"My big chop was spontaneous" - Yuwa

In this week's big chop expose series, I had the chance to interview a friend of mine who recently did the big chop. I like the advice she gives women who are hesitating taking the leap. Read her interview below and be enlightened.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself including your occupation and place of residence

My name is Yuwa Ize-Iyamu. I'm from Edo State, Nigeria, but currently living in Toronto, Canada. I graduated from university in 2012 and I'm an aspiring management consultant/entrepreneur. I like to travel and I enjoy observing style among persons.

Who or what motivated you to do the big chop?  

Well, asides from the fact that the weather had taken its toll on my hair and damaged it, I really just wanted a change from my then frail relaxed hair.

How long did you transition for before doing the big chop?

The transition stage was almost non-existent for me because my big chop was spontaneous 

Did you cut your hair by yourself or did you go to a salon? When did you finally take the big leap?

I did my BC at the barbers shop on the 19th of Feb 2014

Do you plan to wear your hair out in its TWA (teeny weeny afro) state or would you let it grow out under a wig or braided extensions? 

This question is rather timely! until recently I had worn my short hair and later decided to wear a wig to prevent too much exposure to the cold weather 

What was your friends and family member’s response when you told them you’d be cutting your hair and what is their response now that you’ve done it?

Since the big chop was spontaneous for me, only my sister knew the day I went to cut it. I had just mentioned it earlier to my mum and she persuaded me not to as she felt I just wasn't taking care of my natural hair well enough. After showing my mum, she was shocked that I actually went through and cut it but she later admitted that she liked it. My close girl friends were shocked as well but for the most part, liked it. I guess it came as a scare for a few guys which was evident in their weird stares. Interestingly, I got a lot of questions from worried adults about my big chop.

What are some of the remarks and/or compliments that you’ve received so far?

The usual you "cut your hair!"
You look younger with your short hair
You're rocking this look Yuwa! Lol
It'll take a while to get used to seeing you with short hair but you still look good
"What's up with your hair?"
"What is this?"... Just to name a few

It’s been a while since you cut off your relaxed hair, how would you describe your attitude towards your hair? Would you say you love it more or you feel indifferent?

I definitely love it more; I think the time I spend taking care of it is evident of my attitude towards my hair as I never gave my relaxed hair that kind of treatment or time.

What is your daily or weekly hair care routine like, now that you've gone fully natural?

I co-wash my hair daily and wash with shampoo just once or twice weekly; also, I use raw Shea butter daily to seal in moisturize.

Many women are afraid to do the big chop because they feel it will make them look like a boy, what advice would you give to such ladies?

Really, I'm a big proponent of being comfortable from within. The reason I was able to get past those not so funny/odd comments was because I was comfortable enough with the look so it really depends on the individual's comfort level. Also I had short hair for a while in boarding school hence the look wasn't something entirely novel to me. Understandably, we have various face shapes so the big chop may be more appealing on certain faces than others. On the other hand, accessories do help to counter a boyish look to some degree. It's certainly a risk to take however it's only the beginning phase and the hair will grow eventually!

Have a big chop or natural hair story to share? Please send me a message today.