Yes Relaxed Girls Will Probably Have To Big Chop Too

If you Google the term ‘big chop’ the search results will almost always reference ideas surrounding starting a natural hair journey or going natural. If you put in ‘relaxed hair’ and ‘big chop’ in the search bar in hopes of finding results for relaxed hair you might still end up at a dead end.

It kind of makes you wonder can we use the term ‘Big Chop” when referring to relaxed hair? Well the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’ The term big chop has been sensationalized in a sense to mean more than it literally means and most commonly the term is used by those transitioning from relaxed to natural.

Even though there is nothing wrong with a little radicalism, if you were to define ‘Big Chop’ it just means cutting your hair in an effort to remove any damaged portions relaxed or natural or just because you want short hair.

Anyone can big chop and if you are relaxed and want to start a healthy hair journey, a big chop might just be in order for you as well.

Why You Should Consider Big Chopping When Starting A Healthy Hair Journey

Sometimes cutting all your hair off is not aesthetically ideal, especially if you have never worn your hair short so undeniably the decision might be extremely hard. However I can guarantee that it is even harder trying maintain broken or damaged ends as your healthy hair starts to grow in.

Sometimes starting fresh gives you renewed energy to focus on your hair goals especially if you are doing what is right for it and your are being very diligent with your chosen regimen.

This is something that a lot of relaxed ladies don’t like hearing but if your hair has been stuck at the same length for a long period of time, it is likely that it’s because your hair is not very healthy right now.

By healthy I don’t mean shiny or any other aesthetic measurement, I mean down to the cellular level, your strands are not likely to be in the ideal condition to support hair length.

There is a distinct reason why BHI’s tag line is ‘With health comes length‘ which simply put means that you have to start chasing health first before you will begin to see length.

However you may find it a lot less severe and easier to do a series of mini chops rather than one swift cut because unlike transitioning to natural, you won’t be dealing with two polar opposite hair textures.

If you decide to do mini chops as you embark on your healthy hair journey the result will be the same in the end, because eventually you will end up losing all the hair you started with as your healthier stronger and well looked after hair starts to grow in.

Know How To Identify Damaged Hair

Knowing that your hair is damaged is half the battle when making the decision to chop. It would also make sense to be an expert at identifying when your hair is not doing too well.

Damaged hair won’t necessarily fall out before your eyes which would make things a bit more obvious, damaged hair can remain attached for a few months breaking only slightly from the ends which may give you a sense of false security but as the months and years go on you will notice that your hair retains very little length.

The are some tell tale signs that you can look for to identify damaged hair.

► For one your relaxed hair when healthy should have a natural shine to it without the use of silicone laden sprays and ‘shiners’.

If your hair appears dull and lack luster then that may be an indication that something is wrong. Define dull!? Literally your hair will not reflect light and appear to be a lower shade from the vibrant color you naturally have.

► Another tell tale sign is just plain dryness, relaxed hair should be light and fluffy if not silky and feel moisturized when healthy. Feeling moisturized does not mean wet, but it means smooth to the touch with the ends not feeling brittle or looking frayed. If you have a natural urge to tuck your ends in because you do not like the way they look then you my friend you already know what the problem is.

► Your hair loses it’s natural dark color and appears to have a brownish tint. This of course is most obvious on those who have black hair naturally but even those with off black to brown shades of hair will notice that the hair looks lighter than usual. This is usually a result of not neutralizing relaxers correctly.

►Split ends are a universal sign of damaged hair regardless of hair type. Just grab a section of your hair and if you see the ends of your hair have splits. No amount of split end lotions, potions or serums will make a blind bit of difference and they will eventually have to be cut off.

► We cannot end our identifiers without mentioning breakage. Broken hair is the single largest confirmation of hair that is distressed and damaged. If you see broken pieces of hair all over your bathroom floor after styling or on your pillow then it might be time for you to admit that there is a problem and your current regimen is simply not working.

Big Chop With Patience

Getting to the point of damaged hair for some of us who use relaxers can happen relatively quickly if you do not know what you are doing. Many women relax too often and end up with over processed hair where the strand is so broken down by the chemicals in the relaxer, no amount of protein treatments can save it.

It would be unfair not to warn you that it is much harder to maintain and subsequently retain maximum length when you are relaxing your hair but it can be done. It is imperative that you stretch your relaxer to avoid over processing your hair while at the same time getting rid of the damaged ends as you go along.

Your attitude towards keeping your hair healthy is one of the most important elements to your whole journey because it takes time to see results and it also takes time to learn what your hair likes and dislikes.

With that said, you also have to be diligent with your regimen, no excuses, if you decide to deep condition every week, then find ways to accomplish that goal weekly.

If your hair requires a ton of protein to keep things balanced then try not to slack on your treatments, make it a priority until you see the results you desire.

Life After a Big Chop

So now you have done it, you are well on your way to healthy relaxed hair. It might be tempting to do length checks every week or just sit around waiting for your hair to get healthy again. We are here to tell you that at this time is when you should have the most fun.

I have said it before, short hair is sexy because it shows off your facial features to their best advantage. There are also lots of cute styles you can achieve with short  hair so now that you have chopped why not enjoy it to the fullest? You will be surprised how fast the time flies and how quickly your hair will grow out.

In addition to enjoying your cut, protect your hair from you (HIH Syndrome anyone?) and the environment, give it some rest time to recuperate especially after a relaxer and of course leading up to your next relaxer when you have two textures to maintain.

You might not be a wig* kind of girl but if you try it and like it, it can be one of the easiest protective styles you can do when taking a hair break. If wigs* are just not your thing then try roller sets or rod sets that do not require much heat or manipulation on a weekly basis, just fluff and go.

Either way, know that doing a big chop can be great for your relaxed hair and that you are doing the best thing for it on your healthy hair journey.

How many of you have done a big chop while using a relaxer, comment below!