Which of the following are signs of overprocessing during a chemical texture service?

• A. Hair becomes overly dry/brittle, frizzy or matted, and shows breakage or loss of elasticity.
• B. Hair color brightens evenly.
• C. Hair becomes shiny and smooth.
• D. Hair becomes limp but with no breakage.

Answer: (A)

Overprocessing means the chemical service has gone too far, damaging the hair’s internal structure beyond what it can safely tolerate. When the cortex and cuticle are overworked, the hair loses moisture and protein, becomes weak, and can’t regain its shape. The clearest signs are hair that is excessively dry and brittle, frizzy or matted, and prone to breakage, with a noticeable loss of elasticity—the ability to stretch and return to normal without snapping. This combination reflects severe damage from too-strong chemical action.

In contrast, even color lightening or even brightness can be a normal color result and doesn’t indicate overprocessing. Hair that is shiny and smooth usually points to healthy processing or effective smoothing, not damage from overprocessing. And hair that becomes limp but doesn’t break might suggest underprocessing or insufficient chemical action, not the excessive alteration characteristic of overprocessing.