From Permed to Natural

If your child’s hair is permed and you want to grow it out, then there are a couple of options available to you: transitioning and big chopping. There are pros and cons to each method, however, most parents choose to transition because their curly cuties aren’t quite ready to chop off all of the permed ends and rock a TWA.

Transitioning

Transitioning is the process of eliminating chemical treatments and allowing the hair to grow out while gradually trimming the chemically processed ends.

Most parents trim about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch of their child’s relaxed ends away every month to slowly grow out their relaxer; this also helps to keep breakage at bay and it gives your child’s hair a more healthy appearance.

Pros of transitioning your child’s permed hair:

• You will have time to really understand and learn more about your child’s hair type.
• If your child refuses to part with their long locs, then you can avoid that adjustment period by
  transitioning and not waiting for your child’s hair to grow back.
• You time to practice your protective styling skills

Cons of transitioning your child’s hair:

• The texture of their hair will not be consistent: which means if you try a Wash N’ Go hairstyle, the ends will look straight while the rest of the hair is curly.
• The process of transitioning takes longer than if you just did “the big chop”.

The Big Chop

The Big Chop is for those who want to be natural now. It entails cutting off all of the relaxed hair and wearing a TWA (teeny weeny afro).

Pros of the Big Chop

• You have a consistent hair texture as opposed to transitioning where you have to deal with two.
• There are no long waits to go natural; your hair is returned to its natural state as soon as your relaxed hair is chopped off.
• With a big chop you have a fresh start no chemically processed hair and no split ends.

Cons of the Big Chop

• There is a longer wait to grow your hair longer
• Learning to deal with an entirely new texture on the spot
• Coming up with new short natural hairstyles.

At the end of the day, the choice should be made between you and your child. Go with what makes your child the most comfortable. There is no right or wrong way for you child to go natural, just as long as they get there!