Traycee from KISSseventyseven recently big chopped after transitioning for 19 months and her hair looks beautiful. Her transitioning process is chronicled on her YouTube channel where you can watch her share her accomplishments and challenges throughout her journey. In her Before You Big Chop Watch This video she shares these three tidbits on what you should know before big chopping:
1. Use cutting shears
Shears are scissors that are designed for cutting hair. They are sharp enough to ensure that the ends are blunt and not jagged, creating split ends. If you do not have shears, you can either purchase them or have your hair cut at a salon. The best way to see the line of demarcation (where the virgin and relaxed or heat damaged hair meet”> is to saturate the hair with water or conditioner to enhance the texture, making the virgin texture more visible and easier to cut.
2. Be ready for a surprise
The weight of the relaxed or heat damage hair can create the illusion that the hair’s curl pattern is looser than what it is. Knowing your curl pattern is only relevant to styling methods. It is not necessary to care for your hair, especially during the transitioning process. Another thing to be prepared for is if the products you used on your relaxed or transitioning hair no longer work. After my big chopped, the products I used on my relaxed and transitioning hair made my virgin, natural hair excessively dry. After a few months of researching, I learned that my natural hair was responding adversely to silicone. Every product that I used was formulated with silicone, so I assumed it was the culprit and after purchasing and trying products without silicones, I learned that silicones were causing my hair to be excessively dry. For you it may or may not be silicones, so make sure to monitor how your hair is responding to your new products and regimen.
3. Have your deep conditioner on standby
The first thing you want to do after cutting your relaxed or heat damaged hair is deep condition your freshly cut ends. A lot of naturals claim to experience excessive dryness, so it is important to impart moisture.
Related: Top 20 Deep Conditioners
Why most people stop transitioning
- Detangling becomes cumbersome, taking hours to finish
- Breakage is uncontrollable
- Dryness is excessive. No products seem to work.
- Exercise is disturbing every style you create, leaving your to re-style nightly.
- Styling becomes increasingly challenging
