Hair texturizer is a product designed to loosen curls for people with naturally curly hair. It is a processing cream that is placed on the hair for a short period of time and results in looser curls. It is a shorter process than relaxing, in which the curl is completely removed.
Hair texturizer allows a client to keep the type of curl that they naturally have, but remove the tightness of it. For example, if someone has tight round or S-shaped curls naturally, the looser curl resulting from a texturizer will still be round and S-shaped respectively.
Similarly to any chemical alteration process, a hair texturizer changes the chemical makeup of the hair. A strand of hair contains several chemicals that give it a particular appearance. The disulfide bond, a bond between two sulfur atoms, is the one that allows a strand to hold its shape. When this bond is manipulated, the shape of a hair can be altered.
First, a reducing agent is placed on the hair to break the disulfide bonds. Next, the hair is manipulated into the desired shape. It can be straightened in the case of a relaxer, curled for a perm, or in this case be texturized into looser curls. Lastly, an oxidizing agent is introduced to reset the disulfide bonds into the newly formed shape.
Maintenance is important to keep the newly formed curls in shape. Combs should be avoided after applying hair texturizer as they can break the fragile hair. Cream based hair moisturizers are recommended over protein based ones. The protein in some moisturizers can cause the hair to become increasingly brittle and contribute to breakage.
Chemical texturizing should not be repeated more than once every few months at the most. Repetition on a regular basis could cause the curl to be completely removed and even cause hair loss. Since the chemicals used can potentially cause hair loss, it is recommended to always consult a professional before attempting the process.
There are very few all natural alternatives to the chemical hair texturizer. Many products that claim to be all natural still include chemicals as part of their list of ingredients. There is a short list of products that can meet the all natural criteria. They have a much shorter hold time and therefore need to be repeated significantly more often than their chemical counterparts, a sacrifice that those who desire a truly natural product are willing to make.
