Help me to decide Transition or Big Chop

[LoveisYou]

This is my second go at going natural (you can see my first go here: http://public.fotki.com/pinkhibiscus/ ). I bc'ed the first time and LOVED the first 8 months. I've had my hair short many times so short hair doesn't bother me at all. However, the in between phase of my natural hair did, and as a result I relaxed again. sigh....

I'm currently wearing braids to transition, but I'm itching to chop. I planned on transitioning for a year this time around, but I don't know if I can hold out, lol.

So what do you ladies think, bc or transition for awhile?

 

[Whimsy]

Just chop it. You can work thru your inbtwnphase better now, armed with more info/techniques/tips/experience. Choppety Chop Chop

 

[Whimsy]

PS you were rockin that short cut. I LOVED it.

 

[locabouthair]

Short hair looks so beautiful on you, so if you want to BC go for it. If not you can transition.

 

[Taina]

Speaking of myself, i don't like transitions (my hair either, it starts to break a lot). If you chop your hair, you will be able to lean how to treat it while in short, so when the hair starts to grow, you will know it well, you will know what it needs and what it doesn't.

But, if you are not really sure about going natural, i suggest you to transition, because if you change your mind, you won't gonna loose all your hair lenght.

 

[LoveisYou]

Thanks guys, my hair is short now so I don't really have much length to lose. I'm pretty sure I want to go natural, just not sure what length I want to start out as a natural

 

[LivinMyLifeLikeItsGolden]

I think you should big chop, if you can work the short hair..why not!!!

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Personally, I hate transitioning. I just know for me, I always failed when I BCD too soon. I am learning a lot so I think transitioning is working for me. I am itching to BC. I have made a little notebook with goals I want to achieve before I BC. That is helping me keep my focus. If you know how to do natural styles, you should be fine with BCing, but if you need to learn more, I'd say transition until you are ready to BC.

 

[La Colocha]

You look fierce with short hair chop chop.

 

[Kranbery]

Transitioning is hard. Go for the BC

 

[isabella09]

I agree with everyone else, if your ready to BC I say go for it!

 

[Dommo]

I think it depends on whether or not you're trying to grow your hair out long or just rock it short. You already said that you don't like the "in-between" stage.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

Transitioning is a lot of work .... BC if you feel comfortable with it. I say go for it.

 

[LoveisYou]

thanks for the feedback ladies, my only drawback is should I wait until I bypass the in-between stage before chopping.

 

[countrychickd]

I agree with everyone else. Go ahead and BC because you wear short hair well. You'll have so much fun learning your hair as it grows, and then you can get a gauge on how fast your hair grows.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

go ahead and chop it! you look great. i know what you mean about that awkward 'almost a year natural' stage. it can be... interesting. i ended up relaxing at that point too. just do a ps for a few months until you get past it.​

 

[fyb87]

I say go with your first thought! I was a transitioner myself and never did a BC. I could never have found the nerve to do that since the shortest my hair has ever been was when I had the impulse to get a chin length bob. Other than that it had been APL to BSL. I would have been traumatized .

However, you have done the BC before and didn't have any problems AND you looked absolutely gorgeous when you did it.

Just go with your gut instinct and you will be fine. I know you will rock your hair in whatever decision you make1

 

[prettybyrd]

I am a big fan of the BC! I say give it a go. Were you on LHCF when you BC'd before? Perhaps this time you can come back for help/suggestions when you hit the "I have no hair, and I'm bored with this look" phase.

I didn't consider that when I went into the bathroom and chopped all mine off on Saturday! But, being this short again is a great feeling!

Good luck either way!

ETA: I love your blog!

 

[MummysGirl]

You know you'll look good in a BC cos you've done one before.... I'd suggest BC'ing and then hiding your hair away when you get to the awkward stage. Who knows, you might actually enjoy your hair even through this stage.

Good Luck!

 

[Whimsy]

Since you're ok with braids, when intbetween time comes just braid it up so u wont have to deal with it...

 

[Nonie]

I transitioned in braids, trimming a little every time I redid braids.

Why did you give up on being natural, and what has changed now that makes you sure you want to be? Not trying to give a hard time but those reason can help you decided whether to chop or not. If you enjoyed having short hair for 8 mths then you know you enjoy having short natural hair. But what happened at the 8th month mark that made you want to relax? You could transition past 8 mths so that you can pick up where you left off. Maybe you got tired of dealing with your hair, which means if you BC and go through the same steps you went through, you may tire of it at 8 mths again.

If I were in your shoes, I'd transition and start off where I left off. Maybe 8 mths is my cutoff time, so why not run 8 mths from 8mth's worth of growth and see if I don't actually have more fun in with long natural hair. You already know what the first 8 mths are like. Why not wait to check out the next 8 mths when you already have 8 mths of growth?

 

[RoundEyedGirl504]

Chop chop!!

 

[LoveisYou]

I transitioned in braids, trimming a little every time I redid braids.

Why did you give up on being natural, and what has changed now that makes you sure you want to be? Not trying to give a hard time but those reason can help you decided whether to chop or not. If you enjoyed having short hair for 8 mths then you know you enjoy having short natural hair. But what happened at the 8th month mark that made you want to relax? You could transition past 8 mths so that you can pick up where you left off. Maybe you got tired of dealing with your hair, which means if you BC and go through the same steps you went through, you may tire of it at 8 mths again.

If I were in your shoes, I'd transition and start off where I left off. Maybe 8 mths is my cutoff time, so why not run 8 mths from 8mth's worth of growth and see if I don't actually have more fun in with long natural hair. You already know what the first 8 mths are like. Why not wait to check out the next 8 mths when you already have 8 mths of growth?

Last night I actually read the advice you gave to another woman who was contemplating going natural again. It was something along these lines, and admittedly, it made me think about my own situation. You advised the other poster to look at the albums of relaxed ladies who were enjoying their relaxed hair and so I followed suit and did the same thing.


I then came up with a list of my likes and dislikes for my hair:

-I love short hair relaxed or natural
-but at this point in my life I want long hair
-I believe (and I could be wrong) that natural hair is easir to style when it's really short or long enough
-I don't like in-between hair whether relaxed or natural, unless I discover a fierce in-between cut I think it's a blah stage

I'm going to transition for a bit more before I make a decision. Right now my short cut is growing out, when I take my braids down, I'll get the new growth pressed for awhile and make a decision by the end of the year.

 

[Nonie]

Last night I actually read the advice you gave to another woman who was contemplating going natural again. It was something along these lines, and admittedly, it made me think about my own situation. You advised the other poster to look at the albums of relaxed ladies who were enjoying their relaxed hair and so I followed suit and did the same thing.


I then came up with a list of my likes and dislikes for my hair:

-I love short hair relaxed or natural
-but at this point in my life I want long hair
-I believe (and I could be wrong) that natural hair is easir to style when it's really short or long enough
-I don't like in-between hair whether relaxed or natural, unless I discover a fierce in-between cut I think it's a blah stage

I'm going to transition for a bit more before I make a decision. Right now my short cut is growing out, when I take my braids down, I'll get the new growth pressed for awhile and make a decision by the end of the year.

I think you echo many people with the bold. Just come here for support when you get to that awkward stage. You could join the challenges that involve hiding your hair just to get over that hurdle. I also agree with you that long hair and short hair seem easier to deal with than that in-between stage.