In the United States, many black women have decided or are planning to go natural by "letting go of the lye." These days you can see sistas and even brothas in just about every major city across the country rockin' natural hairstyles. However despite this movement towards Naturalism, the battle to rid ourselves of the chemicals is far from over.

If you have a nice, petite lil' dome, then you can probably rock a close crop somethin' fierce. For all others, well...hats come in a variety of styles.

Keeping a short natural is all about courage. I don't care how cute you think you are, it's difficult for many women to even fathom having their hair cut extremely close.

Before taking the plunge, consider some of the challenges you'll face so that you're better able to deal with them when/if they arise.

Now if you're sure that you want to go natural but are afraid of what protrusions or lumps might lie underneath all that hair, there are several alternatives...

Going Cold-Turkey
I had to begin with this one because no matter how long your new-growth becomes while you're growing it out, you'll constantly be wondering, "Is it long enough?" The biggest issue with letting go of the lye has to deal with our subconscious desire for straighter hair. Another more subtle reason is that most women feel they need longer hair. In a lot of cultures, longer hair is a sign of femininity, so cutting it off not only has personal implications, but emotional ones as well.

Aside from the psychological aspects of going cold-turkey, this is still probably the best and quickest of all
methods because it enables your hair to begin anew without the breakage that is associated with growing it out. Keeping the relaxed ends ultimately results in breakage because the ends will eventually undergo a sort of "shock" due to chemical neglect. It's as if your hair is a fiend going through withdrawal and gradually it will split, become brittle and break off on its own.

Despite it's advantages, going cold-turkey requires a great deal of courage and strength, but those who have taken this route have found it very empowering. I've met women who were petrified to cut their hair short, but actually end up liking their short hair so much that they decide to keep it cut close for years.

If you take this route and are feeling a little self-conscious at first, you can always wear headwraps or other accessories until you're comfortable with your length. Try surrounding yourself with positive people because sometimes the best combatant is a good friend.

For the most part however, it's all about time and patience. After a few weeks you'll become less concerned with what people think and will be able to rock your teeny weeny 'fro (TWA) somethin' fierce.