Just days after Netflix announced it was cancelling Orange Is The New Black, Danielle Brooks is saying goodbye to her character, Taystee Jefferson, in the form of a dramatic haircut. The actress debuted her first-ever big chop on Instagram this weekend, and all we have to say is: Yes, sis.
“She’s been wanting to big chop for some time now, but we’ve had some limitations due to work so we couldn’t do it," says her longtime hairstylist, Tish Celestine. "Last week she just contacted me like, ‘Hey I’m’ ready,’ and I was there in an hour to do it."
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Like many women considering a big chop, Brooks’ came as a result of damage and a desire for change. “She has some breakage in the middle of her head, but she also wanted to see how she'd look with a short style,” Celestine says.
The actress wasn't immune to those big-chop jitters, either. Celestine tells us that Brooks was "absolutely nervous," but excited to try something different. "I believe that every woman should big chop at least once in life," Celestine says. "Hair is attached to energy, and when you cut off old hair you make room for new energy. It makes you fearless."
For her big-chop debut, Celestine styled Brooks' curls with a handful of products you can get at the drugstore or your local beauty supply store. She started by moisturizing her coils all over with Carol's Daughter leave-in conditioner. Toward the middle of her head (where Brooks has slightly looser curls), Celestine created comb twists with edge control gel. She then slicked down her edges with Ecostyler gel, and coated her scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil, which is great for stimulating hair growth. Celestine topped it all off with Creme Off Nature Shine Mist to give her curls soft hold.
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If you’ve been holding on to damaged strands in fear of having short hair — don't. Brooks and Celestine are on a mission to show women that short curls are beautiful, thank you very much. “Every time she steps out with this cut, we plan on showcasing something different,” Celestine tells us. “We want to show people that just because you have short hair doesn’t mean you have limited options.” That means we can expect a lot more hair inspo from Brooks in the future, and we are READY.