A reader asked...
"After a year or so of transitioning, how should I prepare for the big chop?"
Mane & Chic responds:
Are you cutting it yourself, having a friend or family member do it or going to a stylist?
I did it myself. I didn't really do anything to prepare because I kind of just did it on a whim after a year and a half long transition. I had a good high quality pair of hair shears and I did it on soaking wet hair so that I could better see the line of difference/demarcation and just cut right above it. I filmed it all and posted on YouTube. That was fun. If I had it to do again, I would use lots of conditioner on my wet hair like Knot Today or Aussie Moist to make the line of difference even more visible. I would also ask for help from someone I trust to help me cut because my hair was jacked up the way I cut it. I just wanted the relaxed ends gone. It was an impulsive thing and I didn't want anyone to stop me. Needless to say, it was insanely uneven. A few women told me they printed out my pictures and asked their stylists to mimic my layers... go figure. Yeah, those weren't layers, they were me just snipping off the relaxed ends.
You also want to make sure you have your natural hair product arsenal on hand, I love Knot Today. I wish I had it when I big chopped. Aussie Moist might work too, but the big chop is a special occasion might as well use the good stuff. You might also consider getting a Denman brush (maybe). I wish I had a Denman brush for my big chop. You want to make sure your hair is really detangled when you Big Chop and Denmans are awesome for that! They make curls pop. Denman makes all sorts of brushes. Type 4 kinky hair would do well with a D1431(short hair), D31(good for all lengths of hair) the or D41 (medium-long hair) they were actually made for thick afro-textured hair. Most women are using the D3 or D4, but those aren't the right brushes for super curly afro textured hair. I use the D3 and it works fine, but if you're going to buy a new one better to get one I listed above. A lot of women fear the Denman makes them loose hair and I don't use it much except when I really need a good detangling and during the big chop is a great time to pull out that Denman or a seamless fine tooth comb. The key is to detangle in small sections and don't rush it. If you don't have the time to carefully detangle, it is best to wear a hat or put your hair in a bun until you can take the time and care or else you will loose LOTS of hair.
If you're going to a stylist, make sure you are clear about how much you want to cut off. Make sure you go to someone experienced at cutting curly hair. A stylist may be skilled in cutting relaxed hair, but don't have a clue about cutting tightly curly natural hair.
Be prepared for one strand knots and undefined curls. If you're lucky you won't have this issue, but many women do. I did and no one told me. I didn't read about it, I had no clue so I was NOT prepared. You just need to make sure to never let your hair get matted up and keep it moisturized to reduce one strand knots. Undefined curls and having different textures is just the nature of being natural. You can blend the parts that won't curl and reduce heat to decrease chances of it ruining your curl pattern, but that's really all you can do for now.
You also need to prepare yourself mentally. My relaxed ends really weighed my hair down and I was upset when I saw the shrinkage. I wasn't ready for the drastic change in length. I don't know how much you have to cut off to get rid of the relaxed ends, but just be prepared for that. Be prepared to be natural. Some people will respond to you differently when you wear your hair out in a natural state. It could be good or bad, but just get your mind right and be confident in your decision.
Other than all of that just practice healthy hair care: daily moisturizing, weekly deep conditioners, knowing the protein/moisture balance, low manipulation, low to no use of heat tools (to protect your curl pattern) and you should be good.
Celebrate! Buy champagne, sparkling Moscato or sparkling cider and have it on hand to celebrate your liberation from your relaxed ends. Buy yourself a new satin scarf and pillow case to sleep on.
this really helps. I've been natural for a year and a half now. I feel like I am at a stand still as far as length and styling. I'm going for the big chop on Friday with hopes that it will help promote growth. Thank you for your story.
ReplyDeleteThese were some great tips!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the below link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.naturallycurly.com/grow_out_challenge
Tips for Transitioning
* Deep conditioning is a must because there are two disparate textures that you want to soften - the natural texture and the relaxed texture. The point at which they join or the line of demarcation needs to be moisturized and conditioned or it is prone to breakage. Rapid Recovery is excellent for this.
* As you grow your hair out, it's going to become more challenging to style your hair because of the disparate textures. Our best advice is to do a twist set to get the textures to be similar. That means take small sections of your hair and twist while damp. You will have to use a rod at the ends of the hair to get it to curl because this is relaxed. Allow it to air dry or sit under an overhead dryer and then untwist. The result will be a consistent twist pattern from root to end. Use Curly Meringue for a twist set.
* If you're not ready to do the big chop yet, gradually cut away your relaxed ends. Sometimes cutting those ends will give your hair enough body so that you can scrunch in a curl. Use Quick Curls for scrunching.
* If your hair is too challenging to style while growing it out, you can do braids or weaves to take your mind off of it until you are ready to do the big chop. Remember hair grows at a rate of 1/2 inch per month. So after a year of braiding and re-braiding or weaving and re-weaving you will have at least 6 inches of natural hair so that you can then do the big chop!
* If you are really brave you can always do the big chop and go natural right now. That means cutting off all the relaxer now and you will be left with a cute short fro or TWA (teeny weeny afro)! Curly Buttercreme or Baby Buttercreme is good for this.
* Transitioners have the challenge of getting two distinct-looking textures to be similar. With that said, transitioners can also style their natural roots and relaxed ends straight. Just one caveat: You have to be careful that you are not using too much heat or else you can make your natural hair remain straight as if it is relaxed. This is terribly disappointing, particularly if you have spent the time growing out natural hair. The best thing to do is to avoid curling irons at all costs because they remain heated in one place on the hair shaft. Ideally, rollersets and blows are best; then flatironing (as long as you keep the flat iron moving and don't keep in stationary). Make sure to use a thermal protectant. I like Mizani's Thermastrength to protect the hair from heat damage. This styling can last for at least a week as long as you are not in a humid environment where your natural hair will revert back.
yay
ReplyDeleteThank you for answering my question!
I'm going to get it done at a salon ... I've heard many good things about the stylist, so I hope it turns out well ...
I think that my relaxed ends are also weighing down my hair ... It will probably be at my ears, including shrinkage, after I cut it.
Can you please do a post on hairstyles that would work for this length of hair? I don't know how I'm going to do it when I work out (which is almost daily) and still keep it in a style, and since I won't be able to put it in a bun I don't know any updos that would work.
My BC is in four days! Please help!
You should browse through the Featured Curls posts for hair style ideas. One day soon I will arrange them by hair length to make it easier to browse.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for this advice! I have been transitioning for just over a year, and now I'm getting frustrated because the line of demarcation has become challenging again. In different parts of my head, I have 3-5 inches of relaxed hair left, and the rough hair of demarcation (that tends to tangle) is possibly half an inch. When I get it cut, should this hair be removed too?
ReplyDelete