Most people who have stopped using relaxers did so to join the TeamNatural. However Teniola is advocating for more people to stop using these chemical relaxers because they are harmful to the body, not just the hair. This is because Teni, a PhD student in Industrial Hygiene at the University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, found out that relaxers and other chemical hair straighteners are harmful and may have links to high rates of reproductive health problems, like miscarriages, uterine fibroids, asthma dermatitis and hair loss.
Since the discovery, she has been educating users and hair stylists on the dangers of some hair care products that can cause chemical exposures and chemical-related health problems.
Teni is the environmental justice program coordinator at Black Women for Wellness, a California nonprofit organisation concerned about the health and well-being of black children. In her capacity, she is helping to train stylists in safe products and practices, from ventilation and personal protective equipment to product designs and understanding labels.
