I had to say a prayer before writing this article because I really needed Divine guidance. This is a sensitive topic, and I want to delicately deliver my message so that it will be helpful to my readers.
First of all, I am thankful to God that I took pictures at EVERY step of the way on my SisterLocks journey. I am thankful that I have my blog articles to document all of the changes that I have been going through with my SisterLocks journey.
My purpose is to educate; not to condemn. With that said, let us begin . . .
Do you see some of the length on my Sisterlocks after the first day of Sisterlocks installation? Well, a lot of that length is relaxed hair. My Last relaxer: 12/19/2011. Sisterlocks installation pictured: 7/23/2012.
Let's calculate: Seven months of new growth = 3.5 inches of virgin roots. Clearly, some of my Sisterlocks are extending 6 and 7 inches long. Also, the picture above shows the right side of my head which was completed at the top of the first day. The picture below shows the left side of my head, and it was completed at the end of the first day.
Locking my relaxed ends into the SisterLocks framework may have resulted in the consultant making more medium size partings where I had preferred to have small partings. I have spent hours this week trying to make sense of the difference in partings between the two sides.
I have concluded that my right side of my head has partings that resemble narrow vertical columns which deliver small size Sisterlocks. Whereas with my left side, the narrow vertical columns seemed to have gotten wider and became more square resembling medium to large Sisterlocks.
I will be performing "lock correction" on at least two of my SisterLocks in my sideburns area with the intentions of forming four smaller locks out of the two that I undo. As for the rest of the inconsistencies, I believe that I can live with them.
As far as my consultant goes,
I did not expect perfection, but I did expect professionalism. She claims that she was taught to maintain an equal count of Sisterlocks on both sides, and she was pleased with what she delivered. When asked if maybe the relaxed hair could have played a part in my more medium sized partings, she quickly and firmly told me that "I did not have that much relaxer left in my hair." That comment was "Strike two." I am a licensed cosmetologist in three states, salon owner, and a full time hair professional . . . and she felt that she was the expert on relaxed hair and my relaxed hair at that? She is not even licensed in any state for hair. I was completely done with her. Then on top of that, I discovered that she had combined one of my locks together. She did not tell me that she had done this. My Sisterlocks are only four months old, and she is already having to double them. "What the HE##?" If my Sisterlocks were about two years old, then maybe some combining of locks may seem reasonable, but not at a three months point, and I am going regularly for tightenings.
The only thing that I could think of is that by her overlooking locks at my 6 weeks tightening sessions, they were getting weak. I asked her at my first retightening session, "Why does she skip around on my head for retightenings?" She stated that she jumps around as to not get bored, but she ends up missing some of my Sisterlocks at every session.
Since my last retightening, I found two Sisterlocks so far that she missed. That means that those locks will be put in jeopardy because they were not being tightened on a regular basis, but I am paying her to maintain every Sisterlock(s) on my head.
Well, this was "Strike Three." The business etiquette and customer service has been below my standards. Our personalities are in conflict, and I no longer trust her as a "partner for my hair." It is time to "chair hop."
The Sisterlocks Training team is coming through Charlotte, NC in January 2013. I encourage others to consider taking the class to become a Registered Trainee. We really need more choices in Charlotte.
Oh man! I completely understand your frustration. Hopefully you will find a loctician that meets your needs and does what you pay he/she to do.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ms. D! I have faith in God that I will have good updates to post in the future!
DeleteThanks for keeping us informed. Best of luck finding a new stylist.
ReplyDeleteHello, my mom has sister locks and her consultant up and moved to another state one month after she did my moms and my sisters hair. Their consultant promised to find them a replacement and expressed that she was well connected in the “sister lock community” and of course she did not do what she said. Their consultant won’t answer calls, she will not return voice mails or reply to the emails sent concerning their hair! Anyways…..
ReplyDeleteWe were on the hunt for a new consultant and had bad experiences with everyone we came in contact with, apparently they were done wrong, both my mom and sister had extensions on their sister locks and my mother recently had to cut the back of her hair and this weekend my sister will be having hers removed because the extensions are to heavy. This is a very personal matter, my families experience has been devastating and the consultants they have tried to work with to remedy the situation try and take advantage you, it’s like they are holding their skills and knowledge hostage and all they can do is criticize what was wrong with the installation. Tell us how to fix the problem if you know and fix it, do what you do, treat potential customers right and you will have a customer for life but it’s not in our nature to nurture or support one another and it’s very sad to say. I am glad that I did not get the sister locks because I had full intentions on doing it but I am more disturbed that this very personal and emotional step was such a bad experience for my family that I am considering taking the class so that my mother does not need to worry and maybe my sister won’t take hers out if they can be saved. We are not originally from Charlotte and we are not connected to the hair community and I thought it would be best for my mom to go to Atlanta for a second, third and fourth opinion on her hair because our understanding is the installation was so bad it’s almost like it has cancer and no one wants to touch it. I am very grateful that you posted your journey and to that know my family is not alone but I am disappointed that there may be a community of women who are unhappy with the way they were treated by these life changing people in the sister lock/natural community.
Hi Shaune: I am so sorry for your trauma. Sisterlocks do not come with extensions. Was your consultant on the Sisterlocks website? I am a licensed cosmetologist and Sisterlocks technician. I do extensions in regular hair. Call me at the salon (704.947.2010) for further discussion.
DeleteIf consultant was on website, then send your story to Sisterlocks headquarters. I have submitted several recommendations to headquarters to improve enforcement of standards as well as website enhancement of information. I hope that some will get implemented so that less people will have to be traumatized by people misrepresenting the company.
DeleteDear Phenominalhairstylist,
ReplyDeleteThank you for providing your contact information. I will be sure to share it with my mother and sister. I further wanted to say, that the reason my mother and sister added the extensions is because they didn't want the transitional stage of waiting to grow out your locks for 5-7 years. So, the consultant they met offered them a solution...so who wouldn't take it? Not knowing that when she was gone how hard it would be to get someone to help them maintain their hair. Not knowing that everyone would freak out when you say you added extensions to your locks. Not knowing that it would be like a person in biblical times with leprosy looking for a cure. Well after lots of time and money has been spent. Truth be told my sister loves her hair, they may not have been installed in the traditional sister lock manner but the technician did a good job installing them. She and mother now understand that the installation was not correct but I am confident that they could be maintained by a technician who knew how to care for natural hair, despite the installation. I would hate to see my sister take out her locks because it isn't right. I am more motivated than ever to do what I can. The more black women try to go natural, the more they are taken advantage of even by us. The fact that you are charged 30.00 per hour every 4-6 weeks to maintain your hair is ridiculous. I don’t make 30.00 an hour and most working women do not. Dont get me wrong, I would never down play the the skill set of a beautician/hair dresser/stylist because it is a very very very valuable, honorable and important necessity to all people of all shades but as black women we pay the most and when we wrap our heads around the cost and pay… all of the sudden it comes with attitude and a whole other host of craziness served up by the technician. As black women we are constantly getting financially raped to care for our hair. Just when my mother and sister thought their treadmill was over, it really had just begun. I am disappointed at the constant mistreatment of black women by others but most importantly by ourselves toward each other. The reason black women can't go natural is because they can’t afford to and that sounds ridiculous. I will also be calling you for myself because I have been shopping around for a new hair dresser since I got here 14 years ago and I myself have not had that many positive experiences, things just seem to be different North of the Boarder. Thank you again soo much.. I look forward to talking to you and meeting you and hopefully you can correct the mess on top of my head. My family and I have prayed on it and GOD will work it out for us…Be blessed…
Hi Shaune: I had to meditate on my reply to you because you touched on quite a few topics. The nature of the world right now is immediate satisfaction. If the "lock extensions" are working for your family, then I am happy for you. I would not want to be responsible for maintaining them unless I was instructed as to how to maintain them. I initially assumed that removal of the extension was what you were in search of. Also, as far as hourly rates, attorneys can cost $400 per hour. And yes, I will pay $400 per hour when a situation is important enough and I need it gone right the first time because second times are not always guaranteed. Most professional, licensed, Board certified people expect to make $60 per hour if they are planning for retirement and to provide for their families. That is a reality. Sisterlocks is a private certification similar to personal trainers. I highly encourage you to sign up for the Sisterlocks training course in order to service your family as well as to potentially increase your income potential. Peace and blessings.
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