Is Doing the Big Chop my Only Way to Start Me Natural Hair Journey?

April 29, 2018

When you’re so unfamiliar with natural hair it can be a bit confusing. I know for me all I seen was women cutting there hair so low to achieve naturally healthier hair. So, because we all are so accustomed to seeing and then doing instead of doing research prior we usually go with what we see instead of what we know. I did the big chop August 31,2017. I, like others scroll on Instagram and see the results of women of color who just do the big chop and a year later their texture of their hair has changed, and the growth is tremendously different. I made the decision a year prior to August 31,2017 that I wasn’t going to perm or use heat and see if my hair changed. It did! Lol but it wasn’t growing like I wanted it to be growing. I feel a lot of the reason why it wasn’t was because I wasn’t nurturing it as if it was natural hair that had been chopped. I wasn’t co-washing or oiling my scalp and keeping it moisturized. And because I wasn’t aware of transitioning I opted for the big chop. I DO NOT REGRET CHOPPING MY HAIR OFF! My hair in less than a year is in full ponytail and my curl pattern is popping, might I add! But I would have loved to have had someone tell me there was another option!

So, let’s get into transitioning. Transitioning is a different route to natural hair that involves cutting chemicals, relaxers, and heat out of your hair regimen. You retain length while you transition to natural hair by slowly trimming off the damaged ends until it’s fully natural at a length you’re comfortable with. You must know that as your hair grows you will be dealing with two types of hair and that could be frustrating. But here are a few tips to help if you decide to transition instead of doing the big chop!

1. Keep your Hair MOISTURIZED.

This is the only way to maintain the two-textured phase. Making sure that your hair is getting watered daily and getting the nutrients to grow. Leave-in conditioner will be your friend honey! Along with oils like the Glam Growth Drops and a non-sulfate silicon parbens or mineral oil conditioner. Deep conditioning your hair once a week will maximize growth and keep your hair from breaking off!

2. Trim your hair regularly.

This will stop your ends from splitting and promote hair growth which ultimately gets you closer to being fully natural. Try chopping the ends off an inch every month. And just know how important it is to watch your ends and trim them regularly.

3. Keep your scalp clean!

If you don’t regularly cleanse and clarify your hair, you’ll end up with a lot of product buildup. You should be washing your scalp at least once a week or once every other week.

4. Find a protective style

Having a protective style for a couple weeks can give you a needed rest from what can be a lot of hair maintenance. Braids, Wigs, or Sew Ins are all protected styles that eliminate traction, heat, and further damage.

5. Enjoy the journey!

This is one of the most exciting things you can do for yourself. So, enjoy the process and take lots of pics. Because its only a matter of time until your crown has fully grown out!