In the last couple of decades African-American women have been looking for alternatives to chemically straightened hair, which is prevalent in the African-American community. Many have opted for natural hair, donning hairdos such as afros, cornrows, or locks, but many women opt for something in between 100% natural and straight, they opt to texturized their hair.
A texturizer is a mild relaxer that loosens the curl pattern in the hair without straightening it. A texturizer can help define curls and make extremely curly/kinky hair easier to manage. Texturizers have been marketed to African-American men for years, an example is the popular S-Curl brand texturizer, but women can use these products too and they’re not just for short hair.
Texturizers are applied in the same way as a relaxer. First apply petroleum jelly around the hairline and on the tips of your ears to avoid skin irritation. Apply the texturizer cream to hair and comb through with a wide-tooth comb. The texturizer shouldn’t be left in the hair too long because the longer you leave the chemical in, the straighter the hair will become and it is possible to completely straighten your hair with a texturizer. Keep a close eye on the texture of your hair as you are processing it. After the desired time is reached, rinse hair thoroughly, condition hair as usual, then style.
After the initial treatment, texturizers are applied to the new growth every six weeks or so-the same as a relaxer-and the longer your hair grows, the more curl definition you will see. If you are touching up the new growth, separate hair in sections using hair bands and/or metal hair clips (I prefer to use both at the same time). Start at the back of the hair and texturize the roots only. Avoid overlap of previously processed hair as much as possible. Just as with virgin hair, comb the product through the roots only and after the desired time, rinse hair and condition. You can also avoid using a comb and rub the cream through the roots with your fingers to avoid over straightening.
What product you use on your hair after it is texturized may vary depending on your individual hair texture and the desired hair style. Products that contain glycerin usually work well to combat dryness, but in the warm weather and humidity they tend to make the hair feel greasy, so you may need to change the amount of hair product you use in the summer. I sometimes buy pure glycerin, which is found in drug stores in the first-aid aisle, and I use it in combination with a regular styling gel. Again, everybody’s hair is different with varying textures and degrees of dryness so there is no one product or combination of products that will work for everyone. The only way to find what works for you is through trial and error.
One suggestion for texturized hair to keep it frizz-free is to braid or twist the hair at night. Divide the hair into several sections and apply hair lotion, gel, or whatever product(s) work for you to each section and braid them. Afterwards, tie a bandana or silk scarf around your head to protect the hair as you sleep and in the morning, undo the braids and style your hair with your fingers. Do not comb or brush wavy/curly hair because this will cause it to frizz.
For loose waves make larger braids and for more defined curls make smaller braids. If you want to bring out the spiral in the natural hair pattern you can create two-strand twists at night instead of braids. Once your hair is of the desired texture you can wear it down, put it up, and just get creative. If you want to dye texturized hair, just make sure you wait at least two weeks after the texturizing process to avoid hair damage.