Call me greedy, but when it comes to my hair I’ve always wanted the best of both worlds. There’s nothing better than hair versatility.
I’ve been caught plenty of times lustfully salivating over perfectly defined coils in great styles that could just as easily be straightened into silky straight locks.
My wishful daydreaming eventually led me to wondering how I could gain that versatility as someone without the guts to transition back to natural. Then I discovered texlaxing: the answer to my dreams.
After discovering what it was and how it was achieved I was still on the fence about it.
This indecisiveness has prevented (or saved depending on how you look at it) me from a lot of major hair changes including a deep burgundy dye job and Rihanna’s infamous pixie cut.
Needless to say I spent weeks reading up on texlaxing before finally deciding to take the plunge.
What Is Texlaxing?
Texlaxed hair is still relaxed hair of course; it is hair that has been deliberately under processed so that it maintains some of its texture and curl. There are lots of ways that ladies achieve this result, whether it be adding some type of carrier oil (ex: olive oil*) into the relaxer mixture to weaken it or just not leaving the relaxer in for its full recommended time.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not being texlaxed will work for you and your hair goals, there are lots of factors to consider. It’s certainly not a walk in the park, but no aspect of anyone’s hair journey is.
So before deciding what you want to do here are some pros and cons of texlaxed hair:
Pro: Thickness
Since texlaxed hair is under processed it retains some of the thickness from your natural texture that you would ordinarily lose going bone straight. If your hair is already thin, like mine, this is a huge plus. Besides, who doesn’t love thick full bodied hair?
Con: Consistency
It’s hard to get the same texlaxed texture with every touch up and it will take a couple of tries to get your system nailed down. Plus, if you accidentally go bone straight for one touch-up you basically have to start over (yes, this has happened to me…don’t ask).
Pro: Healthier Hair
Personally, I’ve seen a lot less breakage with my own hair and you will also find that it is able to take a little more abuse than bone straight hair would. According, to some of my natural haired friends this is also true of their hair.
Picture it like this, black hair requires a bit more TLC in general despite what you do to it, then add in a relaxer which chemically breaks down hair to make it straight and it becomes a bit more needy.
Texlaxed hair falls somewhere in the middle; it’s not completely relaxed so you can baby your tresses a little less, but there is still some chemical breakdown.
Compared to bone straight hair, for me, it’s a lot less work to keep your mane in tip top shape when you are texlaxed.
Wats the dif bet a “telaxer” and a texturizer?
Texlax is done by weakening a normal relaxer while texturizer is one already done for you.
what is the difference between telaxer and texturizer chemical wise? My daughters hair was relaxed (permed) before and it was breaking off so for the last year I have NOT put a perm in her hair. but the new growth is so THICK, not at all like it was BEFORE.. I just want to calm it down a lil bit for better manageability. was thinking texturizure, but?????? on the fence due to lack of info. THANX
I read the link, and one version is to apply a regular relaxer, only you leave it on for a fraction of the time. It is just on long enough to calm some of the crazy and will result in more manageability. I have been doing this for about 15 years.. had no idea it was a ‘thing’ until stumbling upon this page. The hardest part for me is just staying at the new growth by myself since I use an at home solution– I need to enlist my daughter next time! I love the versatility, easier maintenance and less damage. I am not a professional, but I use a home product, apply only a lower strength product so I don’t process too fast and end up with bone straight hair, missing the objective completely. I make it easy on myself and use the “fine hair” timing chart on the shortest times to take my guesswork out to get it to how I like it. You could do a small section test in the back underneath and gauge/adjust from there. Pin curl the section to avoid re-processing. Take your time to do it right 🙂
Thank U
It would be about the same. Texturizer is just a milder form of a relaxer (in essence) and you could say it was texlaxed if you had a texturizer. Also many people you relaxers to texturize as well.
Thank You
I read somewhere the chemicals in them are different. Either way I’ve been texlaxing & love my stronger hair.
btful girl
Telaxed is something I thinking about trying
I simply love the look, feel and ease of my texlaxed hair. It took 3 tries to get it correct but the 3rd time had a more consistent and softer look. It’s now easier to maintain. I did not have the time or patience to spend hours detangling. I’m so happy that I decided to do this before I just gave up and went back to the bone straight relaxer.
My relaxer of choice is the ORS Olive Oil No-Lye Relaxer™ – Normal Strength. It’s been about 5 weeks since my last relaxer and I’m going to try to wait until the end of Feb. 2014 before I have a retouch. I’m hoping that my retouch will be my first time texlaxing.
For all of you that are texlaxing, what is your method?
Are you leaving the relaxer in for a shorter time and if so, how many minutes are you averaging?
Are you weakening your relaxer? If so, how are you doing that? This is the method I’d like to use but I didn’t know that you could weaken a relaxer. I know the article mentioned olive oil but I’m wondering if you could use coconut oil or any other natural oils or products.
I’ve just started researching this so I don’t have much info yet. Thanks for any help you can give as I begin my healthy hair journey 🙂
It sound like the same as texturing, meaning your just breaking the hair down from it natural bond .
Unfortunately texlaxing still makes hair a lot more susceptible to thinning and breakage than being all natural :/
What is this!
No thank you…it’s not for me. #Imgood
What a time to be alive
TO ME THE EASIEST THING IS HAVING A TEXTURIZER DONE.
If I purposely underprocess and weaken my relaxer will my hair be proun to damage repeatedly