Have you ever thought you did something crazy & it ended up being absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would be the one to go through with the BIG CHOP! Like actually shaving all of my hair off! Let me give you all some history on my hair journey first.
Transitioning
Let me take it back to when I was in cosmetology school in 2008-2009, this was when I made my first attempt at Transitioning my hair, I stopped getting my hair relaxed and of course my source to keep my hair straight through my journey of transitioning was flat ironing my hair (A BIG NO NO). I continued this hair regimen of me deep conditioning and shampooing my hair every two weeks and of course styling my hair by flat iron for a while and eventually went back to relaxing my hair.
After going back to relaxers I still was not happy about the health of my hair or my scalp/skin condition, eczema. So like most women embarking on a new journey and especially a new hair journey, I read every blog and watched YouTube videos religiously for weeks on everything from transitioning to doing the BIG CHOP. Which then landed me back to the original plan of transitioning because I was still very apprehensive about going through with the BIG CHOP! My last relaxer was August 20th, 2014, and as you can see below in the photo grid I put together for each of you, I transitioned for a total of 5 months and 3 weeks and this time I took a very different approach in my journey. I started making most of my own organic products from hair butters to hair masques, which eventually lead to the birth of Knotty By Nina! but I will get to that later. During this second attempt at transitioning I styled my hair with minimal to no heat, or I chose a variety of different protective styles, from roller sets, flexi sets, braided styles and wigs. After keeping this regimen up for about 5 months I grew tired of dealing with the two different textures and seeing how my curls and waves were forming in my new growth, I became excited and anxious to see my hair completely natural, and that's when I made up in my mind that I was completely ready to do the BIG CHOP, so what do I do!? "BIG CHOP!!!" (that's what you thought wasn't it) lol NO, I called all my friends, you know how we do ladies lol!!! After calling allll of my friends my cousin semi was just like "go for it", "just do it!", so in my head i'm like, "girl go ahead and get it over with", so I take my hair shears and start cutting my hair at my Line of Demarcation. And for those of you that do not know, a Line of Demarcation is where your relaxed hair and natural hair meet along the hair strand, during your time of transitioning it is also the most fragile part of your hair and is prone to break off as you are transitioning. I had to take ya'll back to cosmetology school with me and drop a jewel real quick while i'm telling you my story. So anyway after cutting my hair carefully all over at my line of demarcation I am now finished and I am looking at myself in the mirror and in my head i'm like "okay not bad", I pick up my phone and who do I call? (if you thought my cousin the one who said "just do it" you are absolutely right). So I facetime her all proud of myself for going through with it, and when the call connects she like "why you didn't finish cutting it?" (very dry and unmoved might I add) Lol!!!, so i'm like "what do you mean!!!", I tell her that I cut it where my new growth stopped, and she says "mannnn cut all that off and just start fresh" (my anxiety builds) because I am naturally dramatic, I say ok and we hang up....
BIG CHOP!!!!
After hanging up, I put my shears away and grabbed my clippers, and I began shaving the rest of my hair off. If my memory serves me correct I think I used a #2 or #3 guard all over. After going across my entire head and making sure I didn't look like my name was "patches" lol, my BIG CHOP was now officially complete! And I was now officially shocked!!! but I also felt free!, It was a BEAUTIFUL feeling, looking at myself in the mirror the second time around with now absolutely no hair on my head I felt better for some reason and now I was really excited because I was in control of how my new Mane would grow. " It wasn't until I actually did it and cut all of my hair off that I thought "It was just hair", but that's really all it was, and what is the point of having long tresses down your back, if it is unhealthy? I encourage any of you reading my blog right now that is apprehensive about doing the BIG CHOP to "Go for it", "Just do it!", especially if your reason is just simply for a healthier head of hair. HEALTHY HAIR IS GOOD HAIR!!! And never let anyone tell you different, forget the stigma's of "Hair Typing" because you can have a head full of curly hair and baby hairs laid to the gawds, but if your hair is damaged that is exactly what it is damaged.
Doing the BIG CHOP was one of the best things I feel that I have done for my hair and since January 25th, 2015 my hair has flourished beyond measures. So go ahead sis "Just do it".
