The natural hair community continues to grow as more women return to natural (i.e ditching relaxers). But for some the process seems daunting especially for those with a tight hair coil pattern. They desire to stay natural but loosen up the coils. The solution? Texturizing.
What Is Texturizing?
This refers to applying a chemical- based product called a texturizer to the hair for the purpose of slightly loosening the curls/ coils. Texturizers are allowed to sit on the strands for a short period of time (5-10 minutes, unlike normal relaxers).
Is It Different From Relaxing?
Fundamentally, nope. Texturizers permanently change the structure of hair, just like relaxers. For your hair to get back its natural coil pattern, you’ll have to cut it. That’s why ladies who texturize their hair and claim to still be natural receive a lot of backlash from the ‘true naturalistas’.
How Does It Work?
The chemicals in texturizers alter the protein structure in hair strands. They break down the hydrogen bonds in cysteine, the amino acid found in keratin (hair’s main protein). When this happens the curl/ coil pattern loosens.
Don’t expect automatically wavy hair though. If your hair has tight Z curls it might not respond to texturizing as it would a relaxer. Loose S curls turn into waves when texturizer is applied.
Pros
- Makes hair easier to manage when styling since the coils are loosened.
- Makes straightening your hair easier.
- May be less damaging to hair than relaxer (but not always).
Cons
- Texturizers are not ‘natural’, despite what some products claim. They chemically alter the state of your hair and might even damage it if not done right.
- They don’t help if you’re trying to transition to natural hair.
- If your hair is long it’s difficult to get consistent results with each application.
In the end, the decision to texturize or not is up to you. But just be aware that if you’re keen on starting a natural hair journey, texturizing isn’t the way to go.
