5 Years Later: My Big Chop Anniversary

I've never known the actual date I Big Chopped but thanks to Facebook, a photo popped up this morning with a date.  I can't believe I never thought to check Facebook over the years but I'm also not a huge fan of Facebook these days so that makes sense.  Anyways, today is my BigChopaversary!!  Let's go through the years and see how this major decision changed things for me...

MARCH 17, 2005

I went to Hair Cuttery and had the stylist cut all my hair off.  She had to have asked me a million times if I was sure LOL.  But I had seen a picture of Solange that I fell in love with and I was MORE THAN sure.  Before this day, I had cut my hair into an edgy style just for fun.  If you're going to cut all your hair off anyways, why not have some fun with cuts + styles in between, right?!

THEN IT HAPPENED FOR REAL.

My Inspo

Best day EVER.  I was in love with my cut from the moment the stylist spun me around in the chair to look in the mirror.  At the time (clearly not the case now), I had a slim face and I felt like removing my hair accentuated all of my features. 

FAVORITE PRODUCTS AT BIG CHOP: 

As I Am Naturally Co-Wash

Morroccanoil Treatment

Morrocanoil Curl Defining Cream

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT MY CURLS:

Even though I knew my texture was closer to Solange, I didn't understand why my curls weren't big and wide like Traycee Ellis Ross.  I was completely dumbfounded and thought I had been duped.  This stage lasted months and I went through hundreds of dollars trying to find products to give me the curls I wanted.  It never happened.  LOL.

WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT ABOUT MY CUT:

Honestly, my husband hated my cut and he never missed an opportunity to remind me never to go that short again.  I cut my hair off maybe another 4-5 times afterwards.  You know when he started to come around?  When his friends and family were complimenting me on how great the cut looked on me.  It was like a lightbulb went off for him where he was finally able to see that the hair I lost didn't take away from how beautiful his wife was.  No shit Sherlock.  I haven't gone so short again because I know he really doesn't like it and yes that matters to me.  He just likes to see a little curl at least... he doesn't like the caesar cut and I think that's a good compromise.

HOW DID MY CUT AFFECT JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

Truthfully, I was let go from a job shortly after my cut.  I don't think the cut had anything to do with it though.  The company was shady AF and had probably made a mistake when hiring me.  Fast forward three months later, I was hired in a much better role and guess what?  I had maybe an inch of curls during the interview process!  The company was not very diverse and in fact, I was the youngest black executive employed by them at the time of my hire.  So, my Big Chop really didn't hinder any opportunities at all.

ADVICE I WISH SOMEONE HAD GIVEN ME:

Take the time to fall in love with your own curls, your own texture.  There are tons of videos and photos out there with all these beautiful crowns of curls but none of them will be exactly like yours.  Don't cut your hair off thinking you will have your Mother's texture or your Sister's texture.  Don't look at your new growth as you're transitioning and think that's the texture of your curls.  It's not.  Truthfully, you will not know what you're dealing until you cut it off.  It took me cutting my hair off about 3 times before I actually reached my "true" curl pattern + texture.  No one ever tells you this but I'm telling you NOW!

MEMORY LANE

2013

2013

Year One Straightened

(2014) Tapered Cut

The Grow Out Process of the Tapered Cut SUCKED BALLS.

2014-2015

Did Lots of Coils to Grow the Tapered Cut Out

(2015) Finally Grew it Out

(2016) So I Cut it...

(2016) AGAIN...

(2017) I'm All Good Now...

(2017) But I Kinda Want to Cut Again LOL

Hope you enjoyed going down memory lane with me.  As you can see, I can never let my hair get too much length before I get the urge to cut.  Length is really pretty to me but nothing beats a bomb ass cut!  I don't care, I don't care... You're not going to change my mind. LOL.  This was a lot of fun actually.  Until next time...

XOXOMCS.