When I decided to go natural I remember telling my husband that I wanted to transition from relaxed hair. I didn’t know what his reaction would be. To my surprise he didn’t think it would be a bad idea. We were both clueless about natural hair at that time. I remember showing him photos of women before and after their big chop or transition and his demeanor changed slightly. Instead of being excited he was little worried. He wasn’t worried about the texture changed; he was more concerned about the drastic length change. Here I am with shoulder length relaxed hair getting excited about chopping it all off. He voiced his concerns in a nice manner and I acknowledged his opinion. At the same time I assured him that yes, my look will change slightly but not the woman he married. He didn’t come around immediately to the thought of my cutting all of my hair off but understood that doing this wasn’t for him but for me.
A few months later he took his clippers and shaved all of my hair off. It was one of the best feelings in the world. So when asked, “Should you tell your significant other that you have decided to embrace your natural hair and transition from your relaxer or do the big chop?” I would say yes. I am not saying yes you should ask your spouse for permission to go through your process, but you should make him aware of the situation.
Explaining your decision to your spouse is very important because it allows your partner to understand the new journey that you will have ahead of you. And, if we’re being honest, it is courteous. There weren’t any drastic surprises because he knew what to expect. It made my natural hair journey a lot easier to deal with in the beginning because I had him there as a supporter. I do understand that everyone does not have the same situation as me, but I do feel that sharing your decision with your spouse will give them time understand your natural hair journey. At the end of the day you must do what works for you. It is okay to share you decision, but understand you have the right to make the ultimate decision. Your spouse should love you regardless of whatever you decide.
Are you natural? Did you tell your significant other before you made the decision?