By Hadassah Agbaps - June 26, 2014

A: Please could you advise me?
I have been transitioning for 10 months now and a friend advised me on using texturizer on my hair. What is texturizer all about and is it advisable to use it?

Q: Hi dear,
A texturiser is similar to a relaxer. It has the same ingredients but with lower strength and processing time. The difference on your hair is that a relaxer will completely make your hair straight while a texturiser will make your hair wavy.

Typical results look like this:

....but it can be looser or tighter depending on how long the texturiser is left in and your original hair texture.

Like natural hair you
- have volume
- have curls...just looser.
- have hair more resistant to damage...unlike fully relaxed hair.
- need to moisturise fact more as texturised hair gets very dry.
- have shrinkage....though less than natural hair.

Like relaxed hair you
- have hair that is looser and easier to comb (if natural hair was difficult to comb) less time spent detangling.
- have less shrinkage and more visible length due to stretching.
- need to retouch ...but every six months instead of three/four.
- need to do protein treatments often.
- may run the risk of chemical burns.
- have hair that tangles when wet. It shouldn't be detangled dry either to avoid breakage. So you'll need a detangler.

So in essence , texturised hair is a cross between natural hair and relaxed hair. You'll still need to care for it the way you would your natural hair and even more because it's still a chemical treatment.

To get the best out of it, take what you know about natural hair care especially concerning sulfate free shampoos, silicone free conditioners and the daily moisturising and incorporate it into your regimen.

Before you go that route, seek professional help and someone with experience in texturising hair in other to get uniform wavy results or else you may get multiple textures with straightened bits.

Had to get these pics from Instagram.

So where's my advice in all of this?
Here it is:
Recall the reason you are transitioning in the first place. If it's to break up the routine of relaxing and touch ups...this may not be the route for you.
If you have very fine or damaged hair, this route won't solve the problem.
If you haven't figured how to care for your hair and maintain moisture balance, this route won't make it easier.
If you have serious problems with detangling in spite of everything, this route can make it easier.
If you've toyed with going natural but are scared of making the big change, this route may help ease your transition. It worked for my may work for you.

Hope this helps in making your decision. Let me know if you have more questions.

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