Did you do Your Own BC?

[LdyKamz]

I am so ready to BC. I am almost 5 months post and I have been cutting every month. My hair is so short now there really is no sense in holding onto the rest of the relaxed ends. My plan was to go to a salon so they could cut and shape my twa. But then I started looking at the salon section and got scared. I am in NYC (Brooklyn actually) and every place either costs a ridiculous amount if they are worth their salt or it is reasonable pricing and the salon sucks and I'll have to deal with pushy stylists with attitudes.

Then I started thinking about the many women here who have done their own BC. My question is, for those that have done it once you chopped off the relaxed ends, did you have to go to a stylist to get it evened out or were you good to go? Last night I washed my hair and playing with very small sections I could clearly see the line of demarcation and figured I could snip it off. But I don't want a lopsided scraggly looking do on my head once I'm done.

Any advice?

 

[BrandNew]

I went to a salon to do mine because I knew I wanted to have my hair styled right away in order to deal with the initial shock. That's just me though.

 

[Lucie]

Both times I had my stylist shave it off. It felt nice.

 

[LdyKamz]

BrandNew
How much hair did you have? If it was a twa - how was it styled? I figured styling would be minimal?

Lucie
You just shaved it all off. I thought about that but I want to have at least a little bit of hair on my head. lol

Where are the ladies that did their own BC???

 

[Lucie]

KammyGirl, yep. She just shaved it off. It was a little thicker than Amber Rose's. Next time I will do a 1-guard like she did. Summer is here, go close to bald! LOL! Don't be offended I tell everyone to shave their hair off! Well, except my Pom. He looks ugly as hayell with no fur!

 

[AnjelLuvs]

I cant with you Lucie..

 

[LdyKamz]

I seriously thought about it but I don't know if I have the head for it. Haha But since it is summer I really do want to BC now and enjoy the short hair for a few months. I may be the only to fall for your "shave your head" routine @Lucie

 

[Lucie]

AnjelLuvsUBabe, it's true! He NEEDS his hair to be cute! Poor thing!

KammyGirl, do it. If you don't like it, it will start to grow in within 2 weeks. And hair seems to grow faster in the summer. You can spruce it up with big earrings, Ruby Woo lipstick, colorful African print head scarves. Now, I want to BC!

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

I did my own. My hair was already growing out of a short style.

I later went to a barber to get it shaped up, but I waited a few weeks because with cowashing and EcoStyler gel, my curls were popping like popcorn!

 

[PureSilver]

I did my own. I was too fearful that going to a stylist would make me regret it. I say if my hair is gonna be a hot mess, let it be by my own hands and not by someone i'm paying to do it cuz "i can do bad all by myself".

At the end of the day, it turned out great. I was six months post when i BC and i had nothing to work with so i just plaited and my wigs became my best friends.
I say go for it, if you can clearly see the LOD then by all means, Girl just DO IT!

 

[geejay]

Did my own at 1 year post. I just rocked it as-is. I wanted it to grow asap and was not interested in losing any length to styling.

 

[Dayjoy]

I went to a salon to do mine because I knew I wanted to have my hair styled right away in order to deal with the initial shock. That's just me though.

This is what I'm doing in two weeks. I'll have her cut it (but only at the LOD, no shape up) then flat iron it. I'm going to fro it out the following week.

 

[LdyKamz]

@AnjelLuvsUBabe, it's true! He NEEDS his hair to be cute! Poor thing!

@KammyGirl, do it. If you don't like it, it will start to grow in within 2 weeks. And hair seems to grow faster in the summer. You can spruce it up with big earrings, Ruby Woo lipstick, colorful African print head scarves. Now, I want to BC!

That sounds so tempting. Stop it! I'm falling for it!

 

[LdyKamz]

This is what I'm doing in two weeks. I'll have her cut it (but only at the LOD, no shape up) then flat iron it. I'm going to fro it out the following week.

See, this is what I was thinking about. You are going to your stylist and she is just going to cut at the demarcation line but no shaping right. I think I can do that. I just wonder what it will look like with no shaping. I am so nervous!

 

[MsDee14]

I did my own BC at 15.5 months post relaxer.
I was fearful of cutting any natural hair, so I ended up with a good amount of straight pieces. For about a month, I was cutting straight pieces off my fro. It wasn't really noticeable to anyone because I had my hair in braids during the week and a puff on weekends(the braid out helped conceal the straight ends).

 

[Stormy]

The first time I went natural back in 2009, I did the BC myself. Later I went and got it shaped at a barber. Didn't care for that too much so after I had a setback (with a relaxer) and went natural again in 2011, I went to a salon and got it shaved off! Similar to Lucie. You could see my scalp in the light. I liked the salon better because she did a great job and it was still feminine. I got loads of compliments.

 

[Stormy]

I was fearful of cutting any natural hair, so I ended up with a good amount of straight pieces. For about a month, I was cutting straight pieces off my fro.

Same here that's why I started letting the pros do it.

 

[Evolving78]

i just cut off my BSL locks down to neck length/SL this past weekend. did it myself. any other time, i went to a barber or a stylist.

 

[Dayjoy]

See, this is what I was thinking about. You are going to your stylist and she is just going to cut at the demarcation line but no shaping right. I think I can do that. I just wonder what it will look like with no shaping. I am so nervous!

I hope it looks ok flat ironed the first day/week. My stylist is a really good "styler" too, so I'm pretty confident. And if it doesn't look good that day I'll just wet it and Bantu knot it a week early. I don't want to lose ANY length/size since I plan to wear my hair unstraightened most of the time. I BCed to 1 inch from bone strait to texlaxed back in '05 and my hair grew out in perfect layers, so I hope that's the case this time.

 

[Kilacurlz]

I've been cutting my hair myself for as long as I can remember. I cut it from sl to 1 in 15 years ago on a whim and in 2011 cut my heat damaged bsl hair to two inches after a 3 month transition. I still haven't been to a stylist but I trim it myself. I'm back at apl now. I just let it grow as it grows and haven't worried about it too much.

 

[kinky curlygenie]

I did my own BC I transitioned for a year and couldn't deal with the two textures anymore. I'm very impatient so transitioning for a year was serious torture!!! I cut off my relaxed ends and styled myself it was enough to rock a short curly bob or braid so I was more than happy!! If you want it styled properly them maybe you should go to a stylist good luck

 

[kandake]

I BC'd at 4 months post. I did it myself with shears and clippers. It was my intention to have it shaped at the barber shop or a natural hair salon but people kept saying it looked good as is so I just went with it.

 

[LdyKamz]

I BC'd at 4 months post. I did it myself with sheers and clippers. It was my intention to have it shaped at the barber shop or a natural hair salon but people kept saying it looked good as is so I just went with it.

What did you use the clippers for? To shape the edges?

 

[prettybyrd]

In 2009, I cut all of my hair off in my bathroom. It was about SL and just raggedy. I had to get it shaped up the next day by a barber because, well, it looked horrible. But he did a great job, and I liked it.

 

[kandake]

What did you use the clippers for? To shape the edges?

No I didn't shape the edges. I used the clippers to shape the fro itself.

 

[BrandNew]

KammyGirl I transitioned for 9 months before I cut. The style was coils. Do note I went to a natural hair salon so they knew exactly what I wanted and how to handle my hair.

 

[BlueNile]

I will be 5 months into my transition tomorrow. Keep the stories coming ladies! I need motivation to keep going. My hair is a haute mess lol

 

[India*32]

I am so ready to BC. I am almost 5 months post and I have been cutting every month. My hair is so short now there really is no sense in holding onto the rest of the relaxed ends. My plan was to go to a salon so they could cut and shape my twa. But then I started looking at the salon section and got scared. I am in NYC (Brooklyn actually) and every place either costs a ridiculous amount if they are worth their salt or it is reasonable pricing and the salon sucks and I'll have to deal with pushy stylists with attitudes.

Then I started thinking about the many women here who have done their own BC. My question is, for those that have done it once you chopped off the relaxed ends, did you have to go to a stylist to get it evened out or were you good to go? Last night I washed my hair and playing with very small sections I could clearly see the line of demarcation and figured I could snip it off. But I don't want a lopsided scraggly looking do on my head once I'm done.

Any advice?

Hey Kammy,

Brooklyn is my born and bread hometown, but now living in VA. I went to the Barber Shop early in the morning. I looked cute and sat there like a little angel and brother hooked a sister up, twice. First time in 2009 and second 2012. I asked my son the name of his barber and paid, $10 tip and all. Just be yourself and be done. Its not worth it to me to pay a stylist $$$ for a bc. That's just me. Hollywood.

 

[LdyKamz]

No I didn't shape the edges. I used the clippers to shape the fro itself.

Hmm that sounds interesting. Did you just go over it with parts that were sticking up/out? Sorry for all the questions. But I'm thinking I want to do this myself and I could use the help.

 

[LdyKamz]

Hey Kammy,

Brooklyn is my born and bread hometown, but now living in VA. I went to the Barber Shop early in the morning. I looked cute and sat there like a little angel and brother hooked a sister up, twice. First time in 2009 and second 2012. I asked my son the name of his barber and paid, $10 tip and all. Just be yourself and be done. Its not worth it to me to pay a stylist $$$ for a bc. That's just me. Hollywood.

Same here! Born and raised in Brooklyn. I moved to NoVa myself for one year to be exact and came running back.

I am terrified to go to a barber. I considered that as well. But I'm worried about not being clear about what I need them to do and I don't want them to go too short either. Hmm I have some thinking to do. But the BC is happening this month. I can't wait anymore.