Hair 101: Before you do the ‘Big Chop’

Dear Makeover,

I noticed recently that my hair is not growing as expected. I’m thinking of starting over with my natural hair. Kindly provide tips on what I need to know to rock low-cut.

Demi

MANY ladies, in recent times, have come to embrace the natural alternative when it comes to the hair. In spite of the seeming difficulties attached to caring for natural hair, the array of various hairstyles that can be achieved with the natural hair is a creative envy for many. However, when taking the decision to go natural, according to stylists who spoke with Makeover, there are a few options but the two main options are the big chop, or the transition.

Some ladies prefer to go for the transition – growing out the relaxed hair – as that way they can retain some bit of length. This can be quite harder to maintain and may not work for those who are impatient to embrace their natural hair as soon as possible. The big chop shouldn’t be as scary as it seems. It’s just a matter of time and the hair would grow out again. Whether you decide to keep the low-cut as your to-go style or want to grow out your natural hair from the very roots, the big chop offers you more freedom when it comes to the hair and even helps to keep your hair as healthy as ever. However, before you make a decision, there are some things to take to heart:

You will miss your long hair

If you’re still over the fence about whether to go for the big chop or not, like Demi above, you should know now that when you finally decide to go for it, you will miss having long hair. It will take a few days or a couple of weeks at most to get used to looking in a mirror, or even subconsciously running your hands through your hair and realising you’re on low-cut.

Welcome to healthy hair

As long as you stick to as many natural products as possible, your hair would be in the best of health when you rock the big chop. With low-cut, your stylist can make accurate analysis of your hair to get the best recommendations for you. You now have the advantage of seeing your hair as it really should be and note when there are unhealthy changes and work towards making things right. Natural product recommendations such as shea butter, coconut oil, honey, among others, should be strictly adhered to and they can be purchased from the local market. Always visit expert hair stylists for instructions on how to use natural products to avoid counter-productivity.

Invest in wigs

For the time being, as you gradually get used to your big chop, if you’re not up to public attention just yet, invest in a few wigs for the time being. This will help to extend your feeling that nothing much has changed, pending when you’re ready to show the world just how beautiful you can look with your low-cut.

Embrace freedom

That feeling you get when water hits your scalp and you know there’s no fear of wondering just how much of your relaxed hair would be affected! With the attendant rainy season, you have one less thing to worry about when it comes to your hair, especially with the ‘smell-area.’ However wet you get, all you need to do is get home and wash your hair and you’re good to go. However, endeavour to stay away from rain water as much as possible to avoid drying out your hair from too much washing.