Wrestling with the Hair Demons

 Well, to my surprise during this 2014 Sisterlocks training, the Sisterlocks(tm) instructor helped me to realize that I was still wrestling with hair demons.  What are hair demons?

The hair demons are the ones whispering in your ear telling you

• That you need to straighten out those "beadi-bees" around your hairline.  
• A smooth hairline is a more polished look.  
• Your hair looks soooo nappy.  
• You need to gel down your edges.  
• Everyone is staring at your "nigga" naps. (Sorry for any wording offense here.)

Well, you get the picture . . .  my curl pattern is no where near the beautiful Spanish wet and wavy or the Brazilian or the Malaysian or the Indonesia curl patterns.  Many "weave" wearers do not naturally grow this type of hair, but they love to wear the exotic look of other cultures.

With most of my hair clientele being chemically straightened or mechanically straightened, I am constantly teaming up with the hair demons to keep my clientele corporate American polished with a Spanish, Brazilian, or a European flair.  This is how I make my living.

I do not come from a support group of natural hair women.  I also know that as my locks grow longer and longer, they should draw attention away from my hairline. I am waiting to really feel like "I own" my hair in its infinite beauty and uniqueness.

As stated in a previous article about resistant hair, my hair around my hairline does not want to hold straight without some heavy duty protein gel, and I refuse to get that gel all built up in my locks.

The compromise is to wear my locks styled where the edges are covered with the length of my locks.

I did not realize that I have been breed with a self-hatred because my curl pattern is not considered "pretty" by European and corporate American standards.

I can only hope that as I gain more length the beauty of the uniqueness of my tightly coiled hair will intrigue people into accepting it as beautiful because it is mine.

SisterLocks, Nappy Locs, Inter Locs, Latch Locs!

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!