CALLING: all naturals who have texturized or those.

[a_ caribbean_dream]

who are currently texturized. What is the real deal with texturizers? Is it just another relaxer? Please share your experiences whether good or bad- because I think I want to go texturized but i feel i am not educated enough on this process....

ps. texturizers= better looking washngos?

 

[Nanyanika]

Hi Girl i got your message in my guestbook, are you sure your ready to read my story? its long. I'm trying to think....what cild be the best kind of relaxer, what is your hair type again? is it fine/medium/coarse? what condition is your hair in? will you be performing the texturizer yourself?

 

[kristina]

I texturized twice. Both times, the stylists put relaxer on my hair (I believe)- so yeah, it's a relaxer. Both times resulted in major thinning- my hair doesn't like chemicals- but the first time was a catastrophy- major chunks of hair fell out as if I had put nair on my head. Oh the trauma! Not to scare you but if you are considering it, please please please do a strand test and get a stylist that really knows what they're doing. (Willingness to texturize does not equal expertise, as I discovered the hard way).
The second time wasn't as atrocious and my hair didn't shrink as much. It was kinda cute, but it didn't look that much different from my natural har and it couldn't take any manipulation without breaking. It was still a pain to deal with so I ran to braids and stuck with them until it grew out/broke off.

 

[Nanyanika]

I sent you a pm with all the info

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Hi Girl i got your message in my guestbook, are you sure your ready to read my story? its long. I'm trying to think....what cild be the best kind of relaxer, what is your hair type again? is it fine/medium/coarse? what condition is your hair in? will you be performing the texturizer yourself?

My hair type is 4a/4b with some curl defintion all over. really thick and full texture all over now because of recent cut. I would say my hair is medium but coarse if i dont take care of it. My condition is pretty good but could use some more moisture. No i would never perform a texturizer myself...I am going to a puerto rican stylist who first suggested a get a texturizer.....what do you think??

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Are you texturizing because you want a wash n go style? Your hair is very pretty, by the way.

 

[Nanyanika]

My hair type is 4a/4b with some curl defintion all over. really thick and full texture all over now because of recent cut. I would say my hair is medium but coarse if i dont take care of it. My condition is pretty good but could use some more moisture. No i would never perform a texturizer myself...I am going to a puerto rican stylist who first suggested a get a texturizer.....what do you think??

Why did he/she suggest texturizing? Is that what you really want? i personally think that your hair is pretty without one.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Are you texturizing because you want a wash n go style? Your hair is very pretty, by the way.

I want a very pretty washngo style, i want less shrinkage, basically i wanna achieve what den looked like when she was texturized. absolutely beautiful. I also want less manipulation and putting too much time into my washngos to make them look decent....
Thank you for the compliment im really flattered but for some reason i can't bring myself to think of my hair as pretty..

 

[Nanyanika]

It took 25 minutes using a mild relaxer to acheive a loose curly look. If this is what you desire, your stylist will have to do strand tests to prevent under/overprocessing. To ensure even results it's best to have it texturized in sections, careful timing and precision smoothing is required.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

I texturized twice. Both times, the stylists put relaxer on my hair (I believe)- so yeah, it's a relaxer. Both times resulted in major thinning- my hair doesn't like chemicals- but the first time was a catastrophy- major chunks of hair fell out as if I had put nair on my head. Oh the trauma! Not to scare you but if you are considering it, please please please do a strand test and get a stylist that really knows what they're doing. (Willingness to texturize does not equal expertise, as I discovered the hard way).
The second time wasn't as atrocious and my hair didn't shrink as much. It was kinda cute, but it didn't look that much different from my natural har and it couldn't take any manipulation without breaking. It was still a pain to deal with so I ran to braids and stuck with them until it grew out/broke off.

hmm this is very interesting kristina- i mean i'm sorry about what you went through its just that i've never seen any drama stories dealing with texturizers. You mentioned that it was still a pain to deal with and that is another one of my reasons. I don't want to have to worry about my hair all the time.

 

[sareca]

I was natural and now I'm texturized. I don't have any regrets.

A texturizer is just an underprocessed relaxer. But it's exactly the same chemicals. I decided to texturize because I wanted to retain some of my natural curl for wash and wear styles, but I also wanted it to rollerset straight. That's pretty much what I got.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

If you're texturizing to get rid of shrinkage, then don't texturize. You will still have shrinkage. I think Den is right. Your hair is so pretty. You don't need a texturizer. I'm sure u can wash n go with the right product.

 

[shiningstar84]

who are currently texturized. What is the real deal with texturizers? Is it just another relaxer? Please share your experiences whether good or bad- because I think I want to go texturized but i feel i am not educated enough on this process....

ps. texturizers= better looking washngos?

RUN AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY from the texturizer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a bad experience. obviously. I thought a texturizer would give me curlier, cuter washngos. what i ended up with was straight ends, and wavy ends. After I cut off the straight ends, I had limp, curly ends. My washngo turned into a wash N hell no! It would take so much more time to make my hair look decent. I am 4a/b and I did the text myself. I left it in for 10 min.
If u do decide to get it, perform a strand test for each section of your head where the texture is different. My 4b section went completely straight while the 4a section didnt. This is the most important thing to do. Please do a strand test.

 

[silvergirl]

i agree most 4b's will have a disapointing expierence with texturizers. mainly because all the chemical is doing is strecthing out what you already have.

If you tug on a 4b strand of hair,, the hair will become straight as there isnt much curl pattern there to begin with,, the best canidates for texturizers are mainly 3c an 4a ppls.

 

[littleaudie]

i agree most 4b's will have a disapointing expierence with texturizers. mainly because all the chemical is doing is strecthing out what you already have.

If you tug on a 4b strand of hair,, the hair will become straight as there isnt much curl pattern there to begin with,, the best canidates for texturizers are mainly 3c an 4a ppls.

I agree. With that being said I guess my hair type is 4a and some parts 4b. I am pleased with the results of texturzied hair I've done it twice so far. The difference for me is around the edges are smoother, and it hangs a bit more. I would imagine that once i achieve the length I want, I will reduce the amount of times I texturize. You're going to get mixed reviews here, but I'm happy with my choice.

 

[kristina]

hmm this is very interesting kristina- i mean i'm sorry about what you went through its just that i've never seen any drama stories dealing with texturizers. You mentioned that it was still a pain to deal with and that is another one of my reasons. I don't want to have to worry about my hair all the time.

Well I'm all for you doing what makes you happy. Just make sure you do your homework because while my experience may have been an aberration, many stylists will tout texturizers as the ticket to easier to maintain hair & silky curls ala Kelis or some other 'good haired' celeb. That's what I was hoping for. It's a easy sell really but it doesn't always work out that way. I can think of quite a few heads that are in this category with me- trust me there are drama stories. Not saying that you can't have a successful texturizer. I'm not militant but I only wish someone had told me before I texturized of the potential drawbacks.
Oh and my texturizer did make my texture even more uneven- some parts straightened some were wavy and some were loopy curls. So I had to do major work to blend the textures.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

*sigh* this is very overwhelming...

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Thanks guys for all of your advice. I know most of you will be pleased with my decision not to texturize. After washing my hair today I wonder what got into me. I am such a baby sometimes. Check out my album to see what slapped me into my senses!

 

[misscrystal]

RUN AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY from the texturizer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a bad experience. obviously. I thought a texturizer would give me curlier, cuter washngos. what i ended up with was straight ends, and wavy ends. After I cut off the straight ends, I had limp, curly ends. My washngo turned into a wash N hell no! It would take so much more time to make my hair look decent. I am 4a/b and I did the text myself. I left it in for 10 min.
If u do decide to get it, perform a strand test for each section of your head where the texture is different. My 4b section went completely straight while the 4a section didnt. This is the most important thing to do. Please do a strand test.

I'm a 4a/b and I I texturized my hair after I cut it to about 4 inches all around to get rid of my overprocessed hair. Granted, I did end up with some straight ends, but that was only because my new growth was a little shorter in some areas. I LOVE the results! My hair looks like I'm naturally a 3a/b and I have great curl definition. Spirals and everything.

 

[amy1234]

all I can say is that you will need much more protein treatments if your hair is texturized. I have no regrets either.Your natural texture is very pretty btw. hth

 

[caltron]

Well I'm all for you doing what makes you happy. Just make sure you do your homework because while my experience may have been an aberration, many stylists will tout texturizers as the ticket to easier to maintain hair & silky curls ala Kelis or some other 'good haired' celeb. That's what I was hoping for. It's a easy sell really but it doesn't always work out that way. I can think of quite a few heads that are in this category with me- trust me there are drama stories. Not saying that you can't have a successful texturizer. I'm not militant but I only wish someone had told me before I texturized of the potential drawbacks.
Oh and my texturizer did make my texture even more uneven- some parts straightened some were wavy and some were loopy curls. So I had to do major work to blend the textures.

This is such a good post and I agree 100%. I think the biggest reason many women are unhappy with their texturizers is that they went into with unrealistic expectations. If you're not really happy with your natural texture, a texturizer is not going to help with that. There is no product that is going to make you have Cree Summer curls if you have India Arie curls.

I think the second biggest reason women are unsatisfied with texturizers is that their stylist didn't take the time to apply it correctly. It takes a lot of time to get it right, and you have to find someone who knows natural hair and is willing to take the time. It's really hard to find stylists who will do it right, because it does take quite a bit of time.

I am a texturized 4a and I'm very happy with the results. I found a stylist who specializes in natural hair. She performed a strand test and spent 2-3 hours at the shampoo bowl applying the relaxer. She watched my hair like a hawk to prevent against overprocessing, so my hair is very healthy and I don't have a problem with dryness or breakage.

The end result is that my hair looks almost identical to the way it did when I was natural. The texturizer did not put curls in my hair--they were there pretexturizer. Everyone who sees it thinks it is my natural texture. However, it cut down on shrinkage quite a bit, and it's a lot easier to detangle and manipulate. My hair is extremely thick, so the texturizer has greatly cut down on styling time for me.

So, I am very happy with my texturizer, but it was not a magic bullet. Another thing to remember is that you can get the same results on your natural hair if you're willing to take the time to style it. So, if you're not comfortable with your natural texture, you're going to be very disappointed with your texturizer.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

This is such a good post and I agree 100%. I think the biggest reason many women are unhappy with their texturizers is that they went into with unrealistic expectations. If you're not really happy with your natural texture, a texturizer is not going to help with that. There is no product that is going to make you have Cree Summer curls if you have India Arie curls.

I think the second biggest reason women are unsatisfied with texturizers is that their stylist didn't take the time to apply it correctly. It takes a lot of time to get it right, and you have to find someone who knows natural hair and is willing to take the time. It's really hard to find stylists who will do it right, because it does take quite a bit of time.

I am a texturized 4a and I'm very happy with the results. I found a stylist who specializes in natural hair. She performed a strand test and spent 2-3 hours at the shampoo bowl applying the relaxer. She watched my hair like a hawk to prevent against overprocessing, so my hair is very healthy and I don't have a problem with dryness or breakage.

The end result is that my hair looks almost identical to the way it did when I was natural. The texturizer did not put curls in my hair--they were there pretexturizer. Everyone who sees it thinks it is my natural texture. However, it cut down on shrinkage quite a bit, and it's a lot easier to detangle and manipulate. My hair is extremely thick, so the texturizer has greatly cut down on styling time for me.

So, I am very happy with my texturizer, but it was not a magic bullet. Another thing to remember is that you can get the same results on your natural hair if you're willing to take the time to style it. So, if you're not comfortable with your natural texture, you're going to be very disappointed with your texturizer.

2-3 hours applying the relaxer??? That is crazy. I would never have patience to wait that long!!

 

[Phoenix]

I was natural for almost 2 years then texturized. IMO texturizing is a very hit and miss process. My hair is many different textures and each texture requires a different processing time. I did a lot of strand tests and had a couple of bad experiences before I got this texturizing thing down.

I like to have 3-6 months of new growth when I texturize, depending on how fast my hair is growing. Anything less than that gives me too small a space to work with and I end up overlapping and reprocessing the already texturized parts. Also, I texturize in sections which means it takes me ATLEAST 3 hours (sometimes more like 4 or 5) to do. Also, I can't do it alone, so my husband helps.

So far I like being texturized. It is easier to handle than my natural hair and has more strength and body than bone straight relaxed hair.

 

[kristina]

This is such a good post and I agree 100%. I think the biggest reason many women are unhappy with their texturizers is that they went into with unrealistic expectations. If you're not really happy with your natural texture, a texturizer is not going to help with that. There is no product that is going to make you have Cree Summer curls if you have India Arie curls.

I think the second biggest reason women are unsatisfied with texturizers is that their stylist didn't take the time to apply it correctly. It takes a lot of time to get it right, and you have to find someone who knows natural hair and is willing to take the time. It's really hard to find stylists who will do it right, because it does take quite a bit of time.

I am a texturized 4a and I'm very happy with the results. I found a stylist who specializes in natural hair. She performed a strand test and spent 2-3 hours at the shampoo bowl applying the relaxer. She watched my hair like a hawk to prevent against overprocessing, so my hair is very healthy and I don't have a problem with dryness or breakage.

The end result is that my hair looks almost identical to the way it did when I was natural. The texturizer did not put curls in my hair--they were there pretexturizer. Everyone who sees it thinks it is my natural texture. However, it cut down on shrinkage quite a bit, and it's a lot easier to detangle and manipulate. My hair is extremely thick, so the texturizer has greatly cut down on styling time for me.

So, I am very happy with my texturizer, but it was not a magic bullet. Another thing to remember is that you can get the same results on your natural hair if you're willing to take the time to style it. So, if you're not comfortable with your natural texture, you're going to be very disappointed with your texturizer.

Thanks! I think your post hit the nail on the head- unreasonable expectations are a large part of the problem. Plus your stylist was extraordinarily diligent and put in way more effort than mine (and I guess most others). Most stylists won't even do a strand test and will just slap on the chemical in the same manner that they would a relaxer. And since many have a looser texture in the back rather than in the front of the head- starting with the back of the head is just destined for uneven processing.
BTW- just check out your updated pictures carribean dream and if you don't mind me saying, I don't think you're 4b (at least not all 4b) because you have lots a curl definition in your wash and go. It looks a lot like my texture (cottony and has sheen rather than shine) and curl pattern. Looks gorgeous.

 

[BBabe]

Not trying to hijack, but last week I just texturized my virgin 4b hair and am wondering if you guys did anything special to your hair afterwards? Like should I do an aphogee treatment next week? Anything beyond the regular weekly cond/wash? I haven't had a chemical in my hair for so long that I forget the tips n' tricks...thnks in advance...

 

[facets]

maybe i didn't maintain it properly but i got horrible breakage & thinning(esp my edges) and had to BC after growing my hair 2.5 yrs to shoulders.
i still hate to think about it and my mother warned me against doing it but i wanted what i thought would be easier maintenance.

It just required more babying and conditioning in the end. On the plus, My twist out and braid outs were fierce (while they lasted) and detangling was easier... it was neat to have the looser curls with the 'wash & go' but...

:< never again will i risk so much growth. that sucked majorly! i did my last & final relaxer after my BC when i had nuttin' ta lose(see my awful fotki pic).

also, i've got a few greys, so i'm already coloring every now and then. it's just too much for my hair.

 

[a_ caribbean_dream]

Thanks! I think your post hit the nail on the head- unreasonable expectations are a large part of the problem. Plus your stylist was extraordinarily diligent and put in way more effort than mine (and I guess most others). Most stylists won't even do a strand test and will just slap on the chemical in the same manner that they would a relaxer. And since many have a looser texture in the back rather than in the front of the head- starting with the back of the head is just destined for uneven processing.
BTW- just check out your updated pictures carribean dream and if you don't mind me saying, I don't think you're 4b (at least not all 4b) because you have lots a curl definition in your wash and go. It looks a lot like my texture (cottony and has sheen rather than shine) and curl pattern. Looks gorgeous.

AWWWW thanks so much! That means alot coming from you kristina- your hair absolutely gorgeous! But you are so right about having unreasonable expectations. The only reason why I wanted a texturizer was to look like kelis when I jump out the shower and thats never gonna happen so I need to be content with what I have and try to grow my hair back.