How to go from Relaxed to Natural Hair

In order to go from relaxed to natural hair, you have two options: Transitioning or The Big Chop. Which one you choose is entirely up to you. There is no right way or wrong way to start your journey. It doesn’t matter how you get there, its all about what makes you comfortable.

First lets take a look at the difference between the two methods.

Transitioning is the process of removing chemical treatments from your routine and eventually waiting until your natural hair growth reaches a length that you are comfortable with. As you grow your natural hair out your relaxed hair is slowly being cut off through trims, but once it has reached your desired length all of your remaining relaxed ends are removed.

Pros of Transitioning:

You have the time to learn about your particular hair type

If you are not comfortable with short hair, then you can avoid that adjustment period, and the wait to grow your hair out

During transitioning, you have the time to perfect your hair styling skills

Cons 

The texture of your hair will not be consistent: which means if you decide to wear your hair in a twist out or braid out style the root of your hair might be curly while your ends will be bone straight (To avoid this simply roll the ends of your hair with rods or rollers).

The process of transitioning takes longer than if you just did “the big chop”.

The Big Chop, is when you decide you don’t want to put up with any long waits you are ready to go natural ASAP. All of your relaxed hair is cut off  on the spot and you are left with what is referred to as a TWA or a teeny weenie afro.

Pros

You have a consistent hair texture as opposed to transitioning where you have to deal with two

There are no long waits to go natural, your hair is returned to its natural state as soon as your relaxed hair is chopped off

With a big chop you have a fresh start no chemically processed hair and no split ends

Cons

Waiting to grow your hair longer

Learning to deal with an entirely new texture on the spot

Coming up with new short natural hairstyles

What you decide is entirely up to you, go with what makes you feel good and what you feel fits your lifestyle. Remember there is no right or wrong way to go natural. As long as you get there it does not matter what route you choose.

Knowing your hair type enables you to choose the best products and techniques to use when caring for your natural hair. Read our hair types page for more information.