 1555 AA women enrolled in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (2010-2018), we estimated the usage frequency of chemical relaxer/straightener (≥twice/year, once/year, and rarely/never) and leave-in/leave-on conditioner (≥once/week, 1-3 times/month, and rarely/never) during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of adulthood usage of multiple hair products. SES was compared across latent classes. With a mean age of 33 ± 3.4 years, most women reported ever using chemical relaxers/straighteners (89%), and use ≥twice/year increased from childhood (9%) to adolescence (73%) but decreased in adulthood (29%). Leave-in/leave-on conditioner use followed the same pattern. Each of three identified latent classes reported frequent styling product use and infrequent relaxer/straightener use. Class One was unlikely to use any other products, Class Two moderately used shampoo and conditioner, and Class Three frequently used multiple product types (e.g., moisturizers and conditioners). Participants in the latter two classes reported higher SES. Ever/never characterization may miss important and distinctive patterns of hair product use, which may vary by SES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Symielle A Gaston
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Tamarra James-Todd
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Quaker Harmon
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kyla W Taylor
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Donna Baird
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Chandra L Jackson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
- Intramural Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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