How did you know you were ready to do the BC?

[maddywoo13]

I'm only two days away from being 8 months natural, I have a little over 3 inches of new growth and I am ITCHING like a hound to cut all my relaxed hair and become 100 percent natural. The thing holding me back is, that would be a rather dramatic change for me because I am not use to having short hair at all, especially natural hair. Mainly, what I'm concerned about is managing but I'm hoping to God I can maintain. So I come to you ladies to ask:

How did you know when you were ready?
Was it harder to maintain?
Was it really the best choice?
and Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?


I appreciate ALL answers and any shred of advice

 

[MixedBerry]

It was all I could think about.
I never thought about my relaxed hair.
I cried when I saw the newgrowth end where the relaxed hair started! lol

 

[loolalooh]

How did you know when you were ready?
You just know. There's no doubt ... only wonder at what you'll look like post BC. At least for me, it was that way. Nerves are fine; but there's no doubt. You just know when you find yourself cutting and can't stop. I thought I would just do a mini-chop ... but I kept on going.

Was it harder to maintain?
No. Natural hair has been easier for me to maintain. Don't get me wrong; it has its challenges. But it's FAR easier than my transitioning days. No need trying to blend the two textures or hide the new growth anymore. And when my natural hair was short, if I had a bad hair day I'd just co-wash and go out the door!

Was it really the best choice?
Yes!

and Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?
My hair grows the same rate natural, relaxed, or transitioning.

 

[maddywoo13]

Bump! bumpity bumps bump!

 

[Whimsy]

BC so you can truly say you're natural!!

I intended on BCing after a year during my first transition.
I lasted about 7 months.


How did you know when you were ready? I just really wanted to see myself w/ short hair and I just wanted my fro really badly

Was it harder to maintain? Nope, It was very easy. I was BSL at the time of my BC so I just had to wash moisturize my lil fro and go! easy peasy 1 2 3sy

Was it really the best choice? Absolutely!

Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?
I think it grew the same. BUT I didn't notice the growth at all. then one day i straightened and was like WOW where'd the hair come from.


DO IT!!! and then post pix for us

 

[Southernbella.]

How did you know when you were ready?
I got out of the shower after having cowashed and just KNEW that I couldn't do it anymore. I was ready to be free. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time, but I just knew.

Was it harder to maintain?
No. The TWA if infinitely easier, but once your hair starts growing, you're right back to regular maintenence again. It's not easier or harder, just different.

Was it really the best choice?
Yes!

and Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?
My hair grows the same rate natural, relaxed, or transitioning.

 

[TaraDyan]

How did you know when you were ready?
I purposely planned to transition for 18 months, and I stuck to my guns even though I was itching to BC way before then.

Was it harder to maintain?
Not even! My natural hair is a breeze. Transitioning was the bear for me (the relaxed hair was always fighting with the natural hair)

Was it really the best choice?
Completely!

Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?
My hair grows at the same rate no matter what (1/2" a month).

 

[that_1_grrrl]

How did you know when you were ready?
I don't know if my experience will be helpful. I am a very anxious person. If I think about something too long, I get impulsive and do it. That's what happened with the BC. I didn't know anything about transitioning at the time though. I just knew I was tired of my relaxed hair, and I was loving my little curlies. I just had to do it.

Was it harder to maintain?
Not at first, no. It got harder as it got longer because I knew nothing about natural hair.

Was it really the best choice?
Um... yes because I fell in love with being natural. No, because I didn't know how to take care of natural hair at the time.

Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?

Um... well, since I didn't know about transitioning, my relaxed hair was just breaking off. Therefore, there was no growth (or I should say retention). I had better retention as a natural. I would have had even better if I knew what I was doing.

 

[momi]

How did you know when you were ready? My relaxed hair looked so think and scraggly next to my beautiful natural NG
Was it harder to maintain? Not really, but since I had no idea what I was doing - my hair was dry as the sahara!
Was it really the best choice? I would not do it again, the TWA look did not work for me and my husband did not like it one bit. Now that I have more knowledge, I would just grow an inch and cut an inch - hence keeping my hair at one length until completely natural.
and Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning? No, but I retained more, while transitioning, I had a lot of shedding and breakage.


The BC is no easy feat and not for the faint of heart. It is for big girls only.

 

[SouthernDimps]

I'm 6 months into my transition and I know that I'm not ready. While I don't have the itch to relax, I also don't have the itch to BC just yet. For me, my hair is my security blanket. I haven't had hair shorter than APL since I was a very young child. But I know that once my natural is past my shoulders, I will be ready to BC. That's not to say that I don't think about being completely natural and not having to deal with the two textures but I know in my heart that I'm not ready.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Let me preface this by saying that I didn't have a clue what I was doing during transitioning. If I had I may have gone longer than the 6-7 months that I did complete.
How did you know when you were ready?
I felt at the time that I was ready, but mentally I was not completely. I knew that it was all I thought about and I was so super tired of trying to deal with the two textures.
Was it harder to maintain?
Once I got everything down, as far as a routine and products, I was good to go.
Was it really the best choice?
Now that I look back on it, I think so , but at the time I was devastated for about a week or two. Now I wish I'd done it sooner than I did.
and Did you hair grow faster completely natural than it did while you were transitioning?

I never noticed a difference. As long as I keep up my exercise and healthy eating, my hair grows just fine.