Hair After the BC: Unexpected things to Expect

My bald spots after the BC

For some people, the Big Chop is a Big Deal.  It takes some soul searching to get to the point of being ready to let it all go.  You really need to be prepared for the emotional and physical differences that are bound to arise.  To help you get there, I'm going to let you in on 5 things people don't really tell you before the Big Chop.  Before I start, please note that none of these things are meant to sound negative and can be easily overcome with patience and care, so don't let them detour you from taking the plunge.

1. Looks are deceiving.

If you're like I was, you probably have a habit of peeking at your new growth.  Depending on how far you are in your transition, you can most likely see a good amount of your newly natural hair and you can sort of gauge how long it is.  Maybe you've made a plan to BC once your new growth gets a certain length.  That is perfectly fine, but I can almost guarantee you that once you cut those relaxed ends off, your hair won't be as long as you thought.  This happens for 2 reasons.  First, unlike your relaxed hair, your natural hair has the ability to shrink.  So even though your hair might be the length you thought it was, it will appear to be much shorter.  Secondly, you will have to cut a little lower than expected in order to completely rid your hair of  all the relaxer.

2. Perm, Perm go away!

Speaking of relaxers...after the BC, you may have what seems to be billions of relaxed ends left on your head.  They may be hard to see, but they'll usually show themselves while your hair is wet.  It's pretty easy to get rid of them, simply cut them off, but like I said, it seems like they're never ending.  I was cutting relaxed ends off for weeks until they were all gone.
 

3. Texture, Smexture

Before you BC, you probably worry yourself with hair typing.  You look at your new growth and compare it to the charts and so now you think you know what your hair type is.  Guess again! First and foremost, I'm pretty sure that everyone goes through what I call the "fuzz ball" stage.  It's that time right after you big chop and your hair has absolutely no pattern.  It's just a fuzzy mess.  After a few months though, your hair will begin to take form.  It may be the hair type you guessed it was while transitioning but keep in mind that it might also be something totally different.  At any rate, don't focus on what your curl pattern is.  Every pattern is unique and beautiful.

4. The Thirst is real.

This one might not come as a surprise, but you can expect your hair to transform into the Sahara Desert after you BC.  Natural hair has more moisture needs than relaxed hair, so you will have to work over time to make sure your new natural hair isn't dry all the time.

5.  Hello, Scalp

Lastly, for me, it was pretty easy to tell my relaxed hair from my natural hair because my natural hair was much thicker.  But once I BC'd, my thick natural hair wasn't so thick anymore.  My scalp was very visible and my hair appeared to be thinning.  You may not experience this if you transition long term, but for us short term transitioners, be prepared for bald spots.  Of course your hair will thicken up and become more dense after some months, but in the meantime, I suggest running your fingers or a comb through your hair to cover some of the spots. 

So there you go, my list of some maybe unexpected things you don't normally hear about hair after the Big Chop.  Those things might make you a little weary, but you are not alone.  Nearly everyone that has gone natural has experienced this.  Its all apart of the journey.  One thing I'll leave you to look forward to is the fact that after you BC, detangling will become much easier!  I don't know what it is about the mixture of the relaxed texture and the natural texture that makes detangling such a chore.  Once you BC you don't have to worry about that silly line of demarcation, but still be gentle of course.  That's all it takes.  A little TLC and patience goes a long way on your natural journey.