Final answer:
Texturizing hair involves altering the hair fibers to change its texture and appearance. This is done by selectively shortening hair fibers in the midstrand, which affects the hair cortex and modifies its shape and density. It's a sensitive process that, when done correctly, can enhance styling and volume without damaging hair.
Step-by-step explanation:
Texturizing the midstrand of hair typically refers to the process of creating a variation in the thickness and structure of the hair fibers to enhance styling, increase volume, and to provide a more natural, less uniform look. Hair keratin, which makes up the hair strand, consists of components like protofibrils and microfibrils. These are bound and coiled structures cemented into an irregular bundle referred to as a macrofibril, which forms a part of the complete hair strand. Texturizing can affect these structures, altering the way light reflects off the hair and how the hair behaves.
The hair cortex plays a major role in the hair's texture and strength. When hair is texturized, thinning shears, razors, or other tools can be used to selectively shorten some of the hair fibers in the midstrand. This process modifies the shape and density of the cortex. As the hair grows out of the hair bulb, keratinocytes are deposited, and the hair shaft is pushed through the follicle to the surface, becoming the externally visible, keratinized hair shaft. Texturizing must be done carefully to avoid damage to the hair's structure.