How did you know you were ready to Big Chop??

[MsLauren]

Long story short,

I want big chop but I'm nervous. I never had hair shorter than shoulder length and this is going to be a big step for me. I wanted to transition without the big chop but the two different textures are driving me CRAZYYYY!

How did you know you were ready to big chop or what motivated you to do it??

TIA

 

[diadall]

I big chopped because I hated the two textures. I felt I was unable to properly care for my natural hair because of the ends.

I am glad I cut it off. I can say in my lifetime I have seen my hair super short.

 

[Dizz]

My relaxed ends actually began to truly frustrate and annoy me. My strands went from looking like this:
~~~~-----------------------------------
to looking like this:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------
and it was time to accept that dead ends were dead ends.

 

[geejay]

I chopped when I became obsessed with seeing my natural hair. I could have kept dealing with the textures (the braid and curl really helped me style the two textures without heat), but I was really jonesing to see my natural hair. So I chopped after one year transition. I was ok with the length, but 18 months would have been more ideal, however, there was just no way I was gonna wait 6 more months.

 

[Kdiamond19]

Like others I got sick of seeing the two different textures on wash days. I knew it was time after I kept asking everyone close to me what did they think about me cutting my hair and I could answer all of their questions/concerns and my own questions without any hesitation.

 

[virtuenow]

When I didn't have a question or doubt.

 

[Kn0ttyByNatur3]

I just got tired of my relaxed hair and all the tangles and breakage that I was getting. I wanted to be "free", so I grabbed that scissors and cut a hunk of hair off.


It was too late to turn back, so I cut it all off.

 

[Aviah]

You sound like me. I didn't want to chop too early and would have hated having super short hair. I waited until I was 17 months post and chopped. It was still short, but I could put it in a ponytail and the back layer was SL. I could deal with that. Its better to wait then to chop too early, get frustrated with the lack of length (and potential lack of styles) and then (as some do) want to relax again.

Transitioning is hard! but if you're not ready, it will pay off to chop it later.

 

[CaliiSwagg]

I got tired of the 2 textures too and losing hair due to the breakage at the line of demarcation. My best friend had BC'd like a month before me so after seeing her do it, that motivated me to do it. I chopped at 1 yr post.

Whether you chop now or chop later is completely up to if you are ready or not OP, and if you arn't its ok to wait it out.

 

[melisandre]

I was tired of having a relaxer and I really missed my natural hair. (I had been natural for 2+ years and then decided to get a relaxer. This did not last long -- maybe a season. ) I was not doing a year long transition again. No way! I wanted to be natural now! So, I just grabbed a pair of scissors and went at it.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

MsLauren

If you have to ask, you're not quite ready

I haven't chopped yet, because I set a goal of letting my natural hair grow to full BSL/MBL - and I won't reach that goal for another 8 months, or so.

Did you have a goal length in mind when you decided to go natural?

 

[loved]

One of my BFFs did an 18 month transition & I wanted to go at least a year, but 4 months in & the poof in my hair was ridiculous & I was wearing wigs, hats or scarves when I went out. I wanted to wear my own hair even if it was short.

I went on a business trip that lasted about a week so I had a lot of me time/mirror time & I just decided on a whim to BC in the hotel bathroom.

 

[kittenz]

A few things encouraged me to BC at 11 months post:
1. I was in love with my NG
2. I was about to go on vacation and knew I'd have a few days from work to get used to it (in a different country)
3. I was tired of wasting product on hair I was going to cut off
4. I wanted to quit while I was ahead. My transition was so easy the entire time I was surprised and just waiting for the day when the breakage, tangles, and matting would hit me but it never did and I chose not to wait around for a setback.

I waited a long as I could and then set a date and stuck too it. Best decision of my life.

 

[LoveTheSkinImIn]

I had been rockin a braidout for about 2and1/2-3 weeks and was completely avoiding washing my hair again because, even with washing in 8 braids, detangling was soooooo brutal. I was 9 months post at the time and it was at the point where I told myself the next time I washed my hair I would either have to BC or relax it. I didn't wanna waste all my hard work transitioning so I pulled up my big girl drawls and chopped. My hair had never been shorter than APL so my family was like O_O ...and so was I lol but eventually I got over the shock.

 

[KurlyNinja]

I knew I was ready when I had no more attachment to the relaxed hair. I didn't even see the relaxed hair as my hair anymore. It was just a nuisance and keeping me from what I actually wanted. My natural hair was also coming through at full force and made my relaxed hair look so ugly in comparison. I was going to go 18 months but im glad I didn't wait any longer than I did. I got to learn my hair when it was still relatively short. And watching it grow out has been fun. Because of shrinkage I basically got to see what short hair looked on me. I dont even like short hair. But because it was all natural and mine, I was in love with it. I had not only made a physical transition but a mental one as well. And thats how i knew i was ready.

 

[locabouthair]

I didn't really plan on it but my relaxed hair was so damaged the stylist didn't even want to perm it. The breakage was so bad I just had to cut it all off. I guess my situation was different because I didn't plan on transitioning. It was spur of the moment thing.

 

[ChasingBliss]

Great thread. Thanks for starting it op. Helps a lot. I would prefer natural bsl before chopping. But I get antsy a LOT.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

I knew it was time when I couldn't wait to see my curls. I intended to transition for at least a year to get my natural hair to shoulder length. I decided to go natural while I was pregnant and got my last relaxer at maybe seven months pregnant (I didn't know that was a bad thing to do) and way I had my DD in May and I BC'd in June. I didn't last long at all.

 

[kandake]

I didn't know. It kinda just happened.

But I will say that I was somewhat prepared for it because I watch natural hair tutorials on youtube while I was relaxed.

Also, I've always embraced short hair. So having a TWA wasn't a huge deal for me.

 

[Ogoma]

I was tired of the two textures, I didn't know what I was doing so it was breaking, and more importantly, I didn't have a problem with short hair.

 

[yaya24]

I only transitioned for 11 weeks (not really a transition) but I was tired of my relaxed ends tangling and breaking. So one night I just chopped.

I did not give myself the time to question it- I just did it.

 

[A856]

I had been rockin a braidout for about 2and1/2-3 weeks and was completely avoiding washing my hair again because, even with washing in 8 braids, detangling was soooooo brutal. I was 9 months post at the time and it was at the point where I told myself the next time I washed my hair I would either have to BC or relax it. I didn't wanna waste all my hard work transitioning so I pulled up my big girl drawls and chopped. My hair had never been shorter than APL so my family was like O_O ...and so was I lol but eventually I got over the shock.

Hmph, sounds like me. My hair was sooo tangled, I couldn't completey detangle this morning so, in between this wet bun is a bunch of tangles. I'll attack it later today, when I have more time.

My relaxed ends actually began to truly frustrate and annoy me. My strands went from looking like this:
~~~~-----------------------------------
to looking like this:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------
and it was time to accept that dead ends were dead ends.

Exactly how my hair looks now. I think I'm ready to just chop the dead part off....

 

[Cichelle]

I think I transitioned for a little more than a year. I big chopped when I started to see breakage/damage at the line of demarcation.

 

[Keishadt]

Like most of the other posters, I got tired of the relaxed ends, I was excited about seeing my natural hair, etc. Also my ends were jacked. It was getting harder and harder to preserve my relaxed ends.

I intended to transition for 2 years, but I chopped a month short of 18 months. I just realized that I was doing a pretty good job of taking care of my NG, so there was really no need to keep the ends, especially since they were getting harder and harder to keep healthy. I'd been thinking about BCing for a while, and then one night after work I went at it. I've been natural going on 3 weeks now, and I'm loving it.

 

[prettybyrd]

I knew I was ready to BC when the thought of being bald or nearly bald was less scary than going outside with the hair I had.

 

[daydreem2876]

I truly did it on impulse. I'd finished washing and got frustrated while detangling. At that point, I decided I was going to work with what I had no matter what.

 

[Lucie]

There is no ready, you just do it! If you start planning dates and stuff you won't do it and more time will elapse.

 

[MsLauren]

MsLauren

If you have to ask, you're not quite ready

I haven't chopped yet, because I set a goal of letting my natural hair grow to full BSL/MBL - and I won't reach that goal for another 8 months, or so.

Did you have a goal length in mind when you decided to go natural?

I never really had a goal length because my main focus is just to have healthy hair. I would like to grow my hair as long as it can grow!!!!
I wanted to transition for a year and I never really thought about big chopping sooner than that. But then a friend of mine big chopped only 4 months into her transition. It looked so beautiful and now I'm thinking about big chopping sooner than I wanted. I know I'm not ready to do it quite yet but I wanted to ask you LHCF ladies what motivated you all to big chop.

Thanks for all the responses!!

 

[coolsista-paris]

I got fed up of the 2 textures.and after à good wash i looked in the miror then shouted to hubby " honey come here with the scisors and chop those relaxed parts .even and inch of the natural hair to.make sure ive gotten rid of everything" and that was it.lol

 

[iri9109]

I was sick of the two textures...I also had a short angular bob that was tapered in the back before i decided to transition which made it hard to style since I couldn't do ponies, buns etc...I got braids and kinky twist extensions for a couple months, lived in beanies for a month & then cut it off lol