"THE BIG CHOP" BIG CHOP....BIG CHOP..... BIG CHOP....

OK,  Pokerchip mentioned about getting nerve to cut off her hair.   I watch a ton of hair videos to get tips on how to keep moisture in my own hair, and I notice this overwhelming theme in black women and going natural this thing called THE BIG CHOP.

Why do you have to cut off all your hair to stop perming it?  
Is it really neccessary?
Does it make women feel more natural to go short?
Can someone still be considered natural if they never Big Chop?

OK NATURAL AND UN-NATURAL CHICKS CHIME IN.  

I THOUGHT I WAS NATURAL BUT I'M QUESTIONING IT NOW.

No you don't have to cut all of your hair off ~ you can trim it gradually.  Although, I think you may find dealing with the two textures to be a bit much.  Also having the two textures makes it very easy for your hair to break easily, especially where natural vs processed meets.

The term "natural" means no chemicals what so ever, so again, if you don't chop, big or little, no it is not considered natural.  You would be considered in "transition".

Why do you have to trim it off at all.   Is it considered cheating if you have some perm left in it?

I thought perms wore off after a while anyway so why couldn't someone just wait till it wore off. 

Ok,  according to your defination I am natural

Well I guess technically, you dont have to chop, trim, or do anything.  It will eventually break off.  Perms never wear off, that's why people that don't relax but a few times a year have straight ends.  But, keep in mind, that it is healty to keep your hair trimmed at least every 8 weeks.

OK<  Now you just taught me something and made this all make sense for me.   I was under the impression that perms wore off.

I didn't know it would break off either,  Well I guess if I had a perm and wanted to go natural I suppose I would cut the perm out too.   Thanks for helping me understand.

Knowing that perms never wear out puts it into prespective.
I don't have a perm I was just wondering how and why the need for the Big Chop. 

Nah, perms don't wear off. Once you perm you hair that's it POOF that hair is relaxed. Now any new hair that grows also has to be permed to match the rest of your hair.

6 years ago when I first started going natural I wore a lot of braids and 2 strand twists. I was too scared to cut off all my permed hair and wanted to grow my natural hair longer. I started off my locs with shoulder length natural hair about 6 inches past that was permed. Eventually I cut the permed part off. The two textures were sooo different and it made my hair look ugly.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new haircut. My locs were very beautiful and suited me well, but I felt like I had been there done that. I was afraid I would lose some of my funkiness when I cut them off. I had to listen to India's song "I am not my hair" like 20 leven times!

I have gotten so many compliments from strangers on the street about my hair. My short curly fro puts extra pep in my step. Some women are so worried about having long hair, whether it be thiers or bought and they think that they would be less than something without it. I've always been curious of the confidence of women with short hair...now I know!


Dag sorry so long. I've been bombarded by questions from family and friends about me cuttin mine off LOL

That is a trip that perm doesn't come out unless you cut it out.    I will never get a perm. 

I know what short hair feels like,  the last time I cut mine was in 1989, I cut it down to 2 inches high in the front and about 4 inches in the back,  I had a shag.  

I was just curious why women cut off all their hair and then will get weaves, now I know, it's the whole perm deal.     Sounds like perms are a really bad thing.

I doubt that I will ever have hair that short again, but I may as well cause it's in a bun 100% of the time.

hijack

Loving the new hair Ms Star!

Lee, you have beautiful hair.

Thanks and I won't be getting a perm.   lol