Is that your hair?

 

I was thinking today about my post about having long hair. Then it occurred to me that I've never had my hair natural at even this length. A friend asked me today if it was all my hair. I had to chuckle. I've read that a lot of sisterlock sisters get that question. It had never happened to me before. I started getting relaxers at around age 5. That's just what we did back then. It was not just normal, it was expected in my world. In college, I cut all my hair off and, gurls, you know they talked about me. (Why did that AKA cut all her hair off -- skee wee to any sorors out there!) When my father passed seven years ago, my sister and I both cut our hair off -- coincidentally. It's not like we planned it together. She's still rockin' a beautiful natural "do". Her hair is much straighter naturally than mine. I got frustrated midway, got a texturizer, hated the texturizer, and cut it off again. Although I've been natural for around three or four years, I'd often get frustrated and cut it because I just couldn't manage. Then, exasperated, I just gave up. During that period, I did nothing to it. I wore a hat for six months. I may have been depressed about it, but it grew like weeds. I don't remember how I stumbled upon sisterlocks. But that's when I realized how much my hair had grown -- the first time I got them that is. And this time, as much as I went on and on about my odd shaped hair, I think it turned out okay...I nice simple bob. My braid-out is still lingering. I liked it. The ends of my hair were frizzy when I first got my hair sisterlocked. And now, 10 days later, the little curls on the ends have returned...just smaller. I know I'm rambling. Just some random thoughts and observations. I will say that I have an inner peace and happiness not feeling like I have to change me just to be me.

Long Hair -- will my hair really be that long?

Long hair is something that has eluded me my whole life. Sure, I could get braids or a weave, but it wasn't really my hair. I remember stretching my relaxed hair after each touch-up, hoping it was a wee bit longer -- only to have it eventually break off. And now, I see all these lovely locked ladies, but I can't help wonder. "Will that be me?" I see gorgeous locks all the way down backs, and I only have hope that mine will be the same. I guess I'm in a bit of denial. I really don't believe that I'll one day have these long, luxurious locks. If they make it to my shoulder, I'll be happy. But oh to dream of the middle of my back.

Braid Out The Next Morning

So I took the braids out. Ahhhh! So THIS is a braid out. I had tried a braid out with my previous locks, but they were so curly anyhow it really didn't make a difference. These locks are straight, not curly. Probably because they are so much smaller? Who knows. Anyhow, I like it.

603 locks!!! My Babies are Back!!!

WOW! I have 108 more locks than I did last time. I'm convinced I had step-sisterlocks. Cest la vie. I'm happy again! My consultant braided up my hair and very lightly spritzed it with water so that in the morning I'll have nice waves. It took 17 hours over two days. But YAY!

Wondering if I Previously Had Step-Sisterlocks!?@?!

The difference between this set of sisterlocks and my previous set is enormous. First, the size of the locks. I think I do remember my previous consultant saying she made my locks slightly larger because I had so much hair. But I didn't realize how much that size difference would make in how my locks fell and looked. I think I probably had the size of brotherlocks. On top of that, I had a lot of hair on the end. Enough for it to have these cute spiral curls -- then ends were roughly an inch to an inch and a half. However, I'm fairly sure she left a little more than she should have. Those curls may have looked cute, but when they started to lock I probably would have had a serious bunching issue. I mean, she did get me in and out pretty fast. My first installation only took 9 hours. She was a trainee, but had been doing sisterlocks for five years. I still think she's good, but she did a few things to save time that may not have been in my best interest longterm. I almost feel like I had step-sisterlocks. I LOVE my new consultant. She's prompt, friendly, knows hair, has two clean salons, and I can even book my appointments online. In short, she's awesome. Today we finished half my head. It took around 9 1/2 hours. I go back tomorrow for another full day, not sure how long it will take. My hair is a little shorter in back so hopefully not nearly as long. She seemed to think she could finish tomorrow. I hope so! She's awesome though. I wouldn't say she's slow at all. She moves along, doesn't talk on the phone, and takes a short break. The simple truth is, I have A LOT of hair. I can't explain the feeling I have right now. I'm overjoyed.

One of my cutie pies!

...the EXCITEMENT is building!

Tomorrow I get my sisterlocks installed! Well, it's actually going to take  two days this time. My hair is a little longer and my new consultant was like -- 9 hours???? You've got to be kidding. No matter to me. I can't wait. I'm bringing  my laptop and will work the entire day in peace. No calls. No munchkins. So here's my before photo. Doesn't look much different than my previous one. I washed it this morning with the sisterlocks shampoo. Never loved that stuff, but you know, it works.

Pre-Install: November 4, 2010

Previous Pre-Install: June 21, 2010

Sunday is "S" Day!

I'm feeling very excited about Sunday. My appointment is at 7 a.m. How's that for early? And I have to drive a little over an hour to get to her. Tonight I did my last deep conditioning. My hair feels thinner. I'm not sure why. I've always thought that it would just turn into a bush as it got longer. And it's still thick, don't get me wrong. But it's definitely thinner post-drama. The lice outbreak has reached feverish pitch in my son's classroom -- 10 kids and who knows how many parents have succumbed. They're ripping up carpets. Fumigating. The kids are putting their coats in large bags. The superintendent is involved now. We're hoping the long Thanksgiving holiday break will result in breaking the cycle, but who knows. All I know is that every night both my sons have olive oil and/or some kind of strong conditioner and a cap on their head. And I'll be cutting my youngest son's hair soon because it's starting to get longer again. He has such beautiful curls too. Bye Bye curls. I've been wearing a cap around the house. Mostly because I don't want to deal with my hair. But also because I'm paranoid that the boys will bring it right back home again. I was asleep at the wheel before, but this will NOT happen to me again.

I'll post pictures on Sunday. My appointment is actually on Sunday and Monday. So I'll have two days of photos to share! YAY! :)

My Consultant's Pre-Sisterlocks To-Do List

Preparing for your installation day 

Things To Do
 
1. Shampoo one day prior to getting your locks installed (not on the morning of your installation)
2. Bring a cap with you just in case you want to go out for lunch.
3. Bring plenty of books and magazines to read.
4. Bring plenty of snacks, water or juice.
5. Bring an extra sweater or a small throw blanket just in case you get chilly.
6. Bring your laptop with you (Free Wi-Fi).
7. If you insist on coloring your hair (I strongly suggest that you don’t) please do so at least one week prior to getting your locks installed.
 
Things Not To Do 

1. Please don’t bring your friends, family or children to the locking session because the session is long and it’s not fair to them to have to sit for such a long period of time.  
2. Don’t use any oils, gels or conditioners when you shampoo your hair prior to the installation.
3. Don’t have your ends clipped or trimmed prior to coming to the locking session.

All My Test Locks Gone...

Well, they are gone. I had 22 test locks and they are all gone. Isn't that odd? Well, I did use conditioner. But I felt like I had to. I contacted my consultant. She told me not to worry. I'm not. I'll just go in two weeks and hope for the best.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone out in Blog land!

Shari

Should I cut it before my install?

So, here's what I'm dealing with. I just washed it. As you can see, it's oddly long on top and about two inches shorter in back. The back of my hair was a little harder to remove the locks and also that's where most of my problems were, so it took a beating. Now I'm wondering if I should cut it all the same length or go with the uneven shape. My consultant was torn at first. She was thinking I may want to cut it because she ran across a few patches where the hair was so uneven she thought the locks wouldn't be very uniform. But as she did more locks, she changed her mind and said that it was only a small portion of my head and that overall I'd be fine. However, exactly two weeks prior to install, I'm nervous. If I'm going to do it, I really need to do it now. Or, at the latest, tomorrow. I remember before regretting that I had not cut my hair into a style. But as time went on, I started to really like my look and didn't mind the shape. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

By the way, below is  a photo of me five months ago, the night before my first install, just for a point of comparison. It was freshly washed.

And another from around the same time. My hair had been picked out.

Install Day

3 1/2-4  Months 

My Cute Assortment of Funky Hats

So, here is my rotation of cute funky hats. You know I'm not stylin' anything y'all. But at least I can still have style!

Okay, so maybe I need to get Sisterlocks...and quick! ;)

Hair Loss, Alopecia, and Sisterlocks

I happened upon a Sisterlocks blog by a beautiful woman who lost her locks in four months due to Alopecia. She has an amazing sense of humor given all that she's been through. Her story is moving. Her courage beyond words. Please read her story and off your support.

Haven: What to look for in a consultant and installation...

If you are thinking about getting Sisterlocks and just lurking on this site, please do check out Haven's blog. It affirmed my new choice and I think it's a must-read for any newbie.
Haven: What to look for in a consultant and installation...

Got a Few Babies Back!

Oh happy day! So, today I went for my consultation. My new consultant is nothing short of awesome. Seriously. I arrive at her salon at home. She works at a regular salon and also has one in her home. But this isn't just any home salon. She has decked it out to look just like a regular salon, complete with an exit sign and dedicated bathroom. It's beautiful and there's the cutest sign out in front advertising her business. She also works at a normal salon a few days a week and teaches cosmetology. She insisted that I watch the Sisterlocks videos again. But that was okay. I enjoyed it. She treated the appointment as if I hadn't ever had Sisterlocks before. We talked and laughed. She put in 22 test locks, but said she liked pattern 3 for me. My hair is a little thin on the ends from the torture, but she thought it would be okay. She couldn't believe my last consultant did it in 9 hours. I guess that is kind of crazy. She said it would take her two days and around 16 hours. She's just a little more deliberate, I can tell. Also, her locks look slightly different from my previous ones. She is locking almost all the way to the ends. My previous consultant left nearly two inches on my ends. That may be why she could do it so fast. Anyhow, what a wonderful experience. I really consider her a find.

It's almost getting comical now...

So because I had been putting so much olive oil and mayonnaise and other crap on my head in the fight for my hair, I think I ended up getting some in my ear. And now, drum roll please....I THINK I HAVE A FREAKIN' SINUS INFECTION! I do have terrible sinus problems every winter, but this pain is worse than usual. I thought I had a bad tooth that needed a root canal because my back tooth was hurting so bad. Went into the dentist, who told me my teeth were fine. He suggested I might have a sinus infection. The pain is excruciating. I'm taking Percocet, chased by a little Southern Comfort.  Had some leftover pills from a surgery over the summer. (Yeah, it has been a banner year.) I'll probably trip and fall on the way to the doctor in the morning and sprain my ankle.

I need a few funky hats...

I'm too lazy to be bothered with getting twists, braids, or even putting in bantu knots. Honestly, for as much as I've gone on and on about loving sisterlocks, the truth is what I love the most is not having to deal with my hair and still looking and feeling good. I don't even want to bother with a wig. They have never looked right on me. So, I'm in the market for a few good hats. Etsy.com has some really gorgeous crochet varieties. Dreadlockhq has some very cool hats too. Maybe I should try an African headwrap? Solange is rocking that look lately. I'll probably stick to what I know -- a funky TAM. Found the perfect one made of mudcloth on the Africa Imports site. If you know of any funky and fresh hat sites, please let me know. Looks like that's what my new hairstyle will be for the next four or five weeks. :)

Peace,

Shari

I have an appointment!

Hallelujah! This Friday I get my starter locks. The previous consultant only put in three. My new consultant wants to put in like 25. I wonder if that makes a difference? She will also require me to have them for two weeks. Previous consultant only had them in over the weekend because she was leaving town and thought as long as I washed my hair twice we'd be fine. My new consultant is definitely a by-the-book kinda person so I know I better a) be on time and b) not expect any shortcuts. I'm soooo excited! Hair isn't everything, but not having to worry about it means the world to me. She has two salons. I could only get an appointment at the one further away from me -- an hour and a half away. But the closer salon is an hour and 12 minutes away. Not much closer, but enough to make a difference when you're short on time. Now, about that beer...: )

Maybe I'm Just Too Anxious...

So I submitted my request via the new consultant's website, but then I got really anxious and decided to call. She's like, "Did you just email me?" Sheepishly, I said, "Yes, that's me." So she said she'd send me a login so that I could make an appointment online. Excited, I hung up and waited for the email. Nothing. Two hours later, nothing. Later that evening, nothing. So this morning, when the email wasn't there,I emailed her again directly, not through the online form, went to church, came home...nothing. Of course, it is Sunday. So, I'm a little frustrated. My previous consultant has been avoiding me for obvious reasons, so I guess I'm a little anxious and worried that I may have to travel to New York or Philadelphia to get them installed. New York isn't far, just a pain -- traffic, trains, and too much traveling. Philly is an option too. Less traffic, but more distance. Ugh.

SOOOO Excited About My New Consultant!

You know, sometimes the best blessings come out of disastrous conditions. I really liked my previous consultant, but I don't know, I am just getting the feeling that she's avoiding me. (Gee, I wonder why? Ha!) Anyhow, I'm waiting until December to get them installed, but I have to start planning now if I want to make that happen. I have to drive an hour and a half, but this sister is a certified consultant, has a nice portfolio, has been doing it since 2008 and natural hair for 20 years. She even has online appointments. I think she's awesome already! I'm willing to travel if the person is awesome, understanding, and competent! Email me if you want her info. Since she's a cosmetologist, I may have her cut my hair into a shape this time.

Oh happy day! I'm finally on the other side. :)

The Aftermath

You know how after a battle, you go back to the land and it's charred. There are cracks and burns. It isn't pretty. That's what happened to my scalp. No more bugs. No nits. I'm finally 100% sure of that. I thought I'd have to wait until Sunday, but I can already see that I'm good. That said, the Malathion -- strong ass shit -- left my scalp beyond dry and flaky. Not to mention, I have a leftover rash that hasn't totally healed from the nonstop scratching. But the upside to it all is that I saved my hair. I didn't have to cut it. The hair itself looks beautifully kinky and thick. Hard to believe it survived all the madness in such good shape. But I will wait until December to get my sisterlocks put in again because my scalp is pretty tender right now. You have to be so careful when you first get sisterlocks. No oils or conditioners -- that kind of thing. I need to be able to really work on aiding the dryness and redness with Miss Jessie's products -- the really good stuff! I slicked back my hair in a ponytail today with a ton of gel and a few people said they thought I shouldn't put the locks back in. "Your hair looks better straight!" My son squealed. "It shows a different side of you...I like that better," a good friend commented. Thanks for the input but HELL NO. I am counting the days until I'm back in my sisterlocks. I loved them. They felt natural and beautiful. Slicking my hair back with a mound of that cheap, dark gel you get at Walgreen's...not so much.

Had to Nuke the Suckers

So, I'm thinking I'm home free when low and behold, I find one lone baby bug. To be truthful, I was forewarned by the nit picker that she might have missed one. She did. So then I decided it was time to nuke the suckers. The natural solution was preferable, but now it was war. I pulled out the toxic lotion given to me by the doctor. It's called Malathion. I did some research on it and found out it is very successful. But it is an insecticide so somewhat toxic and not appropriate for pregnant women and young children. Lice have become resistant to a lot of over-the-counter shampoos and even some prescriptions. But not this one. At least not yet. I truly didn't believe I had much if anything left, but after the little baby bug issue I decided the mayo/olive/vinegar thing was getting old and it was time to go hardcore against this enemy. I had no idea how formidable a foe I had. I had to leave that Malathion lotion on for 8-12 hours....I did the entire 12 hours. I have no itching. But I do have peace of mind. I needed that. I'm supposed to repeat it next week if for some reason I need to. But this stuff was *really* strong. Funked up the entire house. Family had to leave and I had to open up windows and such. But, fingers crossed, the drama is finally over. I'll know on Sunday when any leftover nits would hatch. Found an interesting article on black kids and lice. There aren't many. But if you have boys, just shave it. Much easier. My boys were mortified at first, but now they've already got a good bit of hair back and it's only been like a week and a half.

Lice...ugh

It was incredibly hard to face this blog. Particularly because it's so obvious how deliriously happy I was with my sisterlocks. And then the lice came. Ugh. My two young sons caught it from a child at their childcare. It's a small group of children watched by a wonderful mom who has been doing it for years.  It can happen to anyone. And it happened to me. Just so happens black people don't usually get it because the oils and pomades we put in our hair and also possibly because of curly texture of our hair. Although I hear there are lice in Africa who have adapted to our texture and habits just fine. Anyhow, they love a clean, non-oily scalp with a lot of hair. Early in my sisterlocks, I hadn't washed my hair much, but after that 6-week period, I was washing it every week, sometimes twice a week. When I learned that I would have to lose my sisterlocks, I was crushed. I initially thought I was going to have to lose my sisterlocks and my hair.That was really hard. But because my hair hadn't fully locked, I was able to take it down. Took me about as long to take down as it was to put in. My hair was in remarkably good shape. I didn't know what to expect. So, I hired a nitpicker to remove the lice eggs. That wasn't cheap, but if you're interested and in the NY/NJ area go to licebeaters.com. They put me on an olive oil treatment, but I've added mayonnaise because my hair is so thick the olive oil doesn't completely do the trick. I'll be on this for another two weeks. I'll get my hair sisterlocked in December. You can never get an appointment right away. If anyone is interested in all the gritty details, feel free to email me at davis_sjd@yahoo.com.  I'll be back blogging again in a few months.

Sea Breeze & Itchy Scalp

I had an uncontrollable itchy scalp this week. Not just an itch here or there, but like an "I can't sleep because my scalp itches so much" itchy scalp. Dying for relief, I turned to the lockitup board, which suggested Sea Breeze. It was midnight but I was back at the 24-hour Walgreens to get Sea Breeze only to be disappointed initially. It didn't work. So I braided and banded and washed my hair. Still itchy. Washed it again. Still itchy. Took the braids out. AHHHH! Relief. Yes, I did what I wasn't supposed to do. I washed my hair without the braids and bands figuring my scalp wasn't getting clean enough or I had too much shampoo product not rinsed out. I still felt a slight itch, and that's when the Sea Breeze did the trick. I actually mixed three parts Sea Breeze, one part water into a tiny water bottle. Perhaps I should have just stuck with pure Sea Breeze. During the week the itch came back less fervently, and a little spritz here and there worked. But I do wonder if it would have worked better without diluting it. My hair didn't unravel...I am close to month four and I have had some slippage due to the scratching, but the washing doesn't seem too bad. This morning, I woke up with the burning itch again. Went right up and washed without the bands. Followed by Sea Breeze. I won't make a habit of washing without banding, but when you need relief you'll do anything.

On a side note, I've heard Witch Hazel is good for itching too. Will try that.

Curls

There's nothing more frustrating than that "in-between" stage. Growing out one style and transitioning into another. With my sisterlocks, I started out with a rather unflattering cut...should have cut it into a style before locking. And now, with my hair growing about an inch, it just seems to "hang" around my face. With that, I decided it was time to try curls. I previously tried the braid-out style, but it didn't work out too well. My hair is just too tightly coiled. Too much twisting and curling. So, this time I decided to curl it with Wrap, Snap, and Go! curlers (http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/wrapsnapgo.html). Mainly because I had this curl epiphany at 10 p.m. and Walgreens was the only store open with curlers. By the way, at Walgreens the curlers are only $9.99. That "As Seen On TV" Web site has the same package for $19.99. Of course, because I have so much hair, I ended up buying two packages. But I got 24 rollers for that $20 price. That said, they are a bit overpriced in general. I'm sure I could have gone to the beauty supply store and gotten the same type of rollers for $3.99, know what I mean? But when you have that urge, it's hard to stop. I digress. I think it turned out okay. Not loving it, but it's better than what I had.

Second Retightening: 18 weeks

First Retightening

5 1/2 Weeks

Five and a half weeks later, I'm not sure how much different my hair looks, really. I ran into my consultant in Starbucks today and she said the locks are locking nicely. I can't wait until Sunday when I wash it for the first time. Talk about anxious! I'm going to try the braid out -- where you leave the hair in braids after washing until it dries. I can tell I have a lot of new growth at the roots, but the shrinkage makes it really hard to appreciate. It will be awhile before I can appreciate the length of this tightly coiled hair. Above, you'll see a lock in it's natural state against my forehead. Then, you'll see how long it really is when I pull it. SHRINKAGE! So frustrating.

1 Month

I thought it might be fun to do what I've seen on several blogs before mine. Document the length and growth by month. Not sure if I'll remember each month, but I'll do it when I remember to! So, it's my first month. Still haven't washed it, per my consultant. Right before my first re-tightening I'll wash it using the sisterlocks shampoo. I wrap it every night. Occasionally, I'll put a headband or headwrap in my hair. But for the most part, I've left it alone. It's so great taking worrying about my hair off my stress list. Even the grid, which lasted, oh, like two days, is gone. My hair is so incredibly thick. I enjoyed my relaxed hair, but it only stayed completely straight for about a week or so before getting "puffy". Twists were frustrating because they only lasted about two weeks and then, with my thick mane, I'd be back again for another 2 1/2 hours of twisting. Braids were great...if I had 10 hours to kill on any given day. (Which I don't.) And my husband never quite took to weaves or wigs. Honestly, this style has been a Godsend. Finally, my incredibly thick, tightly-coiled hair isn't a burden I have to deal with on a regular basis. I'm leaving it alone and loving it. I've heard people complain about spending $70-$100 every month or so to have their hair retightened, but I lived that anyway. Although I admire sistahs who are willing to do it themselves. More power to you. But as long as this sistah has a job, I can't even wrap my thoughts around doing it myself. I haven't counted how many locks I have. I'm going to do that when I wash it and I'm forced to band and braid anyhow. Let's just say I started to count and got to 100 and I only had barely the thickness of a banana in my hand. I was about an 1/8 into my head.

First Follow-Up Visit

Above is a video about my first follow up visit. One thing I didn't mention is that I happened to see the inspiration for my Sisterlocks. A mom whose daughter went to my son's preschool has the most beautiful Sisterlocks now. I remember when she started and they were pretty short as they were only a few years old at the time. I did think they looked nice, but I was starting traditional locks back then. I, obviously, have since chopped off my traditional locks, which I could never quite get right. But her Sisterlocks look amazing now five years later. And today we bumped into each other when I went to my follow-up visit and I have to say I experienced Sisterlocks envy. Hers are GORGEOUS. But now it has been SEVEN years and hers were down to the middle of her back. I just hope I mine will be that long, but man I don't want to wait seven years. My hair grows fast. Here's hoping I can swing it in three!

It's 97 degrees outside!

I've been sweating all morning. It's a scorcher here in New Jersey. But thankfully, I don't have to deal with my hair. Just woke up, shook, done. It has been a lifesaver because usually this kind of weather does me in. Even braids are hot in this kind of heat. I'm at the two-week mark. I go for my first touch up in a week. Just barely made it in that three week window. I really don't think people realize I have locks. I've had a few people ask me what's up. I haven't really tried to style it. I just get up and go. My husband, who was a little skittish at first about me getting locks, now really, really likes them. That was a welcome relief. From what I've been reading on the lockitup forum, a lot of husbands are like that. You just have to do it and then they come around. I wasn't courting his support necessarily, but it does make my life a lot easier now that he's on board.

I think I get the I LOVE MY SISTERLOCKS thing now!

Oh, happy day! Seriously. I really challenged my locks this week. I exercised pretty heavily. I cleaned the entire house. It has been in the high 80, low 90s outside. And I still look kinda cute without doing ANYTHING! I'm so used to my twists looking pretty starting to fuzz up about now --even after only three or four days -- the heat and exercise usually takes them down. Because of the heat, I've had my SLs in a pony in back. It's nice I have a little length, even with the shrinkage.

Shrinkage

Yesterday

This Morning

I worked out for the first time with my SLs and the inevitable happened...shrinkage. You can see the difference just in one day. I knew with the heat and my sweat there was no way I could avoid it. Last night, I had wrapped my hair in a satin scarf but woke up this morning with a bad case of flat bed head and my do had lost a few inches. A few spritz of water sprays here and there and I'm good now. It was a stark change from wearing a hat everyday. The last few months, I had just given up and wore the same hat every single day. I did wash it and comb it occassionally, but that was it. My hair was so hard for me to manage I didn't know what to do. Oddly, a woman in the salon had shared that she also wore a hat for like 6 months before deciding to get sisterlocks. I guess we all do travel along the same roads sometimes. My previous stylist had a baby and when I went to another one -- who was recommended -- my hair still came out a complete mess. From there, I went into a hair depression, you know, that mood where you're only so far from chopping it all off because you just can't deal with it anymore. I'd get the braids or twists, but I always knew I only had so much time before I had have to sit again for a re-do. This morning I woke up, looked at my hair and smiled because I knew that as long as maintained my locks every 5 weeks, I'm good. I've heard outrageous quotes for retightening, but my loctitician charges $70 for the first two hours and says she does almost everyone in two hours. She said the only reason she'd go over is if you let it go too long before coming in or you're late to your appointment. I guess the clock starts as soon as your appointment time, if there isn't another head in the chair.

On a side note...

My scalp is killing me. I mean it really hurts. Had to take an Alleve. I'm familiar with the pain though. Happens a lot right after I get braids.

The Journey Begins!

It took 9 hours for 8-9 inches of hair. Thank goodness we started at 8:30 a.m. I'm happy, relieved, and wondering why I didn't do this years ago. Mine don't look like my friend's hair. Hers was much straighter. Mine is pretty curly. In fact, doubtful anyone would think these are locs. Looks like I just got one of those braid weaves where the hair is loose on the end. Escaped the plucked chicken look for the most part (no pun intended), with the exception of the front/top of my head, which definitely is looking rather plucky.

I'm officially sisterlocked!

All Braided Up!

Okay, so I was pleasantly surprised. My hair was oddly easy to brush. I have 12 braids. Now truthfully, a few days ago, I gave it a strong deep conditioning with Miss Jessie's deep conditioner. But still...it only took me around 30 minutes to braid it up.

I lost one of my test locks though. So sad. I couldn't believe it was gone.

The Night Before...

Okay, so it's the night before I get my sisterlocks. I just washed my hair with the starter shampoo. I'm preparing to braid right now. My consultant asked me to braid it and band it before coming. I have that dire feeling like I used to get right before my mom used to comb out my hair after a wash. I've been spoiled by Miss Jessie's conditioners, which make my hair virtually tangle-free when it's wet. Now I'm about to dive into a web of naps with no conditioner to ease the pain. Well, here goes!

I almost at a euphoria stage!

They are sooooo tiny! I was expecting small, but I was really surprised at how tiny they were when my consultant did a few today at my initial consultation. I decided to go with the consultant near my home and not venture out to the other one, who is about an hour away. They both were wonderful, but she needed me to come after work hours and on the weekend. While I was perfectly fine with that, my husband was not. Particularly since we have two small children. I was looking at three days. And she wasn't available until June 17. The consultant near me came personally recommended, was less expensive, could do it in one day, and is only 10 minutes away. That pretty much sealed the deal.

My first SL consultant appointment

I have been looking forward to tomorrow all week. At the end of the day I have an appointment with a SL consultant. She's actually a trainee, but I'm excited nonetheless. I've been natural for awhile. I'm like most sistah's out there. I've had every hairstyle available...I've even locked my hair before. The locks didn't turn out so well because I didn't do my research. I impulsively chose someone who didn't really have an interest in my hair type or working with me long term. She started me with gel twists. They actually looked okay after a year and a half, but never had that funky Kool look I craved. There was no shape to them and they were too large for me to do much styling. So, I cut them off and went through the cycle again of perms, twa, twists, braids, weaves, etc. The natural revolution was not really a natural one for me. I was the kid who had a perm at age 5 because my hair was so thick and challenging to control. Perms were just a part of my life...an expected necessity. When I entered college, something inside me craved to know what my hair was really like naturally. I didn't really know. So, I did the big chop. Back in the early '90s it wasn't exactly the kool thing to do. I went to a large campus and it was really huge deal. I was the talk of the school. People openly talked about me and said very unkind things. Even my family was less than encouraging. Not knowing much about natural haircare, I ended up struggling, frustrated, and eventually permed it again. And that cycle of perm, big chop, natural hair, braids...repeat...perm, big chop, natural hair, braids...repeat, has been my life for so many years. Until now. I'm very excited about sisterlocks and I'm hoping this is a final, permanent solution for me. I think it will give me the flexibility and funkiness I crave without the styling hassle I don't have time for. I'm going to try two consultants, both of which seem very talented. It really comes down to my personal choice and time constraints. I'm logging this journey because, well, it just feels so good to write down all that I'm feeling inside. And I must admit, for me to post a photo with my natural hair so vibrant and healthy, is somewhat liberating.