Before I decided to go natural, I used look at before and after pictures of women who had gone natural. I would read their comments that went like, ‘1 year natural, loving the journey’, ‘big chopped and no regrets’ blah, blah. In the after photos they looked so pretty, happy and confident. I wanted to go natural too, but I had no idea what it would entail.
Here is what you should know about going natural:
#1 Big Chop
‘Big chop’ is naturalista slang for cutting off your processed ends. They call it big chop because it means drastically chopping off your hair. It can be overwhelming to big chop because everyone will notice and comment. If you are not ready for such a dramatic change, you should consider growing out your hair for at least 3-6 months. That way you have something to work with, i.e. Teenie Weenie Afro. The advantages of big chopping is that it is a done deal, you are officially a natural. You now have time to learn more about your hair. The disadvantage of big chopping is that is a done deal there is no going back. You may grow impatient growing your hair back.
I personally think big chopping is a good idea. It builds character and confidence within you. You learn to resonate with Indie Arie. It forces you to define what your true beauty is.
#2 Transitioning
Transitioning is long term and refers to letting your processed hair grow out and trimming the processed ends regularly. It takes longer but it’s a better approach to having natural hair if you feel self-conscious about having short hair. Transitioning requires patience. You have to deal with two different types of hair textures. Prepare to invest in alot of Protective Styling and weekly deep conditioning.
What I did:
In the beginning I had every intention of transitioning but like I said it was a challenge dealing with two different texture. I only lasted 4 months. I felt confident with the length I had and thus decided to just rock the tiny afro.
To be honest, either way requires patience. I cannot lie to you-there will be days. when you will hate your hair There will be days when it will not obey you.
Helpful tip: Do research and have realistic expectations of your journey. Having a person to hand hold you through this journey will help.
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