Update

Yesterday my consultant contacted me to arrange my four week retightening after my two week check. Oh joy! I get to walk around for another two weeks while letting my roots grow even longer. I was hoping I would get an appointment this week but once again Bad Luck Chuck comes charging in. At least all of my appointments will be every four weeks from here on out. 

My hair has the ability to frizz regardless of the weather and right now those fly away strands are tangling with each other, making it difficult to run my fingers through to comb out my cork screws (bantu knots). I am not sure how I will keep this up for another two weeks. In the meantime, I have reduced the amount of manipulation I do to my hair on a weekly basis and hope the styles stay at  least a week.

I dislike using a lot of products and have been weaning myself off of them for years, Before starting microlocks I only used oils and water after my washing routine. I clarified, moisturized then conditioned meaning at any given time I had no less than eight products but most of them were shampoos or conditioners I experimented with to see what worked with my hair. The oils I used consisted of coconut oil, mineral oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil and castor oil. Now I get to treat my hair as though I got sisterlocks, thanks to my consultant.

My consultant has been amazing so far. According to her, I am a walking talking advertisement for her work so she will make sure that the quality of work is always high and as long as I follow her directions, she will be proud to say so. Speaking to her I learned that she has had customers who have ignored her instructions and returned to her weeks or months later hoping for a miracle after messing up. Apart from that I love the fact that she calls all her clients to set up and remind them of upcoming appointments and clearly stated the price to new customers.

I am excited to see where this goes and enjoy having a consultant just excited as I am along for the ride. 

Til next time - Lata!

5 Signs You Aren't Ready For Locs

1. Someone told you to get them

One of the worse things you can do is commit to something just because someone else mentioned you should do it. Sometimes it works out but let's be honest here, most of the time it doesn't and you resent the position you are put in because of it. 
If a family member or significant other suggests you get locs, you should know if it is something you want and can commit to before jumping in. Write a pros and cons list, learn about starter locs, the phases of locs, the do's and don't's and decide for yourself.

      2. You change your hair every week (colour, length etc)

If you like trying out the latest hair tends or the newest hair dye then you might want to give locs a pass. I know people who seem to be stuck in a cycle of cutting their hair, growing it out, relaxing it then cutting it again. One minute their hair is blonde, the next it's purple, then blue then red all withing three months. If you cannot be bothered to stick to one style for more than a few weeks then locs aren't for you. By the time your hair starts to bud you'll be bored with it and ready to cut it off in a heartbeat.

      3. You don't know how to take care of natural hair.

You may have been natural your entire life but if you still struggle to grow you hair past six inches or have managed to make your edges disappear or worse yet, you've been using the same products for years even though they're clearly not working then put off your loc journey until you sort that ish out.
If your hair is always breaking, that might be a sign that something is wrong. You could be dehydrated or putting something in your hair that's damaging it like too much heat. Start changing things up. See what works for your hair and get real comfortable with it before you do anything else.

      4. You think you can treat them the same as loose natural hair.

Locs are not the same as loose natural hair and should not be treated as such. You can easily wash out anything from loose naturals but not from locs. I have had glitter in my locs for two years! Nothing I did would get it out. I spent hours picking at this purple/green reflective piece of torture at every opportunity. I washed my hair, did apple cider vinegar soaks and for a short time it would be hidden in the other hair but that one fleck stayed. I say all of that to say this, things like waxes, shea or cocoa butter will be near impossible to get out. Not only that, they will also trap lint and you'd have no choice but to use dyes to hide it or risk leaving holes in the shaft of the locs after trying to pick it out.

      5. You are impatient.

If you expect your locs to mature in less than a year, babes, you're in for a rude awakening. Locs can take up to two years to fully loc up. If you are expecting your hair to reach your target length withing months after starting them, prepare to be severely disappointed. 
But, if you are willing to stick with it, growing locs can be a rewarding venture that allows you to fall in learn about yourself and your hair. It can help you appreciate the journey while striding towards your end goal.

So that's it. I may not be a professional but I do believe that locs aren't for everyone and I hope people read this before decided to start their journey.

Til next time - Lata!

Sisterlock vs Micolocks

I know I promised to discuss how I managed to make a decision of microlocks over sisterlocks but I thought it would be too long for one post so I split them up. Today, I will be answering the most asked locing question - what is the difference between microlocks and sisterlocks? Answers are often confusing and sometimes misleading. Many people believe sisterlocks and microlocks are the same thing but they aren't. 

All sisterlocks may be microlocks but all microlocks are not sisterlocks.

Confused? Well continue reading.

Microlocs are classified as any loc smaller than the size of a pencil. Sisterlocks are a form of microlocks trademarked by its creator and has even been called a lifestyle. 

There are rules and guidelines for every aspect of sisterlocks. Only a sisterlock consultant or trainee can install sisterlocks based on a specific grid pattern taught by the company, using the sisterlocks tool. The loc must be maintained using the sisterlock (interlocking) method. Using as few products as possible is emphasised mainly shampoo, and conditioner for the mature locs.

These restrictions are not placed on microlocks. In fact, apart from the size there is no other requirements needed to be able to refer to locs as micro. Microlocks can be started with twists, braids, coils, interlocking and extensions. Maintenance can be done with palm tolling or interlocking. Any product you feel like trying can be used in your hair. Go nuts with it!

Simple enough, right?

So why are so many people confused?

Basically, it's the DIYers that confuse things. You can research DIY sisterlocks and find a lot of results for persons with microlocks installed by a friend or themselves to mimic the size and/or grid of sisterlocks. Many are started from twists, braids or using the interlocking method but none of them should be referred to as sisterlocks unless the installation is done by someone who has completed the sisterlocking course.

The next post will cover why I chose microlocks over sisterlocks.

Til then - Lata!

Are They Sisterlocks?

A few weeks ago, on June 1st 2016 to be more precise, I got what I am hoping to be my last set of locs installed. For weeks prior I flip flopped between microlocks and sisterlocks; sisterlocks or microlocks? How do I choose? Which do I prefer? How will I afford the installation and maintenance? Where can I find someone to do it?

Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

Initially I visited everyone's favourite site for information. Youtube. There are so many videos on DIY microlocks and sisterlocks I got a bit overwhelmed by it. Eventually I stumbled across DecodedDeviny who started chronicling her sisterlock journey about a month before. Her excitement and in-depth look at everything that had happened so far convinced me to get sisterlocks.

Finally the debate was over! Within minutes I began to research sisterlock consultants and trainees for my country and tried finding some of them on Facebook. One name stuck with me and I made a note to contact her later. Everything had fallen into place perfectly. Or so I thought.

A few days before my birthday, as I walked through the office I noticed a co-worker had begun her new loc journey with microlocks. A short conversation later and I became indecisive once again. To settle things once and for all, I made a list of questions to help me and set about finding someone I could trust.

On Friday May 20th, I had a consultation with sisterlock consultant. She measured my hair, showed me the sizing chart, gave me a price and scheduled my installation appointment. By midnight of June 1st, after thirteen (13) hours, I returned home the proud owner of a crisp grid pattern and more locs than I had ever had before. Come the morning of June 2nd, in the midst of all the compliments I got about my new hair came the inevitable question. "...are they sisterlocks?"

No.

They are not.

They are microlocks.

How did I end up here you ask?

Well it's quite simple. The list of questions or my locing concerns so to speak.

My next post will address the difference between microlocks and sisterlocks and the follow up will give my answers to the questions.

Til then - Lata!

Installation