Go Natural: Transitioning Versus The Big Chop
There are two steps you can take to start your natural hair journey – “transitioning” or “the big chop”. In the end, however,both will end with the same result – cutting off the permed hair. There is no such thing as washing out or stripping a perm – a perm is just as it’s name states – permanent. The natural texture of your hair is permanently changed unless you cut it off and start again.
Now the most dramatic way to start your natural hair journey is to do a “big chop”. Big chop meaning shave your head bald. Although this may sound drastic, it is the safest and easiest way to go natural because you don’t have to worry about dealing with two textures of hair, permed ends and natural new growth. You can camouflage your new ‘do by purchasing stylish wigs and even hats. Another bright side is you wouldn’t have to worry about buying styling products for a while; use that money on pretty scarfs or head ties or earrings to accessorize your new ‘do. You can also do a big chop after you grow an inch or two of new growth. Then you will be sporting a ‘TWA’ – Teenie – Weenie – Afro.
“Transitioning”, of course, is less dramatic. Transitioning is exactly what it sounds like; you are moving from one state- permed hair, to a new state – natural hair. As you are transitioning from the perm state to the natural state, you are allowing your hair to grow, new growth to come in without re-perming, i.e. no touch-ups. Now during this transition some still apply heat, curling iron and/or straightening comb to the new growth area to keep the textures looking the same, but this isn’t a good idea because the heat will have to be applied too often and will eventually damage the new growth, and you’ll end up having to do a ‘big chop’ as a result.
Unfortunately, there is really no other guaranteed way to keep the new growth and the permed hair looking the same while you are transitioning, so the best thing to do is to camouflage the new growth. This can be done by using a non-alcoholic gel, pomade, or even a little water and conditioner (depending on the texture of your hair) to smooth/brush down the new growth, then cover with a silk/satin scarf to set it in place, and this will have to be done every night or even in between outings.
Or, you can simply purchase scarfs and/or headbands to wear on top of the new growth to camouflage it. You can also opt to wear your two-textured hair in transition styles such as braids – extensions or using your own hair (not done too tightly) or curly wet sets, which will blend in the two textures nicely. One of my favorite transitioning styles was wearing cornrows or flat twists in the front of my head (braiding/twisting the new growth area) and the rest of my hair (permed portion) out either straight or curly in the back.
The one thing you have to be extremely careful of when transitioning is dealing with the two different textures of hair. New growth is very fragile and can not be handled the same way as the permed texture. You may even have to use different styling products to deal with the two textures of hair.
The best thing to do is to focus entirely on your new growth.
You will have to experiment with different (preferably natural hair products) on your new growth as it gets longer and use these products on your permed ends as well.
The other thing you must do is as your new growth comes in, start cutting off your permed ends. I recommend when you have at least an inch of new growth, cut off an inch of your permed ends, and keep doing this until you have a head full of natural hair. The average hair growth rate is about a half an inch a month, but depending on your health/diet and heredity this can vary. So therefore, I can not give an exact range of time when you will have a complete full head of natural hair. But for more information on the rate of hair growth check out www.pg.com/science/haircare/hair_twh_21.htm.
For more information on going natural and to connect with a community of beautiful Black women with natural hair please visit nappturality.com and motowngirl.com.
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Yoshi- Do women of ALL nationalities really use scarves and wigs and weaves to come to terms with their short hair. I have only noticed black womem doing that. And you are talking about not judging, but I get the impression you think you know something about me because I currently have 16 inches of some asian chicks hair cascading down my back.
That would be as “dumb” as me assuming you didnt finish high school because you cant spell the word CAESAR. I dont judge anyone for struggling to come to terms with a hairdo that a lot of people react negatively to. Im saying that the writer made it sound like rocking that short cut wouldnt even be an option. Unlike you I’m not interested in what other women have on their heads and how it got their as long as they love it.
Unless you are the writer of this article or the publisher of clutch, who my questions are directed at, I cant understand why my words have got you so excited. We have already deduced that you cant write…..but can you read?
@real natural- Im sure I mentioned I have been natural before, but i transitioned instead of doing the big chop. You mentioned yourself that as black women our families, jobs and relationships can suffer because of a haircut. You must agree that is a lot of pressure to place on some dead strands of protein sprouting from my scalp.
When my hair was natural the only people who reacted negatively were black, and all I was trying to say was that with clutch being a magazine for “us”, this is where the love should begin. If you thought I was directing my words at women who have chosen to use hats or wigs etc to help themselves through it, nothing could be further from the truth.
When the author advised on what to do with a close crop, she used the word “camouflage” which means to CONCEAL or DISGUISE. That, and only that, is what I took exception to.
LOL – So you are assuming I didn’t graduate from HS cause I spelled one word wrong. Just shows and validates my “assumptions” about you. I’m done with you Ms. Drama.
Hi Maria –
this is Dede with Clutch. The love is here and I agree the conversation should start here. If you read around Clutch and know the women behind it than you will see more than half of us are natural and very proud of it. That is why we make sure our content and images show that.
We thank you for your comment. We are sorry if you felt that we were telling women to hide or to be ashamed of their natural hair cause we were not and would never give that type of advice or imply that.
No Yoshi darling, I said I WOULDNT assume that….
Ok….Im ready to admit that I might have gotten the author wrong because of her use of the word “camouflage” instead of focusing on the general message of the article which all in all was positive and encouraging. And from yours and Real naturals responses to my post, I can see that some of MY words didnt go down so well either so Im far from perfect.
Yoshi, the HS crack was rude and a cheap shot…….. I apologise. (sorry!)
You are right, I was being a drama queen. ;-)
Hi Dede thanks for the response. I got hung up on the use of a word which in retrospect I realise was silly. I work in an industry that encourages self expression so I’ve never needed to make my hair “acceptable” so the idea of “camouflaging” it seemed ridiculous and out of step. Some of your readers have pointed out that not everyone has that privilege and a scarf or wig wouldnt be a choice but a necessity. I still argue that the more people see black women in their close cropped glory, the less of an issue it will become.
This discussion has been humbling and enlightening.
Hi Maria! Awwww…I am so happy:) Cause we didn’t mean to offend cause truly that was not our intention. I am sorry the word was placed in the article. We will be more careful with our wording when dealing with issues so important and dear to us as women of color.
I am happy we got this worked out! LOL :)
xoxo,
Dede
@ Maria – no worries sis. I am sorry as well. You are not a drama queen just a beautiful woman with an opinion. And again this is why I LOVE clutch where else would this happen…..LMAO!
WoW – thanks for the wonderful compliments and dialogue ladies :o)
@Maria I was actually trying to be witty when I first used the phrase ‘camouflage your new do’ meaning if one opted to do a real ‘big chop’ and actually shave their entire head (not just to a close crop, fade or teenie afro – but completely bald) they may want to ‘camouflage that new do’ – the ‘new do’ was not referring to natural hair in any way, but a bald, hairless head :o)
Now there are some women who look stunning with bald heads – when my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer she actually cut her hair off herself and she looked beautiful, but if a clean bald head is not the look people are going for – then they can ‘camouflage’ the total bald head with wigs, hats, scarfs until there new growth comes in :o)
The second time I used the word’camouflage’ I was referring to those who opt to transition, meaning if they did not want to straighten the new growth to match their permed ends, they can ‘camouflage’ the new growth with scarfs, headbands etc… until they finally cut off the permed ends.
I am so sorry for the mix-up. But I loved your dialogue, you actually gave me some more ideas for future articles :o) Thanks
@Yoshi and Real Natural – thanks for your dialogue as well – I really appreciate it ;o)
@BekkaPoo – thanks for mentioning the fact that you can get the relaxed ends to ‘mimic’ your new growth with rods etc… I actually do that with my 11-yr-old niece’s hair – I usually flat twist or cornrow the front (new growth) and curl the back :o)
I did the big chop… but then I loved it so much I never grew hair back again. Try it, if you don’t like it, it will always grow back
I have been natural for years and I love it. Actually I inadvertently with natural, it started with a bad hair cut. My hair was not cut in the style I asked for and I didn’t want to cut anymore off. I started my transition with traditional weave bonding. Once I grew tired of that I started wearing wigs, from there to micro braids, after micros I started wearing sew in weaves. I was then asked by a stylist friend was I trying to go natural. That’s when I seriously thought about it and found a natural hair stylist and here I am 4 years later. I recently grew tired of my afro and twists so for the past few months I have been getting my hair pressed. I love the look but hate the work so for the summer I will be back to wearing my fro.
hi ladies, thanks so much for writing this article. Very inspiring. I’ve been transitioning for 14 months. Can’t get up enough courage to do the big chop. I commend women who can. I think it is truly a personal choice. I’ve found other ways to work the two textures including rod sets,straw sets, and this weekend I’m getting a sew in weave! I love the texture of my new growth and can’t wait to get it to a length I’m comfortable rockin!
i did the big chop about 3 years ago and have kept a fro of varying lengths since then. it’s the best thing i ever did for my hair and my hair has never been healthier. and forget about it when i got pregnant… it was shooting out of my head!
but ladies, be clear!! just because you go natural doesn’t mean it’s gonna be all easy breezy and you won’t have to do anything to it. sometimes, natural hair takes a bit MORE maintenance than relaxed hair and you def have to be mindful of how you treat it. you shouldn’t be washing it as often, you’ll deal with your hair being different grades and textures, wanting it to be shiny and the kink of your hair not reflecting light like it used to… nothing that’s too much to handle, but just be prepared for things to come.
also, don’t get caught up in trying to use products that will change what your hair does naturally… all the products out there that “elongate your natural kinks” *cough* MISS JESSIES *cough* are not meant for a very kinky texture and will only make your hair look dry and flakey. DON’T FIGHT AGAINST your texture… embrace what you have as YOURS and WORK IT. that’s one thing i HATE about the natural hair movement… everyone thinks their gonna have a floppy mop head of Kelis curls. NOT SO, baby… and that’s just fine! again, it goes back to the whole reason for going natural, accepting what you were given naturally. my whole motivation for going natural was that it bothered me that i had NO IDEA what my natural hair looked like. i’d had a relaxer since i was about 10 and was pissed about it! why didn’t i know what my own hair looked like in its natural state??
but i digress… back to products for our natural hair. pay attention to your hair and work WITH IT, not against it. one line of products that are FANTASTIC, natural and i wish i had discovered them early on is Organic Root Stimulator – http://ors.railsplayground.net/. so great and can be found in pretty much any drug store for a reasonable price.
anywho, good luck to all of you who are doing the big chop and/or transitioning.
Thanks for posting this article Clutch. As someone who transitioned for six months before BC’ing, I went through all the emotions mentioned in the article. I rocked a roller set for the entire transition. I wanted to go wear it a little longer, but I got tired of spending an hour every day trying to style it plus three to four hours on the weekend shampooing it. I was also tired of coordinating my workouts and social life around it i.e. “can’t go to the gym or exercise because i have to go out tonight. can’t lay down for a nap because my hair will loose it’s style.” Now my hair is about an inch long. I went through the “oh my gosh, I’ll look a boy!” stuff. lol. But I got over that quickly when I realized that my hair takes 10 minutes in the morning and ONE hour to shampoo which includes deep conditioning. I LOVE IT!!!!
I just wanted to add that anyone doing the BC should be prepared for a mixed bag of reactions if folks are used to seeing them with hair long. So far, I’ve gotten wide-eyed stares (from strangers), gushing compliments, and just pure shock. I assume the shock means they are too polite to say they don’t like it. lol. I just think, “Oh, well. Your shock over my haircut won’t bring put the other hair back on my head.” lol.
This article very informative and timely. Love the fact that so many ladies are interested and loving going “au naturele.” It is awesome, and a beautiful thing.
I appreciated the author’s article, personal input and explanations, and hats off to Clutch for including this much needed and less talked about advice on transitioning after the big chop. (I especially appreciated the ideas as to how to camouflage the transition, i.e., making the new growth appear to look like the permed growth). This is sometimes a major concern for some given the different environments the hair, and individual, is exposed to (sorry about ending with an infinitive)
I would love to learn more and read more from this author.
Another excellent article from Clutch!
This article was perfect.. My sister was just talking about going natural and I had to explain to her that it isn’t as easy breezy as she thinks it will be.
I myself have gone natural twice in my thirty something years. In my late twenties, I did the Big Chop in the middle of winter.. My head was freezing!Eventually it grew out and I started with a curly afro.. it looked like it had been texturized. The trial and error period of finding the right product to work with your natural state is also very difficult. However, setting lotions used to work and literally froze the curl in my hair. Just be strong when it gets past that too short/not long enough stage. My hair grew out down to the middle of my back. I used to have it pressed and flat ironed once a week.The amount of maintenance required for that was ridiculous. I was always walking around with a jeri curl bag to protect my hair from humidity. I finally got tired of that and relaxed the new growth and eventually was back to relaxers.. Just about 6 months ago, I did the big CHOP again after I let almost an inch grow in. I have found that John Frieda products work best for me although I am eager to find all natural products that work just as well. I’m sure they are out there.. I am interested in suggestions, if you have readers have any :). I now have a little over two inches of hair and receive compliments all the time and questions on how do I get my hair like this.. When I tell people it’s all natural, they are amazed and I am proud that I let my own natural hair’s beauty speak for itself!
My goodness Yoshi and Maria, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were being paid by Clutch to bicker…but I’m glad you kissed and made up.
I’ve been natural for about 4 years and I wear weaves and wigs mostly to give my hair a break from heat or combing. I have really soft hair so it is extra fragile, most people don’t realize that natural hair really can be fragile so you have to learn the right products to make it work for you. I came across this website http://www.mytexturedtress.com they have a ton of info on products for your hair type and recipes that you can make at home. Great info. Thanks for shedding the light on natural hair Clutch!
Love this article. Thank you. I began the transition process about 5 months ago and I have just been wearing sew -ins until I reach my desired length.
Once I cut my ex-girl the hair like that. Even though I have a good hand on womens hair :) and the style was just the way she wanted it to be, I did not quite like it. Call it habit, but I know women who looked better with a big chop than her. As a girl you need to know whether this kind of hairstyle suits you or not. be aware ;)