Over-processing happens to even the best of us. Whether you’ve been texturizing your hair for years, or are fairly new to the practice, we can make the simple mistake of processing the hair to the point of irreversible damage.
If you find yourself with over-processed, damaged hair, you might be asking: how can you remove texturizer from your hair? Well, as hard as it may be to hear, you simply can’t. In essence, texturizers are very similar to relaxers. As compared to perms, you leave texturizers in for less time (5-10 minutes rather than around 20 minutes”>, and it tends to loosen the curl pattern rather than rid your hair of its natural texture completely.
But texturizers, like relaxers, are still caustic chemicals that permanently alter your hair pattern. In lye texturizers, sodium hydroxide break down the hair’s keratin, and in no-lye texturizers, calcium hydroxide works to do the same thing.
While we don’t have the secret to reversing texturizers’ effects on your hair, we do have some ways to get rid of the damaged hair, show off some temporary curls, and care for your hair through this stressful time.
Cut it all off
The only sure way of ridding your hair of an over-processed texturizer is by cutting the damaged parts of your hair and allowing your healthier, natural hair grow out in due time. If even the thought of going through the big chop gives you anxiety, you can always transition and trim your damaged hair off little by little.
Fake it ‘til you make it
It might be time to invest in a good set of perm rods. If you don’t have the time to wait for your hair to restore itself, you can at least mask the damage with some temporary texture. Shorter hairstyles on straight, over-processed hair, such as a tapered fro or a curly pixie cut may not provide the same curls that you have naturally, but they’ll do until you can rock your natural hair with confidence.
Give your hair a much-needed protein treatment
Because texturizers’ ultimate purpose is to break down protein bonds in the hair, nursing your hair back to health will require some extra protein. Protein treatments replenish the strong bonds lost during the texturizing process, helping to protect damaged hair from further breakage. Here are a few protein treatments recommended most by natural hair stylists and bloggers alike:
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask: Recommended by many beauty and lifestyle platforms as a top haircare product of 2018, this protein treatment can be used on hair in various stages of health as well as different textures. This blend including rosehip oil, algae extract, almond oil and B-vitamins is clinically proven to show a 75 percent reduction in breakage.
ApHogee Two-Step Protein Treatment: This salon service protein treatment is perfect for hair that’s too weak for any sort of chemical straighteners. Formulated to repair damaged hair and restore its elasticity for up to six weeks, the product includes magnesium and hydrolyzed proteins. Because of its runny consistency, we recommend using a spritz bottle to apply the treatment to your hair.
ORS Hair Mayonnaise: The most cost effective of the three, this hair mayonnaise uses olive oil, egg protein, and wheat germ oil to replenish the hair’s natural proteins. It’s also proven to restore the hair’s elasticity as well as reduce shedding and breakage that comes with overprocessed hair.
But this isn’t all to say that texturizers should be avoided like the plague. When properly applied to natural hair, texturizers have the potential to produce satisfying results. If you still wish to use texturizers on your hair in the future, it’s best to allow a stylist to apply the product for you or, if you opt to DIY, make sure to use the texturizer on solely your new growth and not already loosened curls.
Have you used a texturizer recently, or in the past? Was your hair damaged? Share your experiences with us below!
