Hairstyles: So You’ve Done the Big Chop, Now What?

When transitioning from relaxed to natural hair, many women choose to do a Big Chop. A Big Chop (BC) is when you cut all of the relaxed ends and usually end up with a Teeny Weeny Afro (TWA).

Similar to this:

Some women go bald and others go a  bit longer than the above picture of Solange. For many women when they do the BC they go into shock. They don’t know what to do with their hair. They’re relieved to be all-natural but, seeing themselves with short hair is understandably hard.

Many women do BC. They let their hair grow out with braids, wigs, and puffs. Everyone does not have to do a (short). Doing one does not have to be a part of going natural.

If you do decide to BC your hair into a TWA and don’t want to wear your hair short in public here are some suggestions you can try:

Wigs: There are lots of channels on YouTube that review brands of wigs and give honest opinions on different wigs. “GreenBeauty” has a great video on How to Use Wigs to Help Grow Your Natural Hair. Besides finding video reviews on wigs, you can also find videos offering advice on how to style wigs.

Braids: The list for braids is practically endless. You can do micro braids, yarn braids, cornrows, crochet braids, pixie braids, and the list goes on. Just make sure the braids are not tight around the edges and moisturize well to keep your hair from drying out and breaking off. “DiscoveringNaturals” has great videos on protective styling and how to moisturize your hair while in braids.

Disclaimer: If you choose to wear your hair in a protective style or hide your hair while it grows out, you should try to wear it out on the weekends or in between styles. This is important so you can learn how to work with your curls.

A word of caution: Don’t be ashamed if you’re not comfortable with short hair. Some feel that short hair doesn’t look nice on them. You may feel the same about your hair. And that is okay.

Just grow your curls out to a length you feel comfortable with and then bust them out!

If you have already done a Big Chop, how did you feel afterward? Did you wear a TWA? Did you do protective styles? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

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