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.