Today’s Guest Post comes from Natasha, Newly Natural after transitioning for well over a year &  BC’ing less than a month ago.

I’d been transitioning for well over a year before I decided to BC (Big Chop). As I’ve said before, it wasn’t a conscious decision. In fact, the term transitioning was not a part of my regular vocabulary. All my news about the natural hair community came from a single source (a certain naturalista) and until several months ago, I wasn’t interested in ferreting out more information. I was content to just let my hair do its own thing. At least for a while. But then I started noticing the breakage at the point where my two textures met and I got tired of rocking the same tired headband and ponytail look that I had adapted months before. I needed to do something. I could no longer ignore my hair and expect it to behave. I’d done that when I had a relaxer but part of the reason why I stopped with the chemical treatments was because I wanted to take better care of my hair. The headband and ponytail shtick just wasn’t cutting it. But thoughts about cutting it all off, of just working with my own natural texture…scared me. Initially.

My natural hair journey is not unique. I figured that out when I discovered what a font of information YouTube is for people in the natural community. When I turned to the internet to find some transitioning styles as a first step to taking better care of my hair, I did not realize that there was so much out there. And for about a week, I ignored most of my responsibilities and tried to take in as much of it as possible. It was so addicting! Anyway, I added Bantu knots to my repertoire and worked on perfecting it for a while. It was quick and easy i.e. perfect for me. The plan was to add in other styles over time and I had an idea that I would next take on the flat twist. But before I could move beyond the first style, thoughts about cutting off the relaxed ends and starting from scratch crept into my subconscious more often that I liked. No way, I thought! I wasn’t ready to cut it, was I? I didn’t realize then just how close I was to making a decision about that.

Thoughts about BC-ing haunted me for a good month or so before I caved. I had been going back and forth in my mind about it, trying to picture the finished product and imagine how things would lay. But I found it difficult to picture what I would look like once I finally shed the last of my relaxed hair. It had been so long since I’d last seen it. In fact, I talked with my family about it and was reminded that I was about 11 or 12 when I got my first relaxer, after a brief flirtation with hot combing (too much work!) Try as I might, I am unable to conjure up feelings from that that period but I’m sure that I didn’t mind the process too much. I vividly remember burnt scalp being the norm but how else can I explain the continuous relaxer treatments over the past decade plus. Clearly, I thought that the benefits outweighed any suffering. Bottom line, I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be (cut or not) so I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about it and trying to make a decision. And just when I would think that I was ready to BC I would pull back, hesitate. After a while, the urge to pull back grew weaker and weaker and before I could question myself further, I researched natural hairstylists in my neighborhood and immediately made an appointment for a consultation with one who looked promising. In hindsight, even though things turned out well, I could have spent a little more time at the research phase.

When I went to see a certain hairstylist/barber/”locktician” who shall not be named and asked him to take a look at my hair and give me an idea of what I would be working with after the cut, he assured me that I would have a good 4 inches or so post-BC and that that was enough to do the transitional styles that I had in mind. To be honest, if he had told me that I would barely have enough to even manage a two-strand twist when the deed was done, I don’t know if I would have gone through with it. After all, I had been growing out my hair for over a year. It would be a waste to cut it all off, right? But that’s pretty much what he-who-shall-not-be-named did. He cut, then used his clippers, cut some more and clippers again. As I watched my fro decrease in size, I couldn’t help but ask the stylist how much more of my hair he would be cutting. And when he reminded me that I had come this far, I had to agree. There was no turning back, only looking forward to what’s next. When he was finally finished, for better or worse, I had an inch long fro. Pretty short, but I figured I could work with it.

If I looked less than pleased when I left the stylist’s shop, it wasn’t because I did not like the way my hair look. Sure, I had moments of uncertainty and in all honesty, during the first couple days after my BC, there were times when I wondered if I had made the right decision. My hair was much shorter than I expected and more importantly, what I had been prepared to work with. I had envisioned it a little longer, at least long enough to work with Bantu knots and all the other styles that I wanted to try. For now, I don’t what else I can do with it yet except fro it out and define my curls. But I genuinely like it and am content with it at its current length. I’ve even developed a sort of signature style! About a month after BC-ing, I am still so in awe that I actually went through with the cut and with how much I’m enjoying this phase. I sometimes find myself sneaking peeks at my reflection and reaching up to touch my hair and I can say with certainty that I am owning this new look! So, if I didn’t look too happy immediately after I BC-ed it wasn’t because I didn’t like my hair. It has more to do with the fact that he-who-shall-not-be-named padded my bill with additional treatments that I had not consented to. Nope, I was not pleased about that at all. But I do love my hair!

To learn more about Natasha and her life’s adventures, visit her blog. And If you’re currently transitioning, thinking about embarking on the natural hair journey or recently did the Big Chop and would like to share your hair woes or concerns, submit your story to: info@backtocurly.com