Tips for After the Big Chop by JanaiKirsten
Here are a few post big chop tips for those who are considering cutting their hair or have already big chopped, hope this helps!
1. Go To a Professional
Many women tend to take a pair of scissors and chop all of their hair off on their own. This may work if you are cutting your hair into a short, curly afro, however visiting a professional stylist or barber is definitely worth the money. First and foremost, aside from the fact that you could possibly cut your hair unevenly, if you use a regular pair of scissors rather than hair cutting shears, you are already setting your hair up for failure. Cutting your hair with improper scissors can lead to split ends and more breakage down the line. Then what? You’re going to have to cut your hair…again.
Also, stylists and barbers make sure your hair looks neat and presentable. Getting a shape up or getting your hair styled into a cute cut will not only look better than if you cut it yourself (unless you yourself are a professional), but will also have you feeling more confident about your big chop. You cutting it on your own could possibly result in you not liking it, and ultimately regretting your chop. Like I said, the outcome of visiting a professional is certainly worth the price you’ll pay.
2. Create a Hair Care Regimen
It is important to follow and be consistent with a regimen for taking care of your hair. For example, I like to shampoo and condition my hair at least once a week, while deep conditioning every other wash and moisturizing daily. A regimen that you can be consistent with will soon become habit and lead to the optimal health of your hair.
3. Find Products That Work For YOU
If you are new and unfamiliar with your natural hair, you may have to experiment with various products to find which ones work for you. You can’t always just look to YouTubers with a similar hair texture as you and use all the same products they use. You can definitely start by experimenting with the products they may use to see if they do work for you, however what works for one person may not always work for the next. You should also find which products you like and stick to them, rather than switching which products you use too often. A few of my favorite brands are As I Am, TGIN, and Miss Jessie’s!
4. MOISTURIZE!
As I stated before, I make an effort to moisturize my hair daily. This may not be necessary for every natural, but if your hair has difficulty retaining moisture like mine, I would definitely recommend it. Keeping your hair moisturized is crucial, as it helps retain length by aiding in preventing split ends, breakage, and dryness (obviously). Moisturizing also give your hair the shine and luster that many of us type 4 naturals tend to lack.
5. Don’t Focus On Your Growth
Do not pay so close attention to how much your hair is growing. If you’re doing length checks every week, you will only see but so much growth. Focusing too much on how quickly it is growing or how much it grows every month can lead to you becoming discouraged, comparing your growth to other naturals, and feeling like what you are doing isn’t working. What worked for me the first time I big chopped was wearing wigs almost all the time. After a few months I would check my growth and it seemed to have grown so much. I would recommend putting your hair into a protective style and leaving it alone. Leaving your hair alone rather than styling and manipulating your hair too often leads to better growth results anyway!
6. Wear Accessories
Some women struggle with continuing to feel as feminine after getting rid of their hair. My suggestion is to get some hair accessories, such as head wraps, scarves, headbands, etc. to spice up their hair. Wearing jewelry and makeup can also help a woman feel more feminine with, for example, a buzz cut. Aside from adding femininity to your look, accessories can make your look not appear as dull, since with short hair you can no longer style it into cute updos or however you rock your tresses.
7. Be Prepared…
By this I mean be prepared for some people not to like your new look. Not everyone will be a fan of your cut and that’s absolutely okay. Some will be caught off guard by the dramatic transformation and it may need to grow on them, some people don’t like short hair on women, and others simply won’t be a fan of the style you get it cut into. You can’t let the opinions of others discourage you about your chop, especially if you like it. When I first cut my hair into a buzzcut, my mom didn’t like it. After a while it grew on her and when I told her I planned to grow my hair out, she suggested I keep it short. On the other hand, a lot of people WILL like your cut so like I said, do not let the negative opinions of those who dislike it persuade you into thinking your big chop doesn’t look good.
Those are just a few of my tips for after you big chop. Hopefully, this advice helps and also makes you feel more confident about cutting your hair or feeling confident if you have already done so!
Written By JanaiKirsten
@janaikirsten
https://janaikirsten.wordpress.com