BIG CHOP ......REGRETS

[CocoaCure]

Hi Dougala, I did the big chop back in February '98 and I LOVED it! I know longer felt like such a slave to my hair!! I had waves I never knew I had and it was so easy!! When I was in the shower I'd just wet my hair rub in some gel and VOILA!!! I was done! My hair would be nice and soft and wavy/curly/loosely coily all day long and look great without my having to go to the bathroom and comb it, etc. It was great. BUT...............THE BAD PART..............the growing out stage was the worst for me! It became too long to lie down and wavy up nicely, but too short to put back in a piggie tail or up in a nice puff ball!!! This was very hard. Also, from learning my hair, I know that my hair when short appears very 3C, but as it gets longer is gets more and more coily, thus the 4A I consider myself to be. So now I had this hair that was about 2 inches long and just sat there on top of my head being too in-between to be cute. This phase lasted about 2 months, then after that I was back in love again because I could slick it back and be conservative at work, and then do my twist outs and it was just great! I loved it! Because of my hairs different textures and the way it breaks so much when I'm due for a relaxer, I don't know whether or not I'd be a good person to transition. I may need to chop!! I'd rather not though. After achieving this length, I'd really rely on this board and the other natural boards for help transitioning and trim every month so I don't have to go so short again. I really don't like short hair on me either like someone else said! You have to really have the right face for it.........like Vivian Green or Halle Berry. They both look BEST with short hair! Not me!! I got compliments, but I prefer myself with it long!!

 

[Guest]

"A woman's Hair is Her Glory"

 

[DigitalRain]

I cut off all my hair down to 1 inch of new growth in 99. I had regrets about the way I looked, because short cuts do not flatter my face at all. But as far as my hair, there were no regrets. It was damaged beyond repair, and there was no saving it. Went to the nearest barber and told him to take cut it off. I went natural for a while and loved it, but caved in and relaxed it a few months later mostly due to pressure from my family.

 

[ms_kenesha]

Mindymouse you sound so anti-natural as well as anti-short hair. Also the quote is "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." You're using that quote out of context like most people do, this was talking about women in church covering their heads in reverence to God. Is this something you do in your church, cover your head? I've heard so many "religous" men use this passage as an excuse for why their women shouldn't cut their hair, it's just another way to subjugate women, IMO.

 

[deeplyrooted]

i'm sorry it took so long for me to find this post, but i just had to give my 0.02 cents.

i did the big chop to commence my journey into natural hair. no regrets.

at first, i was a little self-conscious about how it looked, but it was sooo quick and easy to maintain that i realized i looked gosh darn tootin' gorgeous with my TWA.

my relaxed ends were so damaged due to a combination of factors that i looked simply marvelous because i'd finally gotten rid of that dead weight (literally). i hadn't taken care of my relaxed hair properly, but i was determined to treat my "new growth" like gold because it was a decision i'd made (plus, i'd become a voyuer to online groups like these).

do whatever you feel comfortable with, but don't feel like you HAVE to have a certain face shape or look a certain way to do it (the big chop). if you're feeling it and not feeling the dealing with two textures thing, then by all means, GO FOR IT ! ! ! there are plenty of us on LBHCF who will support you ! ! !

 

[BamaFro]

Thank you ! ! !

To be honest, I just braided up my hair the previous day with some olive oil on each french braid (I usually do two) after a fresh conditioner wash. Home girl took my hair down and commenced to braiding. it was as simple as that.

 

[Laela]

good for you, deeplyrooted.. but I think for many of us it's more the fear of a funny-shaped HEAD not face..

 

[deeplyrooted]

please believe me, i COMPLETELY understand where you're coming from when you say that Laela. i was scared of that very thing to, but that stringy mess was just getting on my nerves. just wanted to offer encouragement to those who may be on the fence.

i have a big ol' head, and i KNOW i was lookin' TOO cute with my TWA regardless of what others may have thought.

like CocoaCure, i know i look best with longer hair, which is why i'm growing mine out, but there's nothing like starting out with a fresh palette of hair.

 

[Laela]

er, oops.. well, I hope I didn't tip anyone back over the fence! Hhaha. seriously... no one really knows what they'll look like unless they do it. It's a leap of faith, but not a leap for everyone

All I know is it took me six months to decide to do it and 5 minutes after the chop to love myself more for making that decision. I just LOVE my twa... and, I think I look a'iite

 

[deeplyrooted]

LMAO

that's the spirit girl ! ! !

that's what i'm talking about.

you just gotta take that leap of faith. i'm glad you were happy with your decision. congrats to you.

 

[14got]

Hey ladies,

I BC on June 2 ,2003 and I regretted cutting my own hair. I really jacked it up with patches and had to shave it almost bald. I thought since I cut my husband and my son's hair I could cut my own. I will post the pictures in my album, but I won't keep them up long (it looked a hot mess). I wish I would have transitioned like hairlove and so of the others. My hair was cute about a moth after, but now it's a the diffcult stage. Too short to twist nicely and too long to wet every day.

My hair's 4a/b My hair in the front doesn't coil. It just looks frizzy.
http://public.fotki.com/mskei/