▁hip - h op ▁culture ▁and ▁J ama ican ▁influ ences ▁like ▁reg ga e ▁music , ▁more ▁non - Black ▁people ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁wear ▁these ▁ha irst yles ▁as ▁well . ▁A ▁new ▁market ▁has ▁developed ▁in ▁such ▁hair ▁products ▁as ▁" Out ▁of ▁Africa " ▁sh am po o . ▁ ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁natural ▁hair ▁has ▁w ax ed ▁and ▁w an ed . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁a ▁significant ▁percentage ▁of ▁African - American ▁women ▁still ▁straight en ▁their ▁hair ▁with ▁relax ers ▁of ▁some ▁kind ▁( e ither ▁heat - ▁or ▁chemical - based ). ▁This ▁is ▁done ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁prolong ed ▁application ▁of ▁such ▁chemical s ▁( or ▁heat ) ▁can ▁result ▁in ▁over processing , ▁break age ▁and ▁thin ning ▁of ▁the ▁hair . ▁Ro oks ▁( 1 9 9 6 ) ▁arg ues ▁that ▁hair - care ▁products ▁designed ▁to ▁straight en ▁hair , ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁market ed ▁by ▁white - owned ▁companies ▁in ▁African ▁American ▁publications ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁represent ▁un real istic ▁and ▁un att ain able ▁standards ▁of ▁beauty . ▁ ▁Sales ▁of ▁relax ers ▁took ▁a ▁great ▁fall ▁among ▁African - American ▁women ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁Many ▁African - American ▁women ▁gave ▁up ▁relax ers ▁to ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁their ▁natural ▁roots . ▁C ele brit ies ▁like ▁Es per anza ▁Sp ald ing ,