My Big Chop

o finally, I get around to this, I have been trying to set up this post for a while but had misplaced the photos! Trust me.

Anyway so over a week ago (September, 8th 2012) to be exact I did my big chop. I had lamented on the facebook page and on the blog a couple of times that I wanted to cut my hair and finally I did it.

I was unable to make time for my big chop as the only time I could go to the barbers was over a weekend which are my less consumed days, but somehow for over a month I couldn't make time for it. On this Sunday though, I hadn't actually planned to cut my hair, but around midday, I started feeling really unwell, I had a huge pain in my abdomen and it was suggested that I should take a pain killer then take a walk to ease the pain.

And thus, my journey to the big chop begun. After taking my pain killer I wondered where to walk to, as my hometown tends to be quite dusty thus not really an ideal place to take aimless midday walks, then I remembered of my plans to cut my hair, and I was really feeling unwell and I couldn't shampoo and deep condition my hair as I wanted to I thought, let me take a walk to the barbers.

I asked my brother which barbers he frequents and he gave me the directions, I asked how much he usually pays and he told me KShs.100/, I was like whaat??? I thought  it was KShs. 20/ lol!!! That explains how long it has been since I saw a barber. I asked him what they do to his head, he told me that they usually just cut it according to the style required then shampoos their head. Only that for KShs. 100/ lol...

Anyway I decided to go ahead, figuring in my head, since I would tell them only to cut my hair and not shampoo it, then I could cut costs and probably pay KShs. 50/ (the kahustler in me), but not first before my brother told me not to get it cut as I would look like a boy! huh??? Who listens to their brothers anyway.

So yep, took my walk and found myself at the barbers, as it was a unisex salon I found one women getting her weave fixed and a dude seated in one of the chairs, the lady who was weaving asked me what I needed, and I told her, I wanted to cut my hair. She pointed me to the guy. The guy welcomed me to a seat and I removed the headwrap that I had on. Till then they hadnt seen my hair. When they saw that it was actually abit long and very healthy, they started telling me not to cut it, and giving me unsolicited advice of how I should plait it, blow dry it, loc it... and the barber goes, you know if you find it hard it manage, you should RELAX IT! woooahh!!! I was like I have never relaxed and I don't let chemicals near my head, and you should have seen the looks on their face. ha ha ha... anyway I told them, the reason I was there is because I knew what I wanted to do with my hair and that is cut it.

And so the barber wrapped me with a towel and an outer wrap and the process began. I will let the photos below tell the story of how it went down. I told the barber to leave an inch of hair on my head as I was to scared to go all in on it and since I have been "full natural" for the past year thought the one inch is quite unaffected as it is. But all I can say is that it came out okay. I love my short hair for the last one week we have been together and I look forward to experimenting with it more.

My mom, didnt quite like it, but what could she do. My dad doesnt ever seem bothered by my hair. My brothers are over the "first day jokes" and are now accustomed to my look. What do you think?

When I first removed my head wrap, and I was being given unsolicited advice 

Final look at my mane.... hadn't done anything that day (I miss my hair) 

When the machine first touched my head.. High on vibration... I almost told  him to stop. Look at my Wince.

And then it really hit me.....

There goes my hair... falling on my lap as it goes.

Finally new and improved me :) 

There goes a ball of my hair... and as the paranoid fool I am, I carried it home to go and throw it away, "properly" lol.

The anti-fungal soap I washed my head with when I got home from the barbers.

If you are thinking of doing a big chop, here are some tips for you.

Live, Love, Laugh,

Its only Natural,

Natural Toto