Did you know that black women reverting to keeping their natural hair in disfavour of relaxers and flat irons is not only about aesthetics and identity but also about health? In effect, multiple scientific studies and research have shown a direct relationship between relaxers and the occurrence of cancers in black women.
However, after unending decades overlooking our 4c hair, black women have lost the cultural habits surrounding hair care. Returning to natural hair therefore becomes a political statement on the outside and a journey to self on the inside. Many women are usually surprised to discover the nature/texture of their ‘real’ hair, either tight soft coils, loose Z curls, growing to lengths that surprise them or shrinking unbelievably leaving from bra-strap length to visual neck length in the blink of an eye.
What is sure is that in this journey, most black women usually have to choose between the Big Chop or Transitioning Hair. How to know which one is best for you? Read on.
The Big Chop as the name implies means cutting off the relaxed hair leaving very short hair which then grows out completely natural. The pros are that you get to start off easily managing just one texture and it takes less time to style as you learn how to care for your hair. The con is the drastic change of your appearance which is irreversible though you can opt for wigs to bring back the familiar feeling of having long hair.
Transitioning is a little less drastic and the hair is not cut off. That will be a pro. The relaxer isn’t used anymore so natural hair grows beneath while the relaxed hair is on the hair strand ends. However, the con is managing two hair textures which are very different; the natural hair needing more moisture and the relaxed more protein.
There you go? Which method of going natural feels comfier? Have you gone natural yet?
