Newbie Natural: To BC or to not BC?

That’s the question many women ask themselves when they decide to stop relaxing their hair. Not all women go and chop their hair off. Some women prefer to wait awhile until their hair has some length. Others jump right in. I wasn’t too sure. I knew I’d stop relaxing but I wasn’t sure yet how to go about it. These were my thoughts, almost three months after my last relaxer…

To BC or to Not BC?

Originally written on 20 May, 2011

Transitioning hair

As of next week (27th), I will officially be three months relaxer free.
At the moment, I still have my first weave in. I washed, conditioned and
blow dried it yesterday, trying not to disturb my own hair with the
blow drying. But wow, my hair’s missed water! As soon as I went under
the shower it was like it was gulping up all the water lol.

Three months in means that I’m halfway through my schedule of
transitioning. But I’m getting antsy. And it’s a mix of antsiness over
my current weave (which according to my plan I have 4 more weeks of) and
an antsiness over seeing my natural hair. I’m getting slightly
impatient with waiting until it’s “the right length”. I’ve been
thinking…why did I decide to go natural in the first place? So I’d
have my hair the way God had intended…thick and curly. I loved my
relaxed hair until it loved me no more. It got tired of me forcing it to
be something it wasn’t and gave up on me. So why am I hanging on to
those tired relaxed ends?? And whatever happened to my philosophy that
I’d rather have short, healthy hair than long unhealthy and damaged
hair. I’ve always believed that. And before I began trying to grow my
hair, I had no issue with drastic cuts in the length of my hair, because
I knew that it was for the greater good of having healthy hair and
healthy hair GROWS.

So I’m thinking, if I’m itching this much to cut my hair now instead of
waiting til September, maybe it’s a sign that I should just do it. Yeah
I’m quite scared and nervous but I’m also tired of guessing how my
natural hair’s finally gonna look like. A thought came to me this
morning when I was getting dressed; it’s just hair. IT’S. JUST. HAIR.
I’ve had to make more difficult decisions, more life changing things
quite a few times. So, why is it that when it comes to deciding my next
hairstyle, I’m getting cold feet?

But seriously though, it’s just hair. I just need to go ahead and cut it
(whether that’s now or in 3 months), remember the reasons why I decided
to and not let anyone else’s opinion deter me. Rhona mentioned the
other day that she doesn’t get why the whole BC is such a big deal cos
you’re gonna be hiding your hair the majority of the time anyways. Which
is SO true when you think about it. I’m planning on putting in another
weave after this one so my hair will be hidden for winter, so why not just cut it
sooner? And what would really be so different in cutting my hair now as
opposed to when Mama did when I was 14? Since when has length ruled my
idea of “pretty hair”? And like I said to Emma yesterday…I know I’m
not ugly… surely my looks will “survive”
when I BC?! Surely if I can somehow find a way to rock my worst ever
hairstyles (double mushroom braids; curly red weave sewed onto my dark
brown own hair cornrows LOL!) I can find a way to rock a TWA?! I’ve got
cute big ass earrings and bright colourful make up which would all look
awesome with a TWA. And if all else fails, there’s always braids and
weaves…

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