We get it. You’re probably afraid to chop those straight ends off. You’re wondering if you’ll have any hair left. “I’ll look ugly” you tell yourself. Truth is you definitely won’t look the same. However, that’s all part of the journey. Doing things outside of your comfort zone is the core of going natural. Before you big chop you have to come to terms that you are doing something drastic and not everyone will like it. You shouldn’t let their words make you feel like you made a bad decision.
Here’s the real sh*t you need to know before you big chop…
MAKE SURE YOU’RE READY & ARE AT A LENGTH YOU’RE COMFORTABLE WITH
If you haven’t gotten that sew in for the last time or got your last fix for box braids or faux locs then DONT cut your hair. You’ll find yourself wanting all of these different styles and regretting big chopping. NEVER regret any decisions.
YOU’LL GET BORED WITH YOUR HAIR
You will get bored. The only thing you can do, depending on how long you transition is wash and mother loving go. It’s cool at first not late night Bantu knot or twisting sessions. Just wet, moisturize, oil, gel and go. So 9 times out of 10. You’ll color your hair.
YOUR HAIR TEXTURE WILL CHANGE
You will have to learn to listen your curls all over again. What you thought was your curl pattern will be something of the past. Sometimes we can get caught up with the growth or retaining length that we forget to pay attention to what our hair is doing and needs.
IT’S OK TO START IN STAGES
Cut little bit at a time. You could even get a tapered cut. That way you don’t have too much to grow out. My hair is very needy now lol. It needs heavy oils and butters and it loves humectants like honey and jbco. You learn that it will be trial and error again.
With plenty of new products coming out you’re sure to find the right products for you in no time. I love small businesses. Their products don’t have the extras you can’t pronounce and just think you’re supporting someone’s dreams too. However Shea Moisture Manuka Honey DC is something I can not and will not live without.
Again your big chop will be a process and you have to remember to love yourself at every stage. The little boy stage, even the idk what the hell to do to my hair stage. Think of it as a way to reinvent yourself. It’s a fresh start! You can start a new regimine and possibly even go to they gym like I’ve been telling myself for months lol. I’m just saying one simple change can spark so many others. BE POSITIVE!
So now that you know it won’t all be peaches and cream. Will you big chop? Hell yea you will. Why, because you’re a strong woman and your hair does not define you. Its just a mere component that enhances the beauty thats already within.
Be Beautifully Different.
MY TRANSITION
Main Photo: @_brwnxskinxgirl
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aaahhh this piece was exactly what I needed to read. Thanks for Just took the plunge yesterday and did the big chop.
It has been especially hard with colleagues, family have been supportive but my hubby is my biggest fan!!
I found this article so supportive. I had already made my decision, NO COLOR! I love my gray, so this is my big chop. I love the feeling of reinventing myself. Reading the article was a reminder to step up & step out MY WAY.
Please tell me what color that is, I love it, I want it!
You hit the nail on the head! This is exactly what I went through. Lol… my hair stylist even talked to me about hair color for my next visit. I have some grey around my temple now, however I’ve come to like it, n
But he did said He could color around that! Thanks for the look out!
No one told me with the big chop how emotional the journey could become. You must make up in your mind it’s what you want. Not everyone will love it. Not even you on certain days. My husband threw me into a tailspin when I caught him looking at me out the corner of his eye. It broke my heart to know he didn’t want a little boy for a wife. After explaining through tears that I had no clue what to do with my hair, he transitioned back to my husband and bought me a basket full of hair products and never said another negative thing about my hair. One day I could be a warrior queen proud my natural is growing so healthy, and the next day I swear it would look like my hair was falling out and I’d be looking for a wig or scarf. I
No One told me that my hair type was the most fragile of hair all over the world. This is big news because I grew up thinking my hair was the toughest, roughest stuff around. Now I must learn to minister to my hair with care and ease. The hardest lesson learned is leaving my hair alone! It grows better that way. No One told me in order to have that pretty curl pattern you have to twist, braid, or bantu knot at night. Going natural gets better with time. I love my curls, my little afro connects me to my African roots. Even more than that, it connects me to my Mother, who battled the same hair journey before she passed in 2011. I regret I was not intuned to her more when she was going through. We all need the encouragement to stay the course and be reminded of how beautiful we are. TammyB.Patterson
I wish I had read this before the big chop because my hair type is 4C not the celebrated natural hair with the nice pretty natural curls. My shrinkage is so real, very real!!!
It’s hard. You feel like you’ve made yourself unattractive trying to be attractive, more beautiful. It’s been an up and down roller coaster for me. I just want to be a beautiful woman. Not an invisible little boy.
Great read. I did the ultimate big chop a year ago. Didn’t really care what folk would say to be honest. I thought about it for a couple of years. I had a beautiful head of Sisterlocks for more than 13 years and I began to have breakage due to an autoimmune disease. I took control of my look before I got patches. My hair is very fine, fluffy yet straight. I now wear a short almost shaved cut. I love it. I feel so free. My husband says to never go back to hair. Lol! I hate when I miss a haircut appt. I don’t use any product nor do I color. I’m a salt n pepper mid 40s girl and I love it. We’ve got to learn to embrace ourselves. For me the big chop was super easy because I’m not my hair. Thanks for the article.
I needed this post. I am thinking about doing the big chop. Thanks for posting.