The Story of My Big Chop

After exactly 1 year of transitioning, on February 21st, 2013 I cut 12 inches of relaxed hair off of my head! This was me at the start of this Thursday:

 

 

A year ago I had planned to do my big chop on this day. However, as the week approached I had decided to wait another month or so (people's advice to wait until after my wedding started to get to me). Soo I proceeded to wash my hair. I had been wearing it straight (rollset) for the last few weeks, and was totally bored with that look. I sat with my hair wet trying to decide what to do with it as it started to dry. I figured, "why not!" So I ran to my fiance and asked him what I should do. He said, "Cut it!" I turned to my best friend, and he said the same thing. So I went in the bathroom and started cutting away...

While I was doing so my fiance and best friend were making a documentry (I will post that as soon as I learn how).

Anyway, when I was done I was excited and frustrated all at once. I was excited to see the cute little curls popping out all over my head.

Buuuuut.....I had absolutely no idea WHAT to do with them! AND I was not expecting them to be as short as they were. The lenth the new growth looked like it would be before the cut was drastically different from what it actually is. Even in the picture of me cutting above, my hair is much longer than it has been since, and I havent cut it anymore. I guess it was that long because it had dried attached to relaxed ends? Who knows!

Well, I woke up early the next morning and was scared at what I saw. I had a matted, lop-sided afro on my head. What had I done?! So I watched a few YouTube videos to figure out what to do. I decided to try a flat twistout. So I dampened my hair, flat twisted it and went back to bed. When I woke up and took our the twist, I was a HOT mess. My hair looked super thin and stringy. Frustrated, I FORCED my hair into a ponytail and used Marley braiding hair to make a bun:

 

 

Saturday, I had more time to play around with styles. I hit up the hair store and got a few hair cremes that are supposed to help with frizz and also stretch curly hair. Then I came home and washed my hair, used the creme and coconut oil and let it air dry. This look was kinda cute, but I still didn't feel totally comfortable with it- not enough to go out in public anyway.

 

 





So I went BACK to the hair store and bough a half wig:

I rocked this for about half a week. But I really can't do wigs. They give me headaches and are annoying to me. So I kept experimenting with new styles. And FINALLY I found a style I felt comfortable wearing to work- the classic puff!

So, I had been natural over a week and no one knew because I had been wearing the bun and the half wig. When I finally appeared with the puff everyone LOVED it! So I haven't woren the wig or bun since. I have just been rockin the puff. However, today I tried something new, well new for my natural hair- flexirods! Luckily, I have flexirods in all sizes (I have always been in love with curly styles).

So here we are! I did my big chop. Initally, I was a bit disappointed and discouraged. But within a week I started to find my groove and now I have my confidence back! I don't regret it at all! I am in love with my hair now, and as it grows so will my love for it!

-Curlie E