So you have done the Big Chop... Now what??

Dealing with a teenie weenie afro (or TWA) can be frustrating to some. At this stage your hair may be too short to pull back. Some things you can do to make this stage easier are
a. Wear a scarf. You can tie a scarf around your hair any way you like. Try wearing the scarf in different ways and use colors that are bold and fun!
b. Wear big earrings. Large earrings will frame your face and make you feel great. Your hair may not be dangling down the side of your face, but your earrings are. Trust me ladies it feels just as sexy. And it looks Fabulous!
c. Wear lipgloss. This will bring more attention away from your hair and down to your lips and face.
d. Wear pretty hairclips. Small hairclips, or a nice flower always look great in a TWA.
This is the time where you want your personality to show! Show your personality through your clothing and your accessories. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box and show your wild side. Have fun creating new styles.

What to expect when transitioning to natural hair

A common misconception is that relaxed hair will "revert" back to natural hair. This is incorrect. Nothing will make hair that has been chemically relaxed go back to its natural state. You have two choices, you can transition to natural by leaving the relaxed hair on the ends as long as possible, or you can cut the relaxed hair off. If you decide to transition, be prepared for some breakage. The place where the natural hair and the relaxed hair meet is a very weak point. Many people experience a lot of breakage when growing out a relaxer. There are a few things you can do to MINIMIZE this breakage.
1. You must keep your hair moisturized
2. Minimize brushing and combing during the transition period
3. Find a protective hairstyle that works well for you. (braids, flat twists etc...)

How to detangle

1. To detangle your hair, section the hair into smaller manageable sections. Add some conditioner to the hair and run your fingers through to get rid of any of the larger tangles. Apply a generous amount of conditioner to each section and gently pull apart the hair that has clumped together. Rake your fingers through each section to gently detangle. Never attempt to brush or comb natural hair when it is dry. This should only be done when it is wet and saturated with conditioner. Use a wide tooth comb or a Denman brush.

2. If the hair is especially long or thick, braid or twist the sections that you have already detangled loosely. This will keep the detangled hair out of the way while you work on other sections. Once you are done if you choose to shampoo you can leave it in the braids or twists. Remember that you shampoo your scalp NOT your hair. The hair will get clean as the shampoo runs from your scalp and throughout your hair. NEVER pile your hair on top of your head. Let the hair hang freely. If you are using shampoo choose a sulphate free shampoo. This will get your hair and scalp clean without drying it out.

3. Once weekly apply a deep conditioning treatment of your choice and sit under a hooded dryer for 20-30 minutes to allow the deep conditioner to penetrate the hair.

4. While your hair is still wet with conditioner, repeat step 1

5. Finish by doing a cold water rinse to help the hair cuticles close and your curls set.

The long and short of it

Hair grows on average ½ an inch per month. This means that hair grows approximately 6 inches per year. The amount of growth that is visible depends on how long we can keep our ends on our head. Here are some tips for retaining length.
1.) Treat your hair like fine lace. Be very gentle when brushing or combing. Try wearing protective styles.(Hairstyles that keep your ends covered and protected)
2.) Take your time! Tangles happen over time during the course of the day. It did not take 2 seconds for your hair to tangle. Do not expect for it to take two seconds to get it untangled.
3.) Begin at the end. Yes that advice may not be what you are used to hearing but it’s actually true. Detangling your hair beginning at the ends will prove much easier and do far less damage than raking through from root to tip.
4.) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!! I can not stress enough how important this is. No matter how shiny you think your hair is, Afro textured hair is the driest of all hair types and needs a lot of moisture.
5.) Oil your hair not your scalp. You can add oil to your scalp if you like but your scalp produces oil of its own. (sebum) When oiling your hair concentrate on the ends not the scalp.
6.) Deep condition your hair weekly. Not a regular 1-5 minute conditioner. You need one that you use with heat that you leave in for at least 30 minutes. Not only will your hair be in better condition, but it feels great to pamper yourself while you are doing this.
7.) Do not use brushes that have balls at the tips. Those balls on the tips come off and you are left with jagged areas on the brush that catch your hair and break it off. You are better off using wide tooth combs. (Personally I use the Denman brush and I love it)

Oils and why we need them

After my Big chop I was overwhelmed with temptation to touch my hair. I had never had my hair so short. But the best thing you can do is to not touch. After all, you don’t want to start having split ends and breakage at such an early stage. Make sure to take care of your ends. Moisturize daily, Add oil daily, Deep condition once per week, and trim ONLY when needed. There is no rule that says that you must trim your hair once per month. Do this ONLY when your hair tells you that its time for a trim. AVOID products that claim to make your hair grow faster. These products are a waste of money. The only thing you need to grow healthy hair is to have a healthy body, (taking your daily multivitamin is a good idea) and taking care of your ends.
The ends of your hair are very important. The more you take care of them the longer they will last and the more length you will retain. Keep in mind that afro textured hair is the most driest of all hair types. Your scalp does produce Sebum. (Natural scalp oil) to protect your hair. However it may not reach the ends of your hair where it is needed most due to the curl pattern. What this means is that you will need to add a little oil to your ends each day. You may choose an oil you like. I prefer to use Jojoba oil because its is the closest to sebum. Jojoba oil is light and not greasy. I have also used Extra virgin olive oil. I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a deep oil when I wanted to sit under the dryer in a plastic cap and do a deep oiling. This must be washed out and may take several washes to get the oil out of your hair. But I never try to get ALL of the oil out. Another oil I like is Coconut oil. I have also used Shea butter. Experiment with different oils and see which ones work best for you.

The big chop

Hi my name is Ivy and I am beginning my natural hair journey. I remember being a small child with waist length natural hair. I received compliments everywhere I went. I loved my long beautiful natural hair. When I was about ten years old my mother decided to relax my hair. It looked nice for a while, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have run and hid from my mother that day. Over time, the relaxers destroyed my hair. Everytime I would brush my hair I had significant breakage. If styled my hair and then it rained, my hairstyle would be ruined. Anyway... Skipping forward to August 1, 2009. I finally decided to do the big chop and start over with my hair. I had transitioned for about 3 months. I went over to my friends house who is a Master Cosmetologist who specializes in natural hair and had her cut off the relaxed ends. As I heard the snips of the shears and watched my hair hit the floor, I felt as if I was being reborn! I was so excited! I wanted to look in the mirror but she wouldn't let me look until she was done. So I sat there watching the hair fall. As soon as the haircut was over I ran to the mirror. I was shocked and amazed! I loved it! I loved the new me!