Locs a week on

Collage of my locs a week on. From the top left: front view, left side, right side, top, back and another front view (this was actually taken on my mobile and i think it looks better than the others that were taken on my digital cam)

The week has been mainly ok. Wake in the morning, spritz with water, try a lil finger combing and i am done.

The main problem i have had is that my scalp has been very itchy. Since i washed my hair the night before getting the SL installed i have not put any products on it. I think because the locs were tight and close to my scalp it caused it to itch. I have had this problem previously with cornrows, which i usually scratch out within 3 days. I did not realise i would have the same prob with the locs because they were singles. I have tried very hard not to scratch it but its hard and often i dont realise my hands are in my locs. I try tapping it, diggin my nails in without scratching it, putting ice on it. Some advice i have received is to use ACV (apple cider vinegar) as this is meant to help with dandruff. I have not tried it as i am not washing my hair as yet. Other suggestions are Lavender EO (essential oil) as this soothes the scalp and Tee Tree EO as this helps with the itching. Again I have not tried them as yet as i was told not to put anything on my hair to prevent slippage. My hair is quite soft and i do not want to cause and slippage. I am in contact with my consultant and the itching has calmed down somewhat mainly itchy in the morning and evening. I will continue to monitor it and hopefully it will calm down as the locs loosen. I am seeing Liz next week for a two week check-up to make sure everything is going ok

Loving my locs and my friends all like it. Since i am the first one to have SL among them they are keen to chart my progress as well

Locing Tips: What Ever Locwear Should Know

No matter how you started your locs, texture, length, or stage of your journey- remember that these tips should apply to all loc wearers...

~Locing is about patience, so it is a long term commitment that might last 2 years or more for the locing to be complete. Be 100% sure that this is the step you want to take.

~Your hair (no matter what texture) will frizz during the process. Know that this is a normal process -all locers will have to go through this experience so relax and don't stress!

~For people with looser curl textures or naturally straight hair, accept that frizz might always be part of the locing process.

~Love those bumps! It adds character to your locs.

~It seems no 2 people with afro hair has the same texture, naturally your locs will look different.

~There might be times when you are feeling impatient, stressed, bored and negative about your choice in locing -don't worry, this is very normal -especially during the teenage phases when locs have their own mind. Take a deep breath and remember that this time will pass. Enjoy the journey, don't waste time on stressing over it!

~Be prepared to learn a few lessons on the way and throw out your old perceptions of beauty.

~Keep a loc journal to remind your Self how far you have come!

~Collect headwear and experiment.

~Your locs are unique and beautiful. No one else's locs will be the same as yours so don't compare your locs, just love and accept what you have.

~Use products that are light so there won't be any product build-up in future.

~If at any stage you are uncomfortable with what your loctician is doing to your locs, don't be afraid to be very clear and let them know or change loctician. Go with your instincts! They are your locs and you know whats best for them, so don't let others tell you otherwise. Your loctician should work with you, not against you.

~NEVER use any products that contain mineral oil and petroleum as their ingredients.

~Locing should not be an uncomfortable or unhygienic experience. Wash your locs regularly and always keep them clean.

~Water is your best friend throughout the locing stages.

~Healthy body, healthy locs.

~Use minimal of products to avoid build-up.

~If you're concerned about how the locs will look early on and/or that your loved ones will reject you if you decide to loc, then you shouldn't be considering them.

~Be willing to accept any and all stages of locdom, including the negative reactions you may receive from family, friends, and strangers.

~You are not alone - get support from good friends or other means (forums are great for this!).

~There is a wide spectrum of locing techniques and methods, from the super cultivated locs to the super organic loc methods. Each is beautiful in their own right and no method of locing should be seen as 'more acceptable' or 'more beautiful' than the other.

My Babies are in , My Journey Begins

I had my sisterlocks installed (Aug 21) WOOHOO!!

pic of my completed locs front view

My consultant Liz was nice and i had no probs. She is also really fast and we were completed with 12 hours. I am trying really hard not to keep touching them as i dont want them to slip. However its really hard not to put my fingers in it. I just love the way the ends are nice and curly although i have not done anything to them. Curly Qs i think its called

pic of completed locs left side view

It is also weird for me to get my head round that i am not to do anything with my hair jus spritz with water and go. I havent got rid of my old hair products yet but that is definately my task for 2day so i dont get tempted. I'm a lil disappointed that i cannot style my hair yet as i wanted to try rollers or a braid out. But Liz said not to manipulate it yet to decrease the chances of slippage. But freestyle is coool for now. I am just so happy to have them installed and to begin my journey. Will continue to chart my progress

pic of completed locs right side view

pic of completed locs back view. I was scared that i would have a lot of scalp showing so i am glad that i dont. Its tight esp at the bottom and so it feels itchy. I'm tying my hardest not to scratch it as i dont want to pull it out

gettin the locs installed. Dont know wots up with my eyes, dont watch that


Me blowing my hiar for the last time. Don't get me wrong this is not before i had my SL installed. After i took the gel twists out i still had a week before getting my SL installed. The day before i got my SL i did a hot oil treatment. I mixed olive oil with almond oil but i dont think i heated the oil enough. It was the first time i did it and did not want to burn myself and i covered my hair in cling film for 15 mins. Then I shampooed out. I was really tempted to condition it but i was told not. Also weird was not to put any products on it. It was ok when it was wet but i was worried about the next day when it had dried. But there was no probs.


The gel twists i had before i got sisterlocks installed. And no they are not dreads as many ppl think although i could have left them and formed dreads

Haven: What to look for in a consultant and installation...

I advise anyone thinking of getting SL to look at this link

Haven: What to look for in a consultant and installation...

But more than anything makes sure you visit the official sisterlocks website at www.sisterlocks.com

9 days and counting

Pic of my kinky twists

This is my first ever blog so here goes

I have had natural hair since 1999. Growing up i always hated natural hair as i never knew what to do with it and could never "manage" it. During my teen years i got a curly perm/jheri curl until i was about 14/15. Then i had a relaxer/str8 perm. I never managed that much better either. Crunch time came when i asked a "friend" to redo my hair as i was told she worked in salons and could do it for me. HORROR, she put the cream through the whole of my hair instead of jus the roots! So no surprise my hair started to break. After about cm or 2 of regrowth i decided to get rid of it and shave it off sporting a lil Fro.

Over the last few years since then i have had braids, gel/wax twists, cornrows, kinky twists, which were my fav and i did that for 3 yrs. Even tried a weave once but i found it too itchy. I had thought about locs for ages. Then end of last year i decided this is it i wam gona get locks in 2007. Took out my last kinky twists and jus do gel twists for now. A lady at work has sisterlocks and told me a lil about it. I spent some time lookin on the net tryin to get some info on dreadlocks and sisterlocks. I decided on sisterlocks but i can be slow at doing things so i didnt actually contact the consultant until June and they will be put in Aug 21/22

I had my sample locs put in on Aug 10. I showed my friends at church who have locs and they said it me it looks like interlocking, which is hell of a lot cheaper than sisterlocks. So i got confused, am i being ripped off, am i doing the right thing. Are they they same or different??? I spent last night on the net, couldnt sleep, was up early again this morning trying to ascertain whether there was a difference btwn the two. Still havent managed to get to a conclusive answer. But i came across LHBE and after looking at some blogs and seeing the pics i think yeah i will definately stick with sisterlocks. And i have realised that it is the same technique, and it is what i want

I am excited again about getting them put in. It still fairly new in the UK. So its countdown to my sisterlocks journey