So You've Big Chopped! Now What!?

If you're anything like me, you just jumped in feet head first and chopped all your hair off with no preparation! Or maybe you're not like me and you planned out your transition from relaxed to natural and have now chopped off your relaxed ends. Either way, you may find yourself in a stage of- Now What!? I've been there, done that and honestly, I still find myself there at times. Welcome to Team Natural! It's a never ending journey to hair freedom and self-expression. Here's a few tips, tools and product suggestions that you may find helpful with getting you started in your TWA stage. TWA stands for "Teeny Weeny Afro" by the way.

Natural Hair Products Are Expensive Girl!

Soooo no one told me this before I went natural and I never thought to do some price checking before I decided to chop my hair all off...But ummm, you can spend your whole paycheck in the textured hair aisle in Target! Haha! Yea, there are some affordable products out there but if your hair is high maintenance like mine **rolls eyes** then you are going to have to invest in your hair. You can easily spend between $15-$25 on a good leave in conditioner or spend $20 or more on a curl enhancing gel or creme. So be prepared to budget for some good hair products to get you started. My best tip to you is to keep the receipt! You can return your hair products if they do not work for you. As a new natural, you're getting to know your hair again so you have test out what products work best for you. Don't be ashamed to go right up to the customer service desk and return that product. Don't be a Foolish Fab! Lol.

Make a Beginner's Kit

To get you started with your TWA, you're probably going to need a few tools and products to get your curls popping! Here's some things that you may need:

Co-wash- If your hair is pretty short, there isn't much that you can do with it other than to wash it and rock your curls in it's natural state. Therefore, you may wash your hair quite a bit. Rather than using a shampoo which can dry your hair out if used repeatedly, you can use a co-wash. It's like a conditioning shampoo that allows you to cleanse your hair without stripping your hair of it's natural oils and leaving it dry. So you can co-wash your hair, add some leave in conditioner, use a curl-enhancing product (optional) and you're done!

Here's a good one that I love! It provides great slip so that you can detangle your hair easily. It's affordable too!

Detangling Brush- You're going to need a good detangling brush that will smooth out your curls and distributes the product evenly. It also helps to get to your curls to pop! It's great to use a co-wash and detangle your hair with the product still in. That way, once you rinse your hair and add your other products, your curls will instantly form!

Here's a great one to use!

Leave In Conditioner- Moisture, moisture and more moisture is the key to healthy kinks and curls! A good leave in conditioner sets the stage for a bomb hairstyle. It adds moisture to your hair and gives your hair the nurturing it needs. I typically don't go cheap on the leave in conditioners because it's an important ingredient to wash n go's (when you wash your hair, style your curls while wet and let it air dry).

Here's one of my all time favorites! It's works well for wash n go's.

Curl Enhancing Gel- Let's be honest girl, I know you want to achieve the best big chop look. You don't want to be out here looking like Frank Mitchell! You know Moesha's daddy! Lol

Using a curl-enhancing gel is going to help you get there. But be warned, they are NOT cheap! One you've added your leave-in conditioner, you add this product. Depending on your hair type, you will start to see your curls form to perfection or you may have to play with it a little. To play with it, you may have to pull the detangling brush back out and swirl around your hair a bit or wrap your curls around your finger to form a few curls!

Here's a couple curl-enhancing gels that have saved my entire life on many mornings! *Tip- Make sure to use have a water spray bottle handy. Use plenty of water with these products to achieve a non-crunchy and non-gunky look!

I hope that you will find these helpful. I have more tips to share but these are just the basics! What are some of your favorite TWA tools/products!?? Share below!