Well, these are my sample SisterLocks underneath my "protective styling!" I completed my Sisterlock consultation today with a certified SisterLocks technician. She "sisterlocked" these 8 to 10 locs. I have to take care of them for the next few weeks to see how discipline I am before I get the whole head completed.
I also had an Inter Loc consultation with another hairstylist.
I also researched and researched about all of these locking patterns and methods. I found a nappyloc tool that was shaped differently from the SisterLock tool. I watched an Interlocking youtube video that transformed a straight hair mannequin into a loc by rotating a tool. So locking relaxed hair is definitely not a problem.
If you want to go swimming after a loc tightening, then SisterLocks and any other interlocking method will allow you to do so. Palm rolling does not allow that freedom.
I know that I am all over the place with this article. I hope that this can tell you how excited I am about my sample locks. They are soooooo beautiful. I love them! I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see freedom of hair and naturally long lengths.
This light also came with a reality check . . . The initial cost is $750.00 (seven hundred and fifty US dollars) Good Lord Almighty! The consultant said that my hair had a lot of length on it, and that I had a big head. Well, I took her comment as saying that I have long hair and that I am highly intelligent! (smile)
She also said that it takes the average person a year for their locks to mature. Based on my "naps" - she said it will probably only take about six months for me. Did not I tell you that I had some extremely kinky hair? Well, it's official! All of my extremely nappy hair is finally going to work in my favor! Halleujah!!!! Praise God! "Doing the happy dance!"
By going to a certified SisterLocks consultant, I had to watch two SisterLock videos. I was very pleased to learn about the origin of SisterLocks. The founder was not a cosmetologist but a "College professor." Oh my God, her conclusions were exactly as my conclusion. Our Black people can not get ahead because our hair holds us back! Okay, if you were born with "wash and go" hair - this article is not about you. "Wash and go" Sistahs have an easier road to securing jobs, husbands, and other freebie out of life. All I can say is "God blessed you." Do not take your hair for granted.
I was also very happy to complete my consultation because keeping my hair detangled was literally become a beast with all of my new growth plus relaxer on the ends.
God bless this woman!!!! She told me that I do not have to try to keep my hair detangled anymore. She wants a "head full of naps" when she puts my Sisterlocks in. What?????? A head full of naps is good?! Oh yeah! I was on Cloud 9 - a head full of naps is what she wants -- then a head full of naps is what she will get! I can handle that with my eyes closed! (Smile)
SisterLocks really won me over! It will cost me $100 every four weeks and about 3 hours a month in time, but as beautiful as these sample locks look . . . it will be worth every last penny. I love them. It is only a few compared to the other 400 locs that need to go in, but I will able to work out and swim and still look beautiful.
The Sisterlocks consultant's hair was so beautiful - my God - within another five years or less, Kim Kardashian will need to watch out. Another long layered, thick, voluminous head of black tresses will be on the scene! Hello!
The bigger question is will I continue offering relaxer services to my kinky haired clients? Remember - the kinky hair clients are the ones that get the most scalp exposure to the relaxer application because their/our hair stays compacted at the root. It does not grow away, but curls back on itself. Please see my other article for more information.
Okay, enough said. Some of my clients are considering SisterLocks, but they are waiting on me . . . Well, I am already set to go! I have a date for my full installation. I will do a big article on my new journey within a few months. It will be worth the wait! I promise! In the meantime, I will continue to write about other hair topics dear to my heart and yours! Peace and Locs!
You sound so excited about your new hair adventure! Finding a place where black women feel confident and comfortable with their hair and finding someone who is willing to help them achieve that goal is important. I have not found that place yet, but have received some great tips from your blog. Looking forward to reading about your journey. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks energize! I spoke with my new loctitian, and I found out that she was not accepting anymore new customers. She had just let one client go and had room for another one. In addition, I had to name drop and even get one of the referral persons to personally call her before my call was returned. So I really feel blessed to get assigned to her. Another "dredlock" specialist had seen my loctitian's work over and over again, but she had never met her. Her work has been outstanding to see even with my own eyes. I can tell a difference now between her work and others. So I am even more excited now than I was on my first day of my sample locs. Also, I have been letting my clients feel and touch my sample locs. I have a few more client becoming more and more interested. I may become certified within a few years or less.
ReplyDeleteEnergize: I also feel you about searching for a hair partner! I am age 41, and it is only now, after going through a thousand hairstylists, that I finally feel that I am going to be "at home" with my new loctitian. It is a great feeling! I am hoping that you find the same one day soon!
ReplyDeleteLet me welcome you to the exciting, free and WONDERFUL world of Sisterlocks!!! You are making the absolute BEST investment of $750 of your life. I had my Sisterlocks installed in March 2004, started with a full and thick head of 5 inches of all-natural kinky hair. My locks grew to an amazing length of 14-18 inches (they extended to my lower back). I colored my locks prior to my installation date, as I was told by my very experienced consultant that I would not be able to color my locks for 8-12 months. Good luck to you and welcome!!!
ReplyDeleteCarmel, by now you know that, my Sisterlocks journey took me through three certified Sisterlocks consultant and in hindsight, I suffered grief and damage from all of them. Only one was a licensed cosmetologist, and I recently discovered that even she had just finished beauty school which explains why she was not knowledgeable of some of the questions that I asked of her. So I have learned that being certified in Sisterlocks means that people meet the qualifications to be a "technician" but not necessarily an "artist." For $750, I expected an artist, long term hair partner, and a professional. I kept getting technicians in it purely for the money not the passion. All is not lost though, I still anticipate 14 to 18 inches in length in 8 years, but they will be finger twisted versus interlocked.
DeleteThank you Carmel! Eight years later and you are still loving them! That is definitely an awesome endorsement! I am looking forward to getting past my full installation and settlement phase! I am sure that time will fly fast!
ReplyDeletepHenomenal congrats on your new Sisterlock journey. I too have been researching Sisterlocks. Would you mind sharing the name of your consultant?
ReplyDeleteHi saneely: I was lead to begin my SisterLock journey with official certified SisterLock consultant: Rosa Crawford, Charlotte, NC. She had just released another client so she had room for one more. Smile. Me!. Big Smile. I hope that this helps. She was booked six weeks out for full SisterLock installation. So I had to put a non-refundable deposit down to hold my installation date. So I am trying to get prepared for the two day service. About 10 movies is what I am planning to take with me.
ReplyDeleteMy sample locks happen to be placed in an area where my wigs are constantly rubbing against my scalp. I anticipate my hair around the perimeters to thicken up more once I discontinue wearing my wigs (i.e. protective styling).
ReplyDeleteNow, that I had my full SisterLocks installation done . . . I can say that my entire head of locks looked just like my test locks pictured in this article . . . frizzy. Luckily, water and rolling them calms the frizziness down.
ReplyDeleteI discovered that the Atlanta area offers "Twistylocks". . .
ReplyDelete