Celebrity Hair Style: Solange Knowles

Solange Knowles went through many hair stages, like many black women.

Before 2009, she was wearing long black a hair, either straight or curly. This hair style made her a clone of her sister Beyonce and she seemed to lack of a true personality.

Relaxed hair before the Big Chop

She decided to go natural and shaved her head in July 2009 (also know as the Big Chop in the natural afro hair jargon) to cut down on her astronomic haircare spending ($40-50,000 per year!) and free herself from weaves and extensions.

This became one of the most popular Big Chops of all times. She's been compared to Amber Rose, Cassie and Britney Spears, made the cover of several magazines and was even invited to Oprah's TV show to discuss her decision.

2009 after her Big Chop

She said in Honey Magazine: "As a society we equate beauty with the images that have been placed in front of us since we were little kids. Every Disney movie, every fairy tale, every pop star typically has a certain aesthetic and look. I think that anytime we see something different, it freaks us out.

"The more people warmed up to it, and they saw more images of me with it and dressed up with my earrings and a little something, something on my face, I think then people were more willing to conform and accept it.

"Now, it’s interesting how the first day I had it, I had nothing but negative, evil, cruel things in my inbox and then yesterday [after Oprah aired] I had 300,000 people saying ‘Oh my God, you looked amazing, so beautiful, and you made us proud.’ People were able to hear my reasoning, which is good and bad because we should be able to just express ourselves."

Eleven months later, Solange had an amazing hair growth. She was spotted on 24 June in a New York club with a free style afro.

June 2010