The document discusses common hair practices in ethnic populations, focusing on chemical relaxers. It notes that up to 70% of black women regularly chemically straighten their hair. Chemical relaxers use alkaline products like sodium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide to break and restructure disulfide bonds in hair to change its shape. Regular use can lead to side effects like scalp burns, traction alopecia, and hair loss. Tips are provided to minimize damage when using relaxers. While no definitive link between relaxers and fibroids has been found, some studies associate frequent relaxer use with a higher risk of developing fibroids.