BDD (Bodily Dysmorphic Disorder), is a disorder mental health experts define as a person's preoccupation with an imagined imperfection. That individual will religiously make attempts to hide or improve the perceived defect. In black women that defect is usually their skin being too dark; their hair may not be straight enough, or their nose not being small or narrow enough. Mostly, things that are considered racial characteristics. BDD is also associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
We have today a generation of black children who have never seen their mother's real hair. Today, 70% to 80% of black women straighten their hair or wear straight hair extensions and wigs daily. (Banks, 2000; Byrd &Tharps, 2001; Tate, 2007).The great majority of today's black women have become obsessed with European and Asian beauty trends.
In her article "The Kim Kardashian effect: America’s obsession with beauty", Dr. Christina Villarreal asks a very serious question.
"At what point does our pursuit of beauty become pathological?".
How far are women willing to go to achieve "that look", and how much of themselves are they willing to literally, throw away in the process? There has to be a balance between the person you are and the people you want to imitate.
Exposing The Lies
Exploring some of the many excuses I've heard for why, none sound justifiable. For a black woman to say, that straightened hair is easier to manage than kinky hair, only alludes to the fact that; that woman is obsessed with achieving Eurocentric hairstyles opposed to Afrocentric or natural hairstyles. In contrast, straightened hair would be more difficult to manage if that same woman were trying to achieve natural, cultural, or Afrocentric variations of locs, twists, braids, and afros.
We have today a generation of black children who have never seen their mother's real hair. Today, 70% to 80% of black women straighten their hair or wear straight hair extensions and wigs daily. (Banks, 2000; Byrd &Tharps, 2001; Tate, 2007).The great majority of today's black women have become obsessed with European and Asian beauty trends.
In her article "The Kim Kardashian effect: America’s obsession with beauty", Dr. Christina Villarreal asks a very serious question.
"At what point does our pursuit of beauty become pathological?".
How far are women willing to go to achieve "that look", and how much of themselves are they willing to literally, throw away in the process? There has to be a balance between the person you are and the people you want to imitate.
Exposing The Lies
Exploring some of the many excuses I've heard for why, none sound justifiable. For a black woman to say, that straightened hair is easier to manage than kinky hair, only alludes to the fact that; that woman is obsessed with achieving Eurocentric hairstyles opposed to Afrocentric or natural hairstyles. In contrast, straightened hair would be more difficult to manage if that same woman were trying to achieve natural, cultural, or Afrocentric variations of locs, twists, braids, and afros.
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| A commercial ad designed to attack the young black woman's self-esteem. Her natural hair is displayed as being undesirable even to herself, while the straight hair image is glorified. |
For a black woman to say that a woman shouldn't be defined by her hair is another delusion and false attempt to play on a universal philosophy of womanhood. Around the world, women of all races share the same view of their hair being an extension of their beauty and pride. According to a 2015 survey conducted by Nature's Bounty, 82% of the women who participated agreed that how their hair looks effects how they feel the entire day.
The Price of Straight Hair
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How can a black woman view her own natural hair as a fashion trend that plays itself out, but Caucasian and Asian beauty trends seem to never go out of style to that same woman? Scrolling the news feeds of social media, you'll see a few black women bragging about going natural just to revert back to the perms and weaves days later because in reality she was just in-between styles.
If the weave and wigs truthfully serve the purpose of a protective hairstyle, how come the weave doesn't resemble the black woman's natural course or kinky hair; why is it that same Asian or Caucasian-looking hair. That's because, it's not a protective hairstyle, it's a "hide your hairstyle".
Identity Crisis
If the black woman really believes that she shouldn't be defined by her hair, then why go to the extremes to maintain those straight hairstyles. Why risk burning your scalp with relaxers and hot combs? Why go through the trouble of damaging your natural hair just to cover it up with hair weave and wigs? Why risk your health?
In recent years, the lack of regulation surrounding hair relaxer products has raised significant health concerns, leading to studies and lawsuits. This culminated in the FDA’s recent ban on formaldehyde in these products. A pivotal 2022 study by the National Institutes of Health revealed a higher risk of uterine cancer associated with hair straightening chemicals. The study followed over 33,000 US women, predominantly Black women, for nearly 11 years, diagnosing 378 cases of uterine cancer. It found that frequent users of hair relaxers have a significantly higher risk of developing uterine cancer than non-users.
A study by the American Journal of Epidemiology of 23,000 American Black women showed that the individuals who utilized hair relaxer were more probable to develop uterine fibroids. Young ladies who got their first period before age 10 are at higher risk of uterine fibroids later in life, and early puberty might likewise be connected to the chemicals in hair relaxers.
In 2012 one death made headlines. 34-year-old Atasha Graham went into anaphylactic shock after chemicals in the hair glue she used seeped into the pores of her scalp entering her bloodstream.
A study by the American Journal of Epidemiology of 23,000 American Black women showed that the individuals who utilized hair relaxer were more probable to develop uterine fibroids. Young ladies who got their first period before age 10 are at higher risk of uterine fibroids later in life, and early puberty might likewise be connected to the chemicals in hair relaxers.
In 2012 one death made headlines. 34-year-old Atasha Graham went into anaphylactic shock after chemicals in the hair glue she used seeped into the pores of her scalp entering her bloodstream.
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| Atasha Graham 34 died after going into anaphylactic shock caused by chemicals from hair glue entering her pores through her scalp |
For a black woman to say that natural hair doesn't look right on her or that it doesn't fit her face is a clear example of some form of identity crisis and low self-esteem. How can the way you were born, the natural you, the real you, not look right on you or be unacceptable to you of all people?
How can a black woman view her own natural hair as a fashion trend that plays itself out, but Caucasian and Asian beauty trends seem to never go out of style to that same woman? Scrolling the news feeds of social media, you'll see a few black women bragging about going natural just to revert back to the perms and weaves days later because in reality she was just in-between styles.
If the weave and wigs truthfully serve the purpose of a protective hairstyle, how come the weave doesn't resemble the black woman's natural course or kinky hair; why is it that same Asian or Caucasian-looking hair. That's because, it's not a protective hairstyle, it's a "hide your hairstyle".
Identity Crisis
In 2015, Rachel Dolezal, the former head of Spokane’s NAACP made the national headlines when her Caucasian parents exposed her true racial identity. Despite her accomplishments in the black community, she lied about her race and heritage, posing as a bi-racial cultural black woman, bronzing her complexion and styling her hair in Afrocentric inspired styles. She's been labeled trans-racial. This type of behavior researchers on the matter deemed a mental illness, suggesting BDD (Bodily Dysmorphic Disorder).
The black community seems to have a double standard. When a white woman makes attempts to look black altering her appearance and mimicking black culture, she's labeled crazy and a culture thief; but when black women do it, it's normal. No! It's not normal and if Rachel Dolezal has a mental illness so does about 80% of black women. The difference is, no one is pointing fingers, and it has become accepted as a norm in the black community. The other racial populations don't seem to mind much, because it's a form of entertainment to them and flattery. It's natural to feel superior to someone who's inspiring to look like or be you.
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| Nigerian pop star Decia bleached her skin and runs her own line of skin cream called Whitenicious |
The black community seems to have a double standard. When a white woman makes attempts to look black altering her appearance and mimicking black culture, she's labeled crazy and a culture thief; but when black women do it, it's normal. No! It's not normal and if Rachel Dolezal has a mental illness so does about 80% of black women. The difference is, no one is pointing fingers, and it has become accepted as a norm in the black community. The other racial populations don't seem to mind much, because it's a form of entertainment to them and flattery. It's natural to feel superior to someone who's inspiring to look like or be you.
In reality, the great majority of black women religiously alter their appearance to look more acceptable to European standards of beauty, every day. They've been doing this for decades. Straightening their hair, dying it blond and red, wearing green and blue contacts. Then there's the excessive make-up and blush, caked on to make them look lighter in appearance. The blush gives them a striking resemblance to clowns being as though darker-skinned cheeks don't turn red while blushing. Then there's the flat-out bleaching.
You also can't ignore the numerous black celebrities who get nose jobs. It creates the presumption that soon as a black woman gets enough money, she can't wait to make herself look as close to white as possible.
Yes, there are white and other race classes of women getting injections in their lips and butt, bronzing skin, even might see a few with cornrows or locs. They might even have the mannerisms of a black woman, but let's not let our own personal bias blind our sense of reality.
Except for on social media and television, no other racial group of women is attempting to imitate black women on such a large scale, but black women collectively en masse imitate Caucasian and Asian women in appearance. It's a global pandemic of identity crises.
Take a trip to your local Walmart store and count how many white women you see with course hair wigs, lip and butt injections, and bronzer. Then count how many black women you see with straight hair, weave, and wigs. Yes, white women wear weave too, but their weave usually matches the texture of their natural hair. So, that can't be compared to what black women are doing.
Then there are the black women who try to justify what they do by making the disclaimer that blacks are diverse and that there are whole tribes of blond blacks with blue eyes in Africa. Though this is true, these women have little knowledge about genetics.
In blacks, naturally occurring blond hair and blues eyes are symptoms of a disorder called albinism which has several forms. Albinism can affect an entire body causing pale skin; white, blond or red hair, and any variation of lighter colored eyes like blue and green. Albinism is the permanent loss of melanin and in some cases only affects the eyes or hair.
Albinism is a recessive gene only found in small groupings of people and only surfaces if both parents carry a certain amount of the gene. This is not a norm or characteristic of the black race, but a mutation that can affect any racial group, species of animal and even plants. Any population of people where these recessive genes have become the dominant gene have been isolated from the rest of the world's population for centuries.
Nevertheless, these kids below are still cute. The problem comes once you perceive that these kids would be less adorable had they been born with black kinky hair and brown eyes.
Imitation White Woman
The black woman has glorified the image of other racial classes of women to the point that some black men have begun to chase after the beauty of these women as well. Not to say that this is the only reason that black men may date outside their race, just something to think about. Look at it like this.
Young black boys grow up seeing their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunties, teachers and just about every black woman in their surroundings obsess over a white woman's image to the point that a natural haired black woman in the black community is rare and usually looked down on. So, to a young man seeing this abnormal behavior among the women of his own race, it would appear obvious that the white woman would theoretically be the epitome of beauty. And if that's the case then, why settle for a black woman in a wig posing as a white woman, when he could just go get the real thing?
Yes, there are white and other race classes of women getting injections in their lips and butt, bronzing skin, even might see a few with cornrows or locs. They might even have the mannerisms of a black woman, but let's not let our own personal bias blind our sense of reality.
Except for on social media and television, no other racial group of women is attempting to imitate black women on such a large scale, but black women collectively en masse imitate Caucasian and Asian women in appearance. It's a global pandemic of identity crises.
Take a trip to your local Walmart store and count how many white women you see with course hair wigs, lip and butt injections, and bronzer. Then count how many black women you see with straight hair, weave, and wigs. Yes, white women wear weave too, but their weave usually matches the texture of their natural hair. So, that can't be compared to what black women are doing.
Then there are the black women who try to justify what they do by making the disclaimer that blacks are diverse and that there are whole tribes of blond blacks with blue eyes in Africa. Though this is true, these women have little knowledge about genetics.
In blacks, naturally occurring blond hair and blues eyes are symptoms of a disorder called albinism which has several forms. Albinism can affect an entire body causing pale skin; white, blond or red hair, and any variation of lighter colored eyes like blue and green. Albinism is the permanent loss of melanin and in some cases only affects the eyes or hair.
Albinism is a recessive gene only found in small groupings of people and only surfaces if both parents carry a certain amount of the gene. This is not a norm or characteristic of the black race, but a mutation that can affect any racial group, species of animal and even plants. Any population of people where these recessive genes have become the dominant gene have been isolated from the rest of the world's population for centuries.
Nevertheless, these kids below are still cute. The problem comes once you perceive that these kids would be less adorable had they been born with black kinky hair and brown eyes.
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| Oculocutaneous Albinism |
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| Ocular Albinism |
Imitation White Woman
The black woman has glorified the image of other racial classes of women to the point that some black men have begun to chase after the beauty of these women as well. Not to say that this is the only reason that black men may date outside their race, just something to think about. Look at it like this.
Young black boys grow up seeing their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunties, teachers and just about every black woman in their surroundings obsess over a white woman's image to the point that a natural haired black woman in the black community is rare and usually looked down on. So, to a young man seeing this abnormal behavior among the women of his own race, it would appear obvious that the white woman would theoretically be the epitome of beauty. And if that's the case then, why settle for a black woman in a wig posing as a white woman, when he could just go get the real thing?
Some black men may even meticulously do this as a one up on black women who may have made them feel like they weren't good enough. What better of a way to make a woman feel insecure than to tote the object of her envy in front of her face.
On the other hand, young black girls grow up under the same circumstances as the males. Unfortunately, for them though the first person to teach them to hate themselves will be their mothers. It's hard for young black girls to channel self-love from a community of women who she can't see herself in.
Degradation of The Black Woman
As with most of the problems in the black community, these issues began during slavery. Lighter slaves were treated better than darker slaves. House slaves were forced to wear wigs to look acceptable to their white masters. The self-image of young slave girls forced to work in brothels was continuously beaten down. They were told they were ugly and forced to straighten their hair or wear wigs to make them look more western for their clients, who treated them like pieces of meat.
Sadly, these insecurities were passed down from mother to daughter and so on, up until today. Black mothers are still teaching their daughters that their natural course or kinky hair is "bad hair" and that loose curly or straight hair is "good hair". That it's a privilege to be mixed with Indian or whatever else race. Voluntarily teaching their daughters to hate themselves and to reject every part of them that is a characteristic of their race.
By the time many of these young girls make it to high school their hair is already thinning and falling out. They're developing alopecia from their mothers obsessive perming, flat ironing, and applying weave extensions. They're insecure about their skin color; teasing other kids for being darker and bullying those who are lighter.
Hopefully, this article inspires self-love and not it's opposite. The black woman, no matter her accomplishments when standing next to a white woman she will always be inferior as long as she inspires to look like her. Why? Because imitation is the best form of flattery.
References:
Hair Relaxer Linked To Uterine Fibroid
Bodily Dysmorphic Disorder
Hair Glue Responsible for Woman's Death
What Is Autism
Degradation of The Black Woman
As with most of the problems in the black community, these issues began during slavery. Lighter slaves were treated better than darker slaves. House slaves were forced to wear wigs to look acceptable to their white masters. The self-image of young slave girls forced to work in brothels was continuously beaten down. They were told they were ugly and forced to straighten their hair or wear wigs to make them look more western for their clients, who treated them like pieces of meat.
Sadly, these insecurities were passed down from mother to daughter and so on, up until today. Black mothers are still teaching their daughters that their natural course or kinky hair is "bad hair" and that loose curly or straight hair is "good hair". That it's a privilege to be mixed with Indian or whatever else race. Voluntarily teaching their daughters to hate themselves and to reject every part of them that is a characteristic of their race.
By the time many of these young girls make it to high school their hair is already thinning and falling out. They're developing alopecia from their mothers obsessive perming, flat ironing, and applying weave extensions. They're insecure about their skin color; teasing other kids for being darker and bullying those who are lighter.
Hopefully, this article inspires self-love and not it's opposite. The black woman, no matter her accomplishments when standing next to a white woman she will always be inferior as long as she inspires to look like her. Why? Because imitation is the best form of flattery.
References:
Hair Relaxer Linked To Uterine Fibroid
Bodily Dysmorphic Disorder
Hair Glue Responsible for Woman's Death
What Is Autism