Question: I’m trying to go natural and wondering do I have to cut my hair or is it another way around it?
Kaikeithia Barker: No you don’t have to cut your hair, I didn’t. I kept my hair braided in box braids and cut the perm off as it grew
Evette Richards: That’s what I’m in the process of doing. I’m so excited about my natural hair journey ???
Mia Everett: No my hair is about half permed in some areas and more in others. Your transition is your own personal journey
Veronica Mitchell: How long it been since you started the process
Mia Everett: I haven’t had a perm since May.
Veronica Mitchell: Okay we right behind one another. My last perm was June
Mia Everett: OK! My profile pic is the first time I had it trimmed and straightened so I think my back is almost perm free. But I still have a lot of permed hair on the sides.
Tracey Desireé: Mia Everett it really depends on how you like to wear your hair. I love braids but just not for me. I’ve never worn a weave or a wig, so the big chop worked for me. I would have gone crazy with half n half hair! I must say I honestly love the different stages of transitioning. I’ve been natural since Dec 2016 and I love it. ❤️
Mia Everett: True Tracey Desireé! That’s why I called it a personal journey lol. Who knows how long it will be before I chop mine off? I really don’t know but I’m ok where I am right now.
Tracey Desireé: Mia Everett and that’s the key…how you feel is most important. I can also say that I wish that I had done it sooner. Happy journey to you! ❤️
Evette Richards: May last perm was May also. ?
Letitia Burks: I didnt do the big chop.
Jewel Harden Barrios: I wore my hair out during the transition and it was a challenge with styling. Looking back I wish I would have trimmed/cut my hair to give it a defined shape sooner. My transitioning hair was 2 or 3 textures different curl patterns. ?. Flat twists and stretched styles worked the best for me.
Mila Barroso: I cut off 2 inches at a time
Mila Barroso: Roller set work best with different texture imo
Tiffany Christopher: I didn’t cut it. I wore protective styles until the relaxer grew out.
Arnell Booker-handley: When I 1st start going natural I was transition, getting my ends cut, iron outs & twist out style, I did that almost a year & then I decide to do the big chop & cut all the perm out & I don’t regret it because it takes a long time for perm to grow out..that’s what works for me, its been 4yrs..
Jerrelyn Dorsey: You can transition but I didn’t have the patience and I don’t do braids/weaves. They’re just not for me.
Andrea Kirven: Yes you do have to cut it. You just don’t have to do a big chop. You can transition. If you are anything like me, I didn’t know what big chop, transitioning, roller sets etc. Meant when I went natural 4 years ago. I will say that I’ve witnessed both and if I had it to do all over again, I big chop it again. A friend and I went natural in the same month and hers did not grow as fast because of her dead hair she was chopping off piece by piece. She eventually did a big chop and her hair started growing like crazy. Just my experience
Stéphania Kelly: I didn’t do a big chop it’s not necessary for everyone to do
Traci Liddell: You can transition and cut as your natural hair grows in. That’s what I did. It took 22 long months. August 2017 was my final cut of relaxed hair. The good thing about transitioning verses the big chop was I really learned what worked for my hair. AND the most important thing to remember when transitioning, KEEP your hair moisturized.
Wanda Pendleton: Just let the perm grow off clip end, keep moisturized, summer of 2012 last perm
Praise J. Leke:
Linda Summlin Aitch: I transitioned rather than big chopped. Just let the perm grow out, trim, stopped flat-ironing all the time, and did research to determine how to care for natural hair (e.g. products, routines, hairstyles)
Tierra Sampson: I transitioned by getting my ends clipped, rod sets and getting braids.
Praise J. Leke: