If your coily hair is relaxed and you’ve been toying with the idea of fully embracing your natural texture, you may have stumbled upon the phrase “the big chop” at some point or another. The big chop involves, as you can probably guess, cutting off your damaged or chemically processed lengths to speed up the transition to natural hair. It’s a popular approach for those looking to break free of repeated chemical treatments and embrace their curls and coils. It’s also touted as a way to help promote fuller, stronger, healthier hair—even for those who haven’t relaxed or colored their curls in the past.
Ahead, we’ll dive deeper into what the big chop for natural hair entails, explain what cutting off your hair can (and can’t) do and offer tips on how to prepare for the dramatic hair transformation. Keep scrolling for the 411 on big chop haircuts.
Good hair day by @helensofierce
What Is the Big Chop?
The big chop is a dramatic haircut that involves cutting off most (or, in some cases, all) of your mane to hasten the shift to natural hair. How long your hair is after the cut may depend on a few factors.
The first is, of course, your natural hair texture. If you’re doing the big chop for 4C hair, you’ll likely end up sporting a closely cropped afro post-chop. Those with slightly looser coils may be able to transition to natural hair with a coily pixie or longer bixie cut. Whether or not you’re willing to grow out your natural hair before getting the big chop can influence the outcome, too. For example, if you’re able to grow your natural hair a few inches before getting it cut, you’ll be able to sport a longer style post-cut. If rocking coily roots and straight ends doesn’t work for you, you may want to pull the trigger on a buzz cut and start fresh. If you’re unsure which approach is best, consult your hairstylist—they can help you determine what your mane needs to look and feel its best.
Reasons To Go for the Big Chop
Making the decision to cut off most or all of your treated hair is personal and there are a plethora of reasons why someone might opt for a big chop. Though motivations may vary, one of the most common reasons women opt for the big chop is that they’re ready to stop relaxing their strands.
If you’ve regularly relaxed your hair, you know that regrowth can be visible as soon as a few weeks after treatment. Mastering the maintenance of both your natural 4C hair and chemically processed hair simultaneously with two different sets of products and techniques can be overwhelming. This is especially true if your natural texture is very different from the texture of your hair after it’s been chemically processed. Saving time and money—not to mention the frustration that can come with managing chemically processed hair—is a great incentive for embracing the big chop.
Another reason why you might consider the big chop is the promise that it will leave you with seemingly healthier, thicker, fuller strands. Many people who choose the big chop for this goal believe that cutting off their hair helps kick the hair growth process into high gear. If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. Cutting your hair on the ends in no way alters the way your hair grows out from your roots. It can, however, remove split ends and curb damage so your hair is less susceptible to breakage.
Good hair day by @mrs.kbb
How To Prepare for the Big Chop
There are a few essential ways to ensure that the big chop for natural hair gets off on a successful note.
- Try a co-wash: In the weeks leading up to your big chop, consider swapping out your clarifying shampoo for a co-wash to help nourish new growth. The Matrix A Curl Can Dream Co-Wash gets our vote—the creamy formula contains manuka honey and it’s suitable for both looser curls and tighter coils.
- Hydrate: Moisturized hair leads to healthy hair, no matter your length. After washing your hair, use a leave-in conditioner like Mizani 25 Miracle Milk Leave-In Conditioner to help keep your mane feeling soft and hydrated.
- Avoid Heat: To protect your chemically treated hair and delicate new growth, do your best to sidestep flat irons and concentrated blow dryers until you can reestablish a unified texture.
Post-Chop Hair Maintenance
As you look for new ways to take care of hair after a big chop, remember that patience is key. Though the length of your hair may have changed overnight, new hair growth and overall hair health will take more time. That said, your daily routine will likely be fairly straightforward, especially if you’ve opted for a shorter crop. Here are some things you’ll want to keep in mind as your hair begins to grow out.
- Care for your scalp: Healthy-looking hair starts with a balanced, nourished scalp. Give yours some TLC with a scalp treatment like the Mizani Wonder Crown, a gentle pre-shampoo treatment that helps remove buildup and balances the scalp.
- Moisturize: Supporting your strands from the root to the tip starts with a lightweight moisturizer like Mizani 25 Miracle Nourishing Hair Oil. This oil for textured hair is made with coconut, olive, sunflower, and jojoba oils and helps nourish and soften the hair without weighing it down.
- Break damaging habits: Growing healthy hair is one thing, but maintaining it is another. Avoid overuse of hot tools, tight hair ties, rough hair clips, and even using a comb with extra-small teeth as these harmful habits can all lead to breakage and damage of new hair growth. Even choosing an abrasive pillowcase can affect your results, so be sure to have a silk hair wrap or pillowcase at the ready.
Good hair day by @dezarai.stylist
What To Know About the Big Chop
Whether you’re already committed to a big chop for natural hair or are still on the fence about the decision, it’s important to fully understand what to expect and what not to believe when it comes to making a big change. Ahead, we’ll answer some common questions about this fresh-start cut.
Will cutting your hair make it grow faster?
No, cutting your hair won’t affect how quickly it grows. Your hair grows in a series of phases: The anagen (growth) stage, the catagen (resting) stage, and the telogen (shedding) stage. How rapidly your hair cycles through these phases depends on your genetics, but typically, you can expect your hair to grow about half an inch a month. The only way to make your hair grow faster would be to lengthen your growing phase somehow—and science just isn’t there yet. However, cutting your hair removes split ends and other signs of damage that may make it appear as if your hair is growing slowly (or not at all). After a big chop, you can expect your new growth to look and feel healthier than your damaged, chemically treated strands.
Will cutting your hair off make it grow back thicker?
Cutting your hair off will not make it grow back thicker. The diameter of your strands, as well as the number of hair follicles on your scalp, is predetermined by your DNA. This means there’s nothing—no treatment, hairstyle, haircut, or product—that can actually make your hair thicker. That being said, there are plenty of products and styling hacks that can help make your hair look fuller. Learn more in our article Flat Hair: Why It Happens and 22 Expert Tips To Help Add Volume.
Will cutting your hair off make it grow back healthier?
Cutting your hair doesn’t alter how healthy your hair grows out of your head. The hair that grew out of your head before the big chop is the same hair that will continue to grow out of your head post-cut.
If your hair seems healthier after a big chop, chances are it’s because you’ve been taking better care of your hair and are no longer using unnecessary chemicals. A big chop is typically coupled with more frequent trips to the hair salon, an updated haircare routine, and a better understanding of your hair. Instead of caring for hair that has already been damaged, you’re now nourishing hair before it’s been damaged by any outside aggressors.
If you feel like your hair needs a little extra TLC (it never hurts!) we suggest incorporating the Mizani Moisture Fusion Intense Moisturizing Mask into your arsenal. Infused with cupuaçu butter, argan oil, and honey, this mask helps restore essential hydration and vibrancy to dry, brittle, and lifeless hair without adding weight.
As always, make an appointment with a trusted stylist if you’re not sure which haircare routine is right for you. They can help you prepare for the big chop and teach you how to care for your newly-cropped strands afterward.
Next Up: Shaving My Head Was the Greatest Unexpected Catharsis
Interested in embracing a new natural hairstyle? Use our salon locator to book an appointment with a stylist near you.
Header photo credit: @helensofierce
