One Year Locks Anniversary: Raw Honey Retightening

 July 24, 2012 was my Sisterlocks birth date.  July 24, 2013 marked my (dread) locks one year anniversary.  What a journey?  God has the Master Plan.  Because my Sisterlocks are not super small, I have began to convert my tightening method to finger twisting.  I have been using all natural aloe based gels and natural oils because apparently, based on my interviews, all those "twist and lock gels" have by-products that can cause build-up on your locks.

People with the healthiest locks are the only ones that I am interviewing, and some people only use shea butter and olive oil.  No gels at all.

I like the idea of using natural products for my locked hair.  I also realized that with the Sisterlocks being an interlocking technique that it seems to "uncoil" my natural hair pattern.  My finger twisting seen to have been in vain the last few self-tightening sessions because my hair kept unwinding until reaching the interlocked area of the lock.  So out of desperation to secure my new growth from unwinding, I decided to try the "Sweet Locks" approach using honey.  I purchased local raw honey.

I poured the honey in a disposable container.  I tasted it too.  Delicious!  Based on my research, one lady said "bees make honey from nectar, not honey from honey."  So far, no bees have been buzzing around me, but if I sweat too much I may attract some flies. Smile.  The honey seems to be holding the new growth in place. I will probably continue using the honey for my tightening until the locks get trained to coil and stay, then I will go back to the lightweight aloe vera gels.

Please note: Add an hour or more to your tightening time when using honey. So I believe it took me about 4.5 hours versus 3 hours this last self tightening session.

I used the French Perm Stabilizer Plus as my final conditioner.  It is an acidic rinse, and according to reviews, it silkens natural hair.  The foamming action was great. It left my locks soft.

It is designed to be a post-relaxer conditioner. pH is 2.5.  You do have to rinse it out. I purchased it from Sally's Beauty Supply for about $5.00 USD.  I will probably write a separate article on this conditioner at a later date.

Also, on a separate note, I have done articles about comb twisting locks, but now, I believe, only starter locks make sense to comb twist.  The finger twisting technique seems to be the best tightening technique for me.  I will continue to update you on my lock journey . . . until next time.

Create a Crown using your own Locks!

 Do you like my hump in my crown area? Well, I used my own locks to create the volume under my stocking cap wig. (Please see separate blog article for instructions on making the actual stocking cap wig.) But continue on to see how to re-create this crown area!

Well, my locks are over a year old now, and I created two puff balls with just my own dreadlocks and two scrunchies.  No fillers. Then when I put the stocking cap wig on, I placed the faux part between the two puff balls and pat the crown down.  No one will ever know that I have two puff balls of locked hair creating my crown area.

Fuji Hands Free Perm End paper Dispenser System

I love this "end paper" dispenser!!!  It is obviously refillable with "Fuji Perfect Paper"only.  The Fuji end paper has a woven look.  It really was helpful in my last soft curl service.  I was able to rod the hair much quicker.  I also used it recently to roll a mesh roller set.  The end papers are interlocked inside the dispenser so they easily allow the next end paper to pop-up ready to use.  The refills are interlocked as well.  You just neatly drop the refill in and feed the top end paper through to begin the ease of use.  You will never want to buy cheap end paper again.

There is Nothing Relaxing about Relaxers

In this article, I want to address everything from relaxer shelf life to relaxer getting into the hair follicle below the scalp.

First of all, many new clients tell me that their stylist goes behind closed doors to get the relaxer and then re-emerges with relaxer product in a bowl ready to use.  They really do not know what type of relaxer is being used on them.  Then some hairstylists even in my own personal experience will put what they want in the bowl despite your special request.

I personally offer full transparency in my salon.  I want my clients to know that I am not trying to play a "switch-a-roo" game on them.  I do not purposely position the styling chair so that the client can not see the mirror.  I know some hairstylists intentionally keep the client from out of the mirror until the very end of the service.  When performing haircoloring services, I do recommend keeping the client out of the mirror only because every colorist has times when they have to tone or correct some undesirable results.  There is no use in alarming the client when you know that you can fix the issue.

Now, back to the relaxer topic, Avlon relaxers typically have an expiration date of three years from manufacture date listed on their tubs of relaxers, but many relaxer tubs do not have expiration dates just batch codes.  That can be a problem because I read online that one relaxer brand ( I don't remember which brand) claims the relaxer shelf life is only one year unopened and four months when opened.  So does that mean twisting off the top to see and smell a relaxer starts a separate countdown for shelf life?  That is scary because with so many hairstylists working independently in styling studios in addition to the "natural hair" movement, relaxer tubs are no longer being constantly turned over because of the decline in relaxer services.

Los Angeles, California residents have been practicing the natural hair movement for awhile because of their low humidity weather.  One of my friends who was working temporarily in the LA area asked for referrals for relaxer services, and no one had a referral because they felt all hairstylists had "old relaxers" because of the low volume of relaxer service requests in the area.

Something else to consider about relaxers is that it is cosmetic and not strictly regulated.  So the consistency of the manufacturing of the relaxers can vary.  There is one brand of relaxer where sometimes when I would purchase it - it would be creamy  and other purchase times, it would be stiffer.  One time, it looked horrible and separated and upon calling the company, they said "due to the heat of the summer, the shea butter had risen to the top, and to just stir it up."  Who wants to pay top dollar for new, fresh product and it is defected????  I asked them take it back and exchange it for some better looking product/tub.  I am seriously planning to discontinue offering this particular brand as soon as I get everyone switched off of it.

I say all of this to say, we really do not have any control over what is in a relaxer tub.  It is a toxic chemical, and I believe, that as the toxic chemcial is softening/relaxing the new growth, it can seep below the scalp and into the hair follicle.  If the relaxer does seep below the scalp, proper neutralizing may be difficult below the scalp resulting in hair shedding.  If you suspect the relaxer to be causing shedding, then I suggest a thorough cleansing with Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two.  It is a clarify and neutralizing shampoo.  It should help detox the scalp and hair follicle.  You will probably need to re-hydrate the hair because the Shampoo Two can be a little drying to ethnic hair.  The dryness can be fixed with using the conditioner that comes with the relaxer system.  If it is the Paul Mitchell relaxer system, then I recommend using an ethnic conditioner to rehydrate.  No pure protein.

Please understand that I am not anti-relaxers.  My pre-teen client who just received her first virgin relaxer (separate blog article) a few months ago is doing extremely well.  Less tangling.  Less time to service.  More styling control.  The relaxer seems like the most beautiful thing on the planet.  Yet, I cautioned her that the chemical is still toxic and should not be performed too often.

Ultimately, relaxers are not going anywhere.  For 50% of ethnic women, they will probably have no relaxer challenges.  Then there is probably another 25% whose hair will not completely relax, but it will become vulnerable to breakage.  Then there is another 25% that will forever have relaxer challenges.  Relaxers and Recovery will become a vicious cycle.

So Relaxers are nothing to be too relaxed about.

Facing the Fear of the Jumbo Rake Comb

Every time I look at this comb, it makes me shiver.  I can never get out of my head when a past hairstylist rapidly and unexpectedly ran this comb from my roots to my ends during the shampoo service of my hair appointment.  I felt raped and violated.  I was wearing my hair relaxed at the time with a fair share of new growth at the roots.  Between my body language, facial expression and widening of my eyes, this hairstylist had to know that she violated my trust.  She did not offer any apologies; only smiled.  With such a rapid comb through during the shampoo phase, I did know what "hit me" until the ordeal was over.  I was laid back in the shampoo bowl when this violation happened, and I have no idea how much hair I lost that day.

Between the limited conditioner selection that she had at a $35 roller set price point and the actual rolling of my hair, I lost a lot of density that day.  I never returned to this hairstylist again.  And I never wanted to see that comb again.

I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to face my fear of this comb because I knew there had to be a more practical benefit to a comb of this magnitude.  So I purchased one and actually found it beneficial in combing the conditioner through my clients with mid-back length.  My clients are sitting up as I comb their conditioner through, not laying back.

This jumbo rake comb now has fonder memories and purpose . . .