How To Rock the Big Chop With Confidence

Enjoy the Journey

“Use this time as an opportunity to truly learn your hair. Get to know every kink, coil and curl on your head, because before you know it, you’ll have a head full of hair. Enjoy the experience — it’s a new you!” —Jordan Parker

Check Your Brows and Wear Earrings (and Hair Accessories)

“Keep the brows done and earrings in! haha! :)” —Chelsey Pettway

“I kept my eyebrows groomed and earrings on. Loved every minute of it…” —April James-Richardson

Newly Natural

Nicole Ari Parker recently debuted her short, natural curls shortly after staring in the Broadway play, A Streetcar Named Desire. “My daughter is 7 and she’s starting to really stare at Mommy and what Mommy does, and I wanted her to love her hair,” said Ari Parker about her decision to do the Big Chop.

Experiment With Color

“Playing with hair color is fun! The bottom line is you have to OWN it!”—Ricki Howard

Take Your Time

“Make sure you’re comfortable seeing yourself with a TWA. It’s a big change all at once and it takes some time to get used to. If you’re not ready don’t do it until you are. Do it on your time, not someone else’s.” — Remy Blue

Set A Good Example

I did my big chop because my daughter, who is 6, wants “long” hair. I had to explain to her that she has long hair. She then told me that she didn’t have long hair and said, “but Mommy you put on fake hair every day.” I had to laugh at her and tell her that I had a fake pony tail added to my hair. I realized that she was looking at that and wanted to be like me so to help her accept herself I chopped my hair. It’s been the best thing I could have ever done.” —LaGirl AtlPeach

Appreciate the Fringe Benefits

“I big chopped in the middle of the night after a disastrous weave experience. Needless to say, it’s been short for three years now and I love it. I get to workout without a care in the world and my skin even improved as a result. It was a win all around.” —Shelter Bamu

See It As A Fresh Start

“The big chop for me was freeing as if I was releasing years of hate, frustration, bad relationships. All of it went on the floor with my hair. It was a way for me to start my life over.” —Shaunte Mason

Feel Confident About Yourself

“Be confident!!! Nothing is stronger than a woman that can present herself in her most natural state and still be FIERCE!!! You make the hair, it doesn’t make you!” —Monique Abrams

The Real You

Malinda Williams inspired a whole wave of women to make the big chop when she flaunted her natural curls last year. “It’s very flattering,” Williams told Black Girl with Long Hair of being a hair inspiration. “That whole trend of cutting your hair is great because — not that I have anything against weaves — but weaves are very expensive, time-consuming and it takes away from the freedom of being the real you.”