▁indicate ▁a ▁person ' s ▁mar ital ▁status , ▁age , ▁religion , ▁eth nic ▁identity , ▁wealth ▁and ▁rank ▁within ▁the ▁community ▁( see ▁By rd ▁& ▁Th ar ps , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ; ▁Jacob s - H ue y , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ; ▁Mer cer , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ; ▁Pat ton , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ; ▁Ro oks , ▁ 1 9 9 6 ). ▁For ▁young ▁black ▁girls , ▁Thompson ▁says , ▁" h air ▁is ▁not ▁just ▁something ▁to ▁play ▁with " ▁– ▁it ▁is ▁something ▁that ▁sends ▁a ▁message , ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁outside ▁public ▁but ▁also ▁a ▁message ▁on ▁how ▁they ▁see ▁themselves . ▁" In ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁n appy , ▁k ink y , ▁cur ly ▁hair ▁was ▁de emed ▁inferior , ▁ugly ▁and ▁un k empt ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁the ▁flow ing , ▁b oun cy ▁hair ▁of ▁people ▁from ▁other ▁cult ures ", ▁says ▁Mar cia ▁W ade ▁Tal bert ▁in ▁Black ▁Enter prise . ▁Chem ical ▁relax ers ▁increased ▁in ▁demand ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 s . ▁These ▁relax ers ▁often ▁contained ▁sod ium ▁hydro x ide ▁( ly e ) ▁or ▁gu an id ine ▁hydro x ide ▁which ▁result ▁in ▁hair ▁break age , ▁thin ning ▁of ▁the ▁hair , ▁slow ing ▁of ▁hair ▁growth