The Down and Dirty Truth about Interlocking Locs

Do you see the "H" bar on the thumb?

When using the interlocking method on locs versus palm roll/coiling, accidentally connecting adjacent locs is a common occurrence.  Many times hair buckles as it grows out making it a "quick grab" as much as you try to avoid connecting locs.  Also, some people's hair is so fine that you do NOT even see that you are catching hair from an adjacent loc.  Obviously, for those who keep a WELL manicured head of locs, the less new growth means less connecting.

So for those who find they have connected two locs in an "H"- it is BEST to leave the "H" connector in place, but interlock the new growth of each loc individually. By the time you tighten both locs, no one will know that they are still connected.  After a few times of doing this the "H" connector will have grow further up the loc strand.  At this point, cutting the "H" connector is safe and recommended.

You ask why wait to cut?  It depends on the hair type.  Some resistant hair will bunch up at the roots if cut too soon.  By waiting, you build a foundation where the hair connected to the "H" connector is already looped at the base allowing the loose end to wrap around the loc versus shrink back to the roots.

It also helps when the loc is large enough to support cutting "H" connectors without weakening any of the locs.  Unfortunately, micro small locs that get "H" connectors can be dangerous because the base of the loc is not but so wide to begin with. You can start losing locs by weakening the base.  Also, doubling the loc is going to cause styling limitations if too many locs are doubled up.

Sometime the "H" connection can be undone, but often times another eye that understands interlocking is needed to undo it.

Palm rolling and coiling usually don't create "H" connections, but those methods don't keep the loc well manicured unless palm rolled on a regular basis.

Some resistant hair types do not like the "unwinding" of the hair when interlocked.  For those who have various different hair types on their one head, you may have to use two different methods depending on the hair type that presents itself.

I do have a small patch of hair that I now keep coiled because it was my tempermental area whether relaxed or natural.  It is the smallest diameter curl pattern that I have ever seen.  95% of my locs, I keep interlocked.  The other 5%, I just keep finger twirled and let it naturally wind on its own. 

Each loc is a child with its own journey.  I encourage loc wearers to learn their own locs even if someone else maintains them.  This does not mean give the loctician a hard time.  It means partnering with the loctician to make sure you are coming in on time for tightenings or if the loc styling is causing any thinning.

There is an advanced way that some locticians hold their tools at an angle that prevent catching hair from an adjacent loc.  Many that know the secret will not share because they can charge $50 to $60 per hour.  Maybe the Sisterlocks organization will teach an advanced class separate from their refresher classes. The loc industry as a whole could benefit when everyone gets it right!

Tips for Healthy, Shiny, Stylish (Dread) Locks

From the Desk of Loctician/Cosmetologist Benita Blocker:

1) If you want maximum styling options, then the locks need to be retightened at a 90 degree angle from the scalp.  This can be done by completing a half or full interlocking rotation at the end of  any non-interlocking technique.  Otherwise, the lock should be held straight out from the scalp when tightening the new growth. 

2) All twisting should be completed in a clockwise pattern.  Keep your clockwise rotation consistent.  This will help with lock uniformity.

3) Determine your natural curl behavior.  If you pull your natural hair out, does it spring back like a "slinky" toy? or does it stay extended and gradually shrinks back up?  Does your hair ever coil back onto itself or does it just wave out?

If you have "slinky" behavior, the comb twist with a fine tooth barbering comb is my best recommendation to grab and keep all of your coily hair pulled into the lock.  This should prevent the locks from thinning out as well as keeping them uniform.

If you have less coily hair that grows away from the scalp, then palm rolling or some form of interlocking would be better.  The comb twisting may make your hair harder to lock so I do not recommend  comb twists for retightening.  

4) All hairtypes can start locks with comb twisting to get scalp partings as desired.  Interlocking may need to be combined with the comb twisting to get "hard to lock" hair to hold.

Questions about interlocking and interlocking tools?  Some hints and suggestions are included in articles within my blog, but you can also research other sites as well for making your own tools or purchasing speciality tools.

5)  99% pure aloe vera gel can be found at Trader Joes.  It has healing and moisturizing properties.  It will probably save you money from the stockpiling of all the natural hair gels on the market now.  Make sure that you are not allergic to aloe vera.  The Jamaican Mango and Lime Locking Gel also has been highly recommended.

6) If a lock breaks off, then save it to be mended.  If the broken piece is a small tip, then trash it.

7) If your locks look dry, then your scalp may not naturally produce enough oil to keep the locks moist.  Everyone's oil production is different.  If your locks need help with moisture, joboba oil or Jamaican Mango and Lime Island oil have received great recommendations.

8) Everyone's hair texture is unique to them, you have to find what works best for you.  If your locks are not forming the way you want, then consider switching locticians.  You will need to allow at least 4 months to see if a new locking routine is working.  You will judge by the new growth area up to start of the existing lock after the locking change.

9) Remind the loctician that you do not want locks doubled up in order to maintain your original grid.  If the loctician encounters a lot of locks that need doubling, then either the locks are not staying hydrated enough or the locking method is not working for your hair type.  Partner with the loctician to figure out what can be done.  If the loctician does not have any suggestions and does not offer to research into some suggestions for you, then you need to move on to another loctician.

10) Lock grooming and lock tightening are two separate services.  Some minor lock grooming can be done at lock tightening time, but if you let your locks get seriously past due, then a lock grooming session may need to be scheduled separately from your tightening service.  Lock correction is a separate specialty service as well.  A long term plan needs to be set in place and the loctician needs to be on the same page with you.

I hope this information has been helpful!

Learning about Locks: Dreadlocks

First of all, I am using the term "dreadlocks" because "locks" can be so broad of a term when it comes to hair.  Like Goldilocks, Locks of love, etc.  So "dreadlocks" is the best way to differentiate the type of hair that I am referring to.

In the picture above, my fellow Sisterlocks classmate, had some concerns about her recent Sisterlocks locking session that she had paid for and decided to become a Registered Trainee as well.  After class during the training period, the Master Sisterlocks instructor looked at her Sisterlocks because of her concern about how her Sisterlocks looked compared to others.  The Instructor corrected one of her Sisterlocks by sliding the loops down, adding tension, and adding additional loops into the Sisterlocks.  The corrected Sisterlock is the long one on the right.  The Sisterlock on the left is what it looked liked before "the Sisterlock correction."  Her hair doubled in length just by eliminating all the gaps that were left in the Sisterlock.

So now, imagine that her whole head of Sisterlocks may need to be corrected?  It is enough to make you cry?

 Of course, her Sisterlocks consultant may not have realized that their technique was not efficient or maybe they were going for "a less stringy" look?  Regardless, the client paying hundreds of dollars for the Sisterlocks service expects an expertise unless the client is paying a trainee.  Who is at fault?  The customer who is trusting the Sisterlocks professional, the Sisterlocks consultant, or Sisterlocks headquarters?

I do not have the answer to this question of responsibility, but this is what I do know:

1) Through my research, "interlocking" certain curl patterns is said to be damaging if done too often.  So Sisterlocks is an interlocking method, and it may not be the solution for all hair types.  I have met others that found their hair thinned out with Sisterlocks, and they had to come out of Sisterlocks into an afro.  "Stiff, coily, type 4 hair " should be aware of this possibility and monitor the thickness of their hair over the first seven months.  Sometimes it could be the Sisterlocks consultant's "tightening" technique.  Every consultant is an independent practitioner with different speeds and different approaches.

2) Some people have oily scalps; some people have normal scalp; some people have dry scalp. People with oily scalps will not need extra oil for their Sisterlocks.  Sisterlocks teaches that no one needs to add any oils or greases, but based on what I have seen, some of the stiff, coily, type 4 hair needs some extra help with moisture if their scalp does not naturally produce excessive oil.  However, I do NOT recommend grease or anything with buildup that will attract lint or dirt.  However, products like Jane Carter Solutions hair nourishing serum can be of assistance to certain hair types.  Careful with its usage, that particular Jane Carter Solutions product is not for the scalp- hair strand use only.

3) I also have learned that the interlocking methods such as Sisterlocks actually rotate the hair out of natural fall.  So if the hairtype is hard to lock, no one locking method is going to be the best fit.  What has worked for me is to combine two locking methods in order to make it hold then as the locks mature, one can start to narrow down one method.

4) Sisterlocks teaches only to use starter shampoo for the first six months or more depending on how long it takes for the Sisterlocks to settle in.  Those with normal to dry scalps and type 4 curl patterns may need some conditioning or moisturizing leave-in's.  Typically, type 4 curl patterns are not easy to unravel, but if anyone with a hair type that is easy to unravel, then they should stick with the starter shampoo to assist with speeding up the lock settling process.

5)  In addition, when choosing a loctician for any type of lock service remind the loctician that you do not want your locks doubled up at each service visit.  Also, ask the loctician to save any locks that might break off in order to mend them back.  Those with Type 3 curl patterns and oily scalps will less likely run into the breakage or mending of their locks unless there are a lot of gaps or holes in the locks themselves due to the locking technique.  Again, the lock on the left in the picture above, had a lot of gaps; therefore each gap can pose as a weak area within the lock for future breakage potential.


These are the philosophies of Loctician and Cosmetologist: Benita Blocker

7.5 Months Sisterlocks Check-in

I wanted to post a little glam picture and to update everyone on my lock correction decision.  I am going to wait another year or so for my Sisterlocks to get longer before I begin having the ones that are "too large" split.  I figure longer locks will hide any imperfections than shorter ones.

Also, as the weather gets warmer, I am going to put my yarn unit in storage because it will be too hot to continue wearing it.  I am hoping to use mousse to get my back Sisterlocks to hold volume.  They are so bulky compared to the some of the front locks.  I think that they are long enough now to try to work with them some more!  Stay tuned.

Six Months Sisterlocks Check-in

 I completed my fifth retightening which was my second visit with the new consultant.  She completed my head in half the time of my old consultant. But I just found out in my Sisterlocks refresher course that I attended this weekend that my Sisterlocks should be tightened in the same grid pattern that they were put in.  Neither Certified Sisterlocks consultant has done this.  In addition, I realized that the new consultant doubled up one of my sideburns areas.  It was on the same side that I corrected before trying to get a smaller hairline.  So I had to undo that lock area again.  I am getting sooooo frustrated.   Not enough to get rid of my Sisterlocks, but possibly enough to spend the time to work on my own head.  I really understand why some customers take the Sisterlocks retightening class to do their own hair.  The Charlotte area Sisterlocks service options are brutal. Another classmate was also saying the same thing because she was looking for someone professional and strict to follow the Sisterlocks way of doing things.  I may switch to one of the ladies in the class.  We will see.  In the meantime, as my Sisterlocks mature, I can clearly see where my stringy relaxed hair is still hanging on, and my thicker new growth is getting longer.  The line of demarcation is pretty clear in the picture below.

As far as the Sisterlocks refresher course, it is even better now that I am taking the four day course again.  Why?  Because there was so much to learn and grasp on the first go around.  Now, that I have been "around the block" a few times, I have better questions and everything is so much clearer.

Unfortunately, there is someone else going through the same thing that I went through . . .  paid a lot of money ($600) for a "much less than perfect" Sisterlocks experience with a different Sisterlocks representative.  She came to learn the truth about her new Sisterlocks.

In my opinion, any consultant charging over $400 per head should be in refresher training every year or two years religiously.  It is good to network and re-commit to Sisterlocks rules and regulations.  Customers really need to keep detailed notes and photos and feel more freely about submitting formal, professional complaints to Sisterlocks headquarters.  I would love to see Sisterlocks keep the Consultants in check more.  I believe it takes four or five complaints submitted  per consultant for any serious action to take place.

Things to report would be 1) failure to get a Sisterlocks starter kit (the official one to mail off for your Sisterlocks birth certificate);  2) failure to maintain your original Sisterlocks grid pattern;  3) any blatant inconsistencies in the work that was done; 4) Sisterlocks falling out or unexplained thinning.  Sisterlocks headquarters prefers for you to resolve any outstanding issues directly with the consultant but if it is not going well, they can help.

Sisterlocks: Lock Correction Completed

 My Scalp is a little tender, but I am excited about my Sisterlocks correction.  Picture above is after the correction.  The picture below is before the correction.

 Big difference right?  Believe it or not, after detailed experimenting with partings, I narrowed down that I only needed to detangle two Sisterlocks.

I applied the S-curl moisturizer generously through the two Sisterlocks and let it sit for a day. I then used the rattail comb for piercing and detangling.

 This S-curl moisturizer is very affordable, but it does give a buildup if used daily.  For detangling purposes, it was perfect.  Some beauty supply stores do not carry this particular S-curl product.  I have only found it at Sally's Beauty Supply stores.

 This the hair that was leftover from my detangling session.

 I made four Sisterlocks out of the two that were there.  They are very small, but I will let my new consultant improve them at my next retightening.

I am excited that I am no longer slave to an asymmetric look.  I will be able to do updos, frohawks, and mohawks!  Another new level of freedom acheived!