To big chop, or not to big chop? 4 lessons I've learned since cutting it all off.

I know by now many of you have seen the Netflix movie, Nappily Ever After, and were inspired by Sanaa’s brave transformation on screen. Yep, I have too! But this wasn't my motivation for chopping it off.

In my (recent) past, I was an avid weave wearer. I was one of the girls who’s hair was always on fleek. I taught myself how to do sew-ins and make wigs in college, so from that point on, my hair was always fried, dyed and laid to the side. Lol Though my hair always looked good, I didn't do the best job caring for my natural hair underneath the extensions. I would go longer than recommended without getting my ends clipped, and not deep condition my hair as often as I should. For this very reason I said “why not?” Why not cut it off and start over??? I need to start focusing on the health of my hair. And if I absolutely hated it, back to the weave I go! lol

Here are the 4 things I've learned since doing the big chop:

You will gain a ton of confidence

I get way more compliments with my short cut than I did with my bundles! No lie, I get a compliment a day! And honey don't let the wash-and-go be fresh. Lol We live in a time where so many people are into the lace frontals and full faces of makeup that when someone see's you embracing your natural, they are refreshed. By you rocking your natural self, and killing the game, it gives others the courage to do the same.

Also, something that came as a surprise to me, is that men love short hair!

It doesn’t free up time!

It is NOT as low maintenance as I imagined! This may differ based on length and hair texture, but as for me, styling my hair is work. In comparison to my faithful wigs, which I only had to put my stocking cap on, and slick my edges down, a wash-and-go is a task. Looking at "hair goal" photos give you the illusion that a wash and go will take 10 minutes and leave your hair silky smooth with loose ringlets. SIKE! My wash-and-go's take about 30 minutes and this includes wash, condition, adding leave-in conditioner, moisturizer, gelly, and using the raking method through my curls. I wont even add dry time! That can take hours.

There’s beauty in letting old things go!

It's all about starting fresh, and doing something you've never done before. No you cant turn back, but you can at least say you've tried it and experienced all that comes with the journey.

When you cut off those dead ends that no longer serve you, you are inviting new healthy growth. This goes for your hair and all other areas of your life! *wink*

You may be more focused on your overall health

I had a newfound interest in being healthy after I chopped off my hair. I wanted to stop ingesting things that weren't healthy for me, and stop using products with tons of chemicals and unnecessary additives. I even considered going vegetarian, key word, considered! lol I'll start with pescatarian first and we will see how things go.

All in all, if you're considering cutting your hair off, I say go for it! At the end of the day, it's just hair!#shrugs