Tackling my Texture and Loving my Tapestry

It's Day Seven post shampoo, and I still have curls. Some say setting lotion causes long term build-up.  I don't know if I should have the same concerns regarding my Sisterlocks.  Typically, my maintenance for my Sisterlocks goes against "Sisterlocks Bible" teachings.  I am ecstatic about how long my curls from my wet double strand twist set are holding. It has to be that setting lotion that is doing the trick.  I decided to headband my locs into a goddess updo for day 7.

Did I fool you?  Nope, I didn't cut my locs.  They are still there!!!!  See?!

"I show is nappy." Did I say that?  I can say that. Yes, I can. However, No, you can not call my hair "nappy." You probably are thinking the same thing, but nope, all curl patterns are created by God, and they are beautiful.  However, I took this picture above earlier in the day, and I realized I really, really needed to tighten my roots some.  I had over an inch of new growth in some areas.  So in the picture, below, I tightened some of the roots, and I took another picture.

Better? Right?.  Just a little more manicured look?  I was not going to post the "before" picture because I was ashamed of my curl pattern.  It seemed like it needed to be tamed.  It looked "ugly."  Although, I think it looks prettier since I tightened up some of my new growth, but then I realized why am I trying to compare my hair texture to a European standard.  Didn't Cleopatra have braids?

Self hatred still runs deep in this "natural hair movement" of 2016.  If you want corkscrew curls, but you were not born with it, then you sew it in or crochet it in.  You can have whatever texture you want to BUY right now.  

I am not sure what the natural movement started out to be, but I assure you that "being natural" is not what the "natural movement" is about in 2016.  The natural movement of 2016 is about being "relaxer free."  Women are still getting hair color, smoothing treatments, keratin treatments, and some sort of "weave."  The weaves are no longer just the typical straight, sleek, look.

I am natural.  No permanent haircolor. However, I find myself boar bristle brushing my edges to keep them from looking "ungroomed."  My intentions are good, but do they lead to self destruction trying to fit in to a new "curly society standard?"

I really did not plan to take this article in this direction, but since I had been trying to get back out into the dating scene, it has been depressing that women still have to work so hard to fit a standard.

The Right one is out there! 

I don't plan to work hard to get him so I don't have to work hard to keep him.

He must accept my texture as well as my tapestry. ~Benita

Uniform Locs: A Must or Not?

I have heard loc wearers as well as locticians talk about uniform locs versus lumpy locs.  I told my new loctician that I personally am okay with "lumpy locs."  All of my locs are smaller than the traditional locs, and I still have relaxer left in some of my stringy ends.  Even the loc repair pieces that I attached to my bang area had some relaxer left in them which is probably why they snapped off where they did upon the certified consultant's ripping my knots away.

So to make a long story short, I wear an extra wide headband to keep my locs scrunched at night because I want texture and bents in my locs.  So if I have areas where I finger twisted versus interlocked, it is fine with me because I want to see movement and bends in my locs.  The only time my locs look good straight is when they are soaking wet.  Other than that, my locs shrink up and resist gravity.

So "uniform locs" should be a personal decision.  Some people want to eventually cut the relaxed hair/locs off.  I am planning to keep all of my loc length, fat or skinny, it is all good to me.  Honestly, if someone gets a razor haircut on their straight hair, then their ends are going to be thin and wispy, not blunt and not uniform.  So why must locs be uniform?

So I repeat, micro-locks do not have to be uniform; however, the larger the locs, the more lumpy the locs can look.  For example:

This picture from naturalselectionblog.com is a perfect example how traditional sized locs emphasize every lump in each loc.  These locs look a little too big to roller set or perm rod or even bantu knot.  So if you have large locs uniformity will need to be addressed.  Overall, this picture of lumpy locs look uniform when looking at them from root to end.  Of course, I do see smaller locs in the front and larger locs in the back.  However, most Sisterlocks are smaller in the front and medium to large toward the back.

For those who do not have my texture hair and curl pattern, then certain interlocking patterns will force some texture into looser textured locs to keep them from looking too stringy.

So again, people need to think "out of the box" with locs.  How do you want to style your locs?  If your answer is long and straight, then you need to keep your upkeep timing and methods consistent for uniformity, but if you are like me, I am always going to prefer some wave or curl in my locs, so don't worry - just be happy!

Thick eyebrows equal Thick hair?

A trip down memory lane . . .

       

Photo credit:  July 2001 Ebony Magazine, model:  Benita Blocker, age 30 (pink dress)

Snapshot, April 2013, Benita Blocker, age 42 (purple top)

I have always maintained thick eyebrows with the exception of the few times that the estheticians "took half of my eyebrows off!"  I had to grow them all the way back in.

I only mention this because your eyebrows can give you some insight about whether your hair is fine, medium, or coarse.   Thinner eyebrows may mean that your hair on top of your head is fine to medium, but it has nothing to do with your hair's density on top.  You can have fine hair, but have a lot of density.

Thicker eyebrows usually signifies a coarseness to the hair.  Also, look at the curl of your eyebrows before you brush them for insight into your curl pattern.

To Create Texture in Short Locks

 Hair and Makeup by Benita Blocker.

In order to create the texture in this final hairstyle, I used the "Fuzzy Sticks" to flat twist my Sisterlocks.  Most people use the Fuzzy Sticks to create spirals in longer locks as discussed in one of my previous articles on this blog.

However, because I am trying showcase as much length as I can get at all times, I flat twisted my Sisterlocks  two horizontally across the front, and the rest of the flat twists going toward the back.

I dried my hair under the platform dryer until they were completely dry.  I used a wide stretchy headband at  night to stuff my locks to deliver volume at the roots on top of my head and  maintain texture within the ends of my locks.

Pictured above is the textured look after the fuzzy sticks were taken out of the flat twists and fingerstyled.

Unfortunately, my curl pattern still requires me to do something to it at night, otherwise my locks will straighten and stick straight out.  Seriously, I look like I stuck my hand in the electrical socket if I do not use the stuffed headband approach or pin curl them.  So the Sisterlocks are still not "no maintenance."

The biggest advantages that I see so far is that

1) I am not afraid of getting my hair wet
2) I do not have to use another chemical on my hair again
3) my hairline at my nape seems to be filling back in; I had forgotten that it used to be fuller years ago.