What's wrong with underprocessing??

[Crystalicequeen123]

I'm just wondering...what is wrong with underprocessing?

I have heard many on the board say that their stylist underprocessed their hair and that they were upset. Or, I have heard people advise: "you have to let the relaxer stay on your hair long enough. You don't want underprocessed hair".

So, I'm wondering...what's the big deal about underprocessing? Isn't it just like a texturizer?? Is underprocessing a "vanity" issue? Meaning, underprocessed hair doesn't look as straight or as slick as processed hair. OR, is it a hair health issue?? Meaning, can "underprocessed" hair really affect your hair's health, or falling out? Etc?

I guess I'm just wondering what the big deal is...if there is one. Ever since I switched to a mild relaxer, "underprocessed" hair doesn't seem to scare me much. My hair may not be bone straight, but other than that I don't see any problems.

 

[cocoberry10]

For me underprocessed affected the health and styling options of my hair. Depending on what type of look you are going for, texturized hair does not have to be "underprocessed" in the sense that some of us mean it. My underprocessed hair looked as though absolutely nothing was done to it. And it functioned that way too (and still is, since I'm now 12 weeks post-underprocessed relaxer). Anyway, for me, these last 12 weeks have been a nightmare. I can no longer do anything to my hair except wash it and put it up in buns and protective styles.

I wouldn't mind texturizing my hair, but I want a little more of the curl/kink removed this time. Most people shouldn't get bone straight hair, as it will be damaging also. However, underprocessed hair can result in more breakage, tangling, and knotting. All of these things occurred with my hair. That's when I started washing/rinsing more frequently. This helped for a while, but I desperately need a retouch now. Prior to my underprocessed relaxer (with Phyto), I had stretched 34 weeks through not retouching and braids, so I had a lot of new growth. So imagine having all that new growth and then getting a relaxer which didn't properly process your hair? I think you know what I'm getting at. I hope this helps clarify, and sorry the post was so long!

 

[RainbowCurls]

When I was relaxed, my view on the subject was: if it's going to be underprocessed I might as well go natural. Why bother ruining your hair with chemicals to only have a slightly relaxed curl?
Relaxing is a choice. Therefore is the result is texturising, the desired result has not been achieved. It's not about vanity, it's about choosing to wear your hair in a certain way and it not working. I'm guessing if the ladies who relax wanted a texturised effect, they'd get a texturiser not a relaxer.

 

[zoj2]

For me underprocessing lead to dry, frizzy, unruly hair. Not to mention my breakage was ridiculous. After I got a corrective relaxer the breakage stopped and has not been bad since. Oh yea, and I couldn't do rollersets when my hair was underprocessed.

 

[cocoberry10]

When I was relaxed, my view on the subject was: if it's going to be underprocessed I might as well go natural. Why bother ruining your hair with chemicals to only have a slightly relaxed curl?
Relaxing is a choice. Therefore is the result is texturising, the desired result has not been achieved. It's not about vanity, it's about choosing to wear your hair in a certain way and it not working. I'm guessing if the ladies who relax wanted a texturised effect, they'd get a texturiser not a relaxer.

PerfectDoak, a texturizer is a relaxer. Unless you are getting a Jheri Curl or Wave Noveau ("cold curl") which uses amonium thioglocylate (sp?), most of the ladies on here get a texturized look by leaving the relaxer on less time! Not trying to check you, but I wasn't sure if you understood Just clarifying.

 

[Ladylynn]

I'm just wondering...what is wrong with underprocessing?

I have heard many on the board say that their stylist underprocessed their hair and that they were upset. Or, I have heard people advise: "you have to let the relaxer stay on your hair long enough. You don't want underprocessed hair".

So, I'm wondering...what's the big deal about underprocessing? Isn't it just like a texturizer?? Is underprocessing a "vanity" issue? Meaning, underprocessed hair doesn't look as straight or as slick as processed hair. OR, is it a hair health issue?? Meaning, can "underprocessed" hair really affect your hair's health, or falling out? Etc?

I guess I'm just wondering what the big deal is...if there is one. Ever since I switched to a mild relaxer, "underprocessed" hair doesn't seem to scare me much. My hair may not be bone straight, but other than that I don't see any problems.

Because I don't use heat on my hair and prefer to have straight roots, underprocessing was a challenge for me. Now since I have corrected it, I can rollerset my hair and not have to worry about flat ironing the roots to get out the poofyness that I once experienced. So for me, it's just a personal style choice.

When I use to flat iron weekly, I actually used a milder relaxer. I didn't mind so much about the texture because I was going to flat iron it straight anyway. However, this lead to dryness and breakage.

 

[LizLeila]

I fear underprocessing because it leads to breakage because of the different textures of hair. Often times when hair is underprocessed, it is not evenly done like a texturizer is. So one part may have a different texture than another part and then when new growth comes in that is another texture to deal with. For my hair that can cause breakage, so I see it has a hair health issue.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

Ohhhh okay.

So in acutality, what leads to underprocessing? Does underprocessing mean that they didn't leave the relaxer in long enough? Or it wasn't smoothed well? Or was it that your hair didn't take to the relaxer that time? There seems to be a difference between "underprocessing" and a "texturizer". So I'm wondering what the difference is. One was intentional and the other wasn't?

I also thought that a texturizer was just a relaxer, only left on for half the time. I could be wrong, but this is what I have been told.

I can see how "underprocessed" hair (or hair that feels natural after a fresh relaxer) can be frustrating especially if you paid your money to get your hair straight. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a hair health thing.

But I see that many of you are saying that your hair broke off and shed like crazy after your hair was underprocessed. So, is that because of the two different textures in the hair? Or is it like stretching your relaxers where you have to be really careful about newgrowth? What is it?

Sorry for all the questions! LOL* I'm just trying to understand this term of "underprocessing" better, because I've always heard it on this board and in the salon, but I want to make sure I'm understanding what repercussions it has on the hair in the long run.

 

[*Happily Me*]

I don't think anything's wrong with underprocessed hair. You just have to make sure you be gentle with your hair.

My hair is underprocessed but I prefer it this way. It's thicker and healthier. I must admit that it is very difficult to comb, and I have to comb in sections. But, it's worth it.

I rarely use heat so I don't worry about breakage.

 

[myco]

Ohhhh okay.

So in acutality, what leads to underprocessing? Does underprocessing mean that they didn't leave the relaxer in long enough? Or it wasn't smoothed well? Or was it that your hair didn't take to the relaxer that time? There seems to be a difference between "underprocessing" and a "texturizer". So I'm wondering what the difference is. One was intentional and the other wasn't?

I also thought that a texturizer was just a relaxer, only left on for half the time. I could be wrong, but this is what I have been told.

I can see how "underprocessed" hair (or hair that feels natural after a fresh relaxer) can be frustrating especially if you paid your money to get your hair straight. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a hair health thing.

But I see that many of you are saying that your hair broke off and shed like crazy after your hair was underprocessed. So, is that because of the two different textures in the hair? Or is it like stretching your relaxers where you have to be really careful about newgrowth? What is it?

Sorry for all the questions! LOL* I'm just trying to understand this term of "underprocessing" better, because I've always heard it on this board and in the salon, but I want to make sure I'm understanding what repercussions it has on the hair in the long run.

I think it's a combination of all of that.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with one being completely natural and 10 being bone straight), if my goal is to take my hair from a level 1 to level 7, but my results are a level 5 - my hair would be underprocessed to me. Someone else might be completely satisfied at a level 5. Level 7 would be overprocessed to them. Someone who wants to be Level 10 straight, would not be happy with anything less.

Also if different portions of your hair are processed to different levels you could experience the breakage, tangling, and shedding that others mentioned because of all the different textures and demarcation lines going on.

I agree that a texturizer is a relaxer in form and function. It's just a matter of timing. The name difference is more marketing than true chemical difference, IMO. There is a segment of the population that thinks that texturized = natural, because the hair appears kinkier/more textured than than how they are used to seeing relaxed hair. So if you pitch the same product under a new name, you just tapped into that market.

 

[Kimberly]

For me, the different textures would cause extreme breakage at the line of demarcation. That's just me, though

 

[RainbowCurls]

PerfectDoak, a texturizer is a relaxer. Unless you are getting a Jheri Curl or Wave Noveau ("cold curl") which uses amonium thioglocylate (sp?), most of the ladies on here get a texturized look by leaving the relaxer on less time! Not trying to check you, but I wasn't sure if you understood Just clarifying.

Yes I am aware of that.
A texturiser is a weak relaxer, no?
So it'd be better to use a texturiser rather than an actual relaxer to texturise, to avoid the risk of overprocessing.
Relaxers that don't relax the shouldn't be called a relaxer. They should be called a texturiser.

 

[Sistaslick]

I don't think anything's wrong with underprocessed hair. You just have to make sure you be gentle with your hair.

My hair is underprocessed but I prefer it this way. It's thicker and healthier. I must admit that it is very difficult to comb, and I have to comb in sections. But, it's worth it.

I rarely use heat so I don't worry about breakage.

ITA. I tex-lax (underprocess) on purpose. I don't like the flat, thin look of hair relaxed to the brink. So for me, tex-laxing is a happy medium. My hair has more body, volume, and thickness this way . . .and demarcation issues aren't as serious. I don't have the coily newgrowth line right up next to bone straight relaxed hair, because the progression from new growth to tex-laxed is more gentle and gradual. I don't wear my hair straightened very often so this works better for me. When I do wear my hair down, it is much fuller.

 

[Isis]

For me, underprocessing my hair has been a blessing. I started out doing it "accidentally" and now I do it on purpose. My hair has never been so thick and healthy or been so strong. Yes, I had to learn new styles from scratch but all the new styles were good ones for me, like buns, braidouts, updos, etc.

I had to create a new regimen also (not that I had one ) to accommodate my texturized hair. I learned how to rollerset on this board which works very well to smooth out and "straighten" my hair without heat, which means no breakage. Underprocessing has made it easy for me not to use any heat for almost 3 years now.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

ITA. I tex-lax (underprocess) on purpose. I don't like the flat, thin look of hair relaxed to the brink. So for me, tex-laxing is a happy medium. My hair has more body, volume, and thickness this way . . .and demarcation issues aren't as serious. I don't have the coily newgrowth line right up next to bone straight relaxed hair, because the progression from new growth to tex-laxed is more gentle and gradual. I don't wear my hair straightened very often so this works better for me. When I do wear my hair down, it is much fuller.

Yeah, I noticed this too when I was having my stylist put Design Essential's mild Shea butter relaxer in my hair. It was much easier to stretch when I had a mild relaxer in my hair than when I had a regular strength relaxer.

So, a "milder relaxer"...is that sort of like texturizing a bit? Because that is what my stylist told me. She said that the DE mild relaxer with shea butter that she was putting in my hair was more like a texturizer than a relaxer.

 

[Angelicus]

This is what a hair strand of mine looks like:

~~~~~vvvvvvvvvv~~MMMWWWWWVVVV~~~~~

Nuff Said.

 

[Supergirl]

Underprocessing for me= dry, frizzy, tangly, unmanageable hair that hurts to comb...