It's no secret that I'm practically always on the verge of chopping off all my hair. Despite my lifelong obsession with having long, flowy hair, something has come over me in recent

years that's caused a serious shift in hair priorities. Suddenly, short cuts are so appealing, and while I've only gone through with a drastic cut once, I'm constantly tempted to do it again. Now that I've officially committed to learning to nurture my natural hair texture (proud 4b queen over here!), I'm especially interested in what it might be like to do the big chop and rock a short natural hairstyle. 

"Having gone through the big chop three times now in my life, there are more benefits than downsides in my opinion," says celebrity hairstylist and owner of LunaBella Makeup & Hair Salon Christin Brown. "Although not everyone needs to resort to a big chop to begin their natural hair journey, it sure does get you closer to no longer having what I call split personality hair. By cutting off all the chemical- and heat-damaged pieces, it's a fast track to getting you one step closer to being fully natural, which can be incredibly liberating." London-based celebrity hairstylist Subrina Kidd agrees. "You don't have to, but I always feel like everyone should go short once in their life. It's like a detox almost," she told me. "When you do a big chop, particularly if you're someone who's spent many years straightening your hair, it's a real, honest way of familiarizing yourself with your texture."

Whether you're considering a big chop to lay the foundation for your natural hair journey or just want to try out a chic, short haircut for the fun of it, there are some things you should know. Ahead, get all the expert tips you'll need from Brown and Kidd along with 17 of the prettiest short hairstyles to try at every stage of your grow-out.