Ethnic Hair Tips From a Beauty industry leader

1. Before the "protective styling" trend, I was wearing half wigs to allow my hair to rest.
2. Before "invisible part" quickweave became popular, I was the first to create that "part illusion" that I know of.
3. Four years and four months ago, I saw the vision of my hair in smaller locs.  The picture above reflects what a $750 installation and three Sisterlocks 4-day training sessions can lead you to.
4. Everyone should learn to self maintain their locs in partnership with a loctician.  
5. Interlocking can deliver a neater look to locs, but that method also enables hair from an adajacent loc to get crossed over.  Those with fine hair are more likely to get cross-over hair because one can barely see the finer hairs.  Twisting or palm rolling are probably the safest root tightening method for locs.

NOTE:  I may add on to this list periodically.

Sisterlocks Haircut by Benita Blocker

 Loc Haircut by Benita Blocker, 2014

As promised in a previous "loc clippings" article on this blog, my client and I finally got time to capture her Sisterlocks when they were tightened and curled to show off the haircut that I gave her a couple of months ago.

My client colors her own Sisterlocks and does self-tightening.  She has a lot of hair so she comes to me to tighten the locs that she runs out of time to get done at home.  Also, any locs that get crossed up or may give her some concern, she leaves alone and allow me to work on and undo any accidental two headed dragons before they settle in.

She uses the Dark and Lovely Au Natural Curl Defining Cream to set her curls.  They seem to hold nicely.  I had been a little a afraid of the creams on the locs, but I plan to try one of the curl defining gels that I have in stock in the salon for natural loose hairstyling.  If it holds other natural hair, it should actually hold the locs as well.

I had been using the setting lotion, but I prefer a little more hydration for the winter months.  I will keep you posted when I try another wet set with a defining gel on my own Sisterlocks.

Decision-making: 3 pattern versus 4 pattern

I had a new Sisterlocks client to come in for a long layered loc haircut.  I also was able to assist her with her future self-tightening plans.  She told me that she had a "long" curl pattern which means it is more wavy than it is coily.  She also revealed to me that she was using a four pattern, but recently switched to a three pattern because she was told that was the "new trend." However, she was noticing more and more frizz coming from her Sisterlocks.

I informed her that a three pattern on a "long" curl pattern allows for more slippage and movement within the loc creating more volume or fullness.  However, this volume may look like frizz for her hair type.  I advised her that if the four pattern was working for her then stick with the four pattern.

We should not follow trends for maintenance.  If a regimen is working for you, then do not change it.  Of course, you may never know if there is something better out there if you do not try new things.

Also, she admitted to using the Sisterlocks Green Tea Shampoo which is mildly alkaline, and it seemed to create even more frizz.  I was able to sell her the Sisterlocks Salon Shampoo Concentrate which is slightly acidic, and it is designed to help control frizz in medium to loose wave patterns.

I have taken the Sisterlocks training so many times that I have a lot of the knowledge strongly embedded in my brain.  Having a completely new instructor on my third training made all the difference in the world.  She was more versed in different hair types.  My original instructor was good, but in retrospect, some of the techniques that she taught us was not applicable to all hair types.  It worked on the loose texture of the mannequin head as well as for looser hair types similar to hers, but not necessarily for those with an Afro puff to start out with.

I am so happy that I invested in the Sisterlocks class over and over again.  The third time with the instructor that I got was by far the charm for me.

The Top 6 Loc Self Tightening Opportunities

As you all know, I hand interlock my locs.  No tools other than my moderately small fingers.  I just feel around my roots until my fingers get stuck then I start interlocking that particular loc that has too much new growth.  The picture above is an older picture, but you can clearly see the excessive amount of new growth that needs to be hand interlocked.  Let me be clear, I no longer tighten my whole head in one session. Tightening my locs has become a part of my daily or weekly lifestyle.   So which opportunities during the course of my day allow me time to self tighten my locs?

1) The Traffic Light
Believe it or not, I can now hand interlock with ONE hand.  So one hand is on the steering wheel of the car, and the other hand is interlocking any loc that I feel needs to be tightened.  Usually, a red light gives me plenty of time to take care of one or two locs.

2) The Movie Theater
If I arrive early to a movie and the attendance is low, then I may start tightening a few of my locs that I feel need some attention.

3) The Speakerphone at Home
While catching up with a friend or a relative, I will put the call on speakerphone and work on my locs.

4) Riding Mass Transit
Whether riding the bus, subway, train, or plane, you can hand interlock anywhere that you feel comfortable.

5) Waiting for an Appointment to Finish up
Whether you are the client or if you are waiting on a client, you can hand interlock anywhere that you feel comfortable.

6) During television commercials
I usually need something to do during commercial breaks.  Tightening up my locs is definitely in rank with bathroom breaks!

Dreadlocks: Lessons Learned in 2013

 This is my August 2013 picture.  My last time having my hair "sisterlocked" was March 2013.  Five months Sisterlocks-free!  Same parting sizes.  Just new SELF-tightening technique!

Honey (as explained in my last article on this blog) is doing really well to keep my locks coiled.  Overall, they are not untwisting.  I did have a few instances where the honey made my neck sticky because I was sweating and the leftover honey on my scalp started sliding down. (What a visual? Right? LOL!)

Anyway, I just took a wet paper towel and wiped my perimeters and neck off.  Surprisingly, I have spoken with more and more people who use honey to avoid skin breakouts from other "lock products."  So those with sensitive skin will love honey for tightening their hair.

The honey works like a heavy moisturizer. I must admit my satin bonnet and pillow cases all look "greasy" but I have not attracted any ants nor bugs.  I will happily use the honey again and keep the wetness of my hair consistent before applying the honey if it starts to dry out as I am working my way through my hair.

Well, this picture is from January 2013.  I really suggest children start their dreadlocks between 10 and 12 years old.  Some people are born with "perfect shaped head and face" that they can look glamourous with a bald head.  And some of us, like me, need hair length to balance our distinguished features.  I found it difficult in my age 40's working in a corporate setting to start growing out Sisterlocks and/or dreadlocks.  I hated to feel forced to wear a wig to fit in with the workplace and also cause stress to my new $800.00 hairdo.  I really did not have a real support system.  People would say  "it looked great, but it was not for me. "  "My (their) husband would not go for it." Oh, "look at those little things.  Is that your hair?"

In hindsight,  I realized that I gained weight from the stress of coping with Sisterlocks and the "starter dreadlocks."  I even was laid off from my corporate hairdressing position within two weeks of initial Sisterlocks locking session.  My manager was African American, but obviously needed diversity training. I have a few other choice names to call this manager, but it would be inappropriate to post that here.  So I digress.

The founder of Sisterlocks' purpose was to empower women, but I found MY Sisterlocks journey to be a quick route through "hell" and back.  I made the best of it, and I am now back on track for happier days with my new approach to dreadlocks.  Thank God that I now see clearer skies, and I am on track to becoming more empowered as my locks gain length withOUT thinning out my hair density.  More on hair density later in this article.

Anyway, the younger you can start your little girls out with dreadlocks the better to cope with the peer pressure.  The dreadlocks or Sisterlocks need at least two years before they get to the length that most people start to really love them.  So starting at age 12 means by high school, the locks should be easy to style, and the girls should have some workable length.

This picture above shows the relaxed hair that is still hanging on my hair ends versus my matured lock.  My relaxed hair rolled up on the ends and formed knots while in the Sisterlocks' framework.  The Sisterlocks consultant really did me a disservice by locking my relaxed hair.  I honestly do not know if I had enough new growth to start Sisterlocks anyway. (Visit my July 2012 articles for my start of Sisterlocks.)

I had so much relaxed hair that I do not know if she really knew what she was looking at. My relaxed hair was never silky straight because of my natural texture. I digress again. ( I am trying to stay upbeat. Smile.)

Anyway, please do NOT pay to get your relaxed ends Sisterlocked.  They will either matte and lock on its own depending on your natural texture or NOT.  Either way, you will probably end up cutting them off at some point in time.

 Okay, my Sisterlocks consultant had started doubling up my locks within the first 3 months of getting Sisterlocks started.  She did not tell me.  I found this doubled up lock, and I was upset.  For those who do not understand the big picture, doubling up locks means your hair density is thinning.

For Christ's sake, if your hair is thinning out within months of starting locks, then something is NOT right.  Either your hair is the type that really does need some shea butter, olive oil or some sort of moisturizer  OR the interlock/Sisterlock technique is NOT a good fit for your hairtype.  It could be the Sisterlock technician's error in her interlocking technique.

Regardless, stop the madness!  If the doubled up strand is larger than the root area, then you are going to rip your hair out from the scalp trying to pass the "fat ends" through.  If you understand the interlocking process, then you know what I am explaining here.  If you do not understand the interlocking process, I encourage you to watch youtube tutorials on "interlocking dreadlocks."

By all means, watch your hair density.  In my December 2012 picture above, my second Sisterlocks consultant was twice as fast at tightening, but I believe that she was also causing me breakage and thinning.

Most of the length in this picture is still stemming from my relaxed ends that had not rolled up and knotted.   (i.e. my length above is from the relaxed hair that was put into Sisterlocks framework)

I kept asking the new consultant how is she sooo much faster than my last consultant.  Her answer was "age difference?"

No,  in hindsight, my hair was being ripped out.  The Sisterlocks consultants seem to like getting those Sisterlocks premium dollars, but they do not care if you are going bald in the process.  They just want to get paid without owning up to the fact that the interlocking technique or even the frequency of tightenings may not be working for you.  There are some exceptions . . . so yes, not all Sisterlock consultants are bad.  But definitely, do NOT trust that sisterlocks.com certified consultant list either as far as finding a caring, professional consultant.  I digress. (I swear - writing this article is taking me through an emotional roller coaster. It is amazing what I have been through on this lock journey.)

Also, if your Sisterlocks consultant is yanking your sisterlocks apart if they start to grow together, then I do not recommend this action.  Shears should be used to carefully cut the cross hair(s) if they can not be massaged apart.  Yanking on dreadlocks/Sisterlocks is what amateur locticians do; not professional locticians.  Yanking stresses the locks.

As you can see, I have learned a lot about dreadlocks over the year.  As for me and my dreadlocks, the best thing is for me was to do like so many other women with beautiful locks are doing - just do it myself and go to a loctician for updos, steam treatments, or other specialty options.  I do not want to risk too much lock doubling or combining.  I want to keep my locks as feminine as possible.

Thank God that I have found a loctician that I hope will work out. Our consultation went the best out of the three locticians I visited a few months ago.

I hope that this article helps others considering the lock journey for their children or for themselves.  Locks are a serious thing.  It's still hair and breakage still can happen.  Some sistahs with straight hair take sistahs with locked hair for granted.  I assure you that a sistah with long, beautiful locks are just as picky about her locks as any straight haired sistah is about her blow-out.  So don't get it twisted!