What you need to know about hair texturizing

The natural hair committee is about to come for our necks, but we like living dangerously. Hair texturizing has been around as long as perming has. What is hair texturizing? It is a process where the existing curl pattern is devolved into loose curls without completely straightening it. Although it is a chemical process, it is milder than hair relaxing. The result is having a looser curl pattern that is easier to manage but not fully straight.

Some may argue that due to the chemicals involved, texturising can ruin natural hair. But if done correctly, texturized hair can remain healthy. Another plus, texturising makes natural hair easier to manage. Some other benefits include :

Adding volume to your hair Reduces frizz, and unruly hair Adds shine to your curls Gives you lighter, looser and more manageable curls If you get tired of it, growing out texturized hair is easier than growing out relaxed hair

The internet is filled with numerous before and after pictures of texturized hair and one has to admit how amazing it looks.

The beauty about hair is that it’s so versatile, the options to change up your look are limitless. So if you want to texturize your hair, here are a few things you need to keep in mind:

The texturizer may permanently change the structure/ curl pattern of your hair Research fully on your hair type and Find the texturizer your hair type Ensure you fully understand what the texturiser will do to your hair It can be difficult to get uniform results from one application to the next, especially for longer hair. Texturizers tend to work best for short to medium-length hair The hair care routine for natural hair will be different for the texturized hair so you will need to adapt accordingly

There are many brands of texturizers available in the market.

While the process of relaxing and texturising your hair is slightly different, relaxers and texturisers may contain similar ingredients. Hence, you need to be careful with the texturizer. Even though it is a milder chemical, it can still damage your hair if used inappropriately.

Once you have your research down and you feel like you are ready to take the leap, go to a certified stylist. Ensure the stylist understands how to texturize hair without causing damage. Many tend to treat texturizers like relaxers, the texturizer is only meant to be left on the hair for 5 – 10 minutes. Any longer and you will be crossing into the line of relaxed hair.

If the hair is texturized well, the result is usually quite amazing. One feels and sees the difference immediately. If you do get bored with your texturized hair, you can always transition back to natural hair! Its just hair, it will grow back.