The natural hair movement is becoming much more mainstream. Black women are publicly embracing their naturally coiled, curly, twisty, kinky hair. I’ve been natural (no chemicals, very little heat) for about 7 or 8 years and I get a gazillion questions about my hair. So I think it’s about time I talk about my own journey.
Let me introduce you to my hair. I struggled to find my hairdentity early on in life. I went from braids to curls (yes, I rocked a jeri curl in the 3rd grade) back to braids, to perms to blow outs, to afro puffs (oh, college) to kinky twists and now, Sisterlocks.
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| Throwback pic...extensions. |
Like most little girls, my mom did my hair for a majority of my childhood. But when I was about 12 or 13 I decided to rebel become independent and I learned how to braid. Individual braids were always my safety net but I experimented with several other hairstyles. My hair never did well with perms...mucho breakage. I also never did well with wraps…could never get the technique quite right. I loved rocking my ‘fro in college but it was painful…literally…to comb my hair out each day and it took quite a bit of maintenance.
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| I often wore corn rows to complement my 'fro |
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| me and my mom |
I decided to get Sisterlocks after seeing my mom have and love hers. I was attracted to the fact that locks just aren’t a hairstyle…they literally become a part of your identity. The initial locking session took 2 days (about 20 hours) and I hated them. They were thin, scraggly and spaced out. I would get them retightened every 6-8 weeks until I took a class and learned how to do them myself. And then the love affair began. My hair grew out, the locks became fuller and I’m so happy with my decision.
Having Sisterlocks is like being apart of an amazing members-only club. There are some things you can only talk about with your Sisterlock sistren like “patterns” and “tools.” I often feel obligated to speak to another woman if she has Sisterlocks; to compliment her on her hair; to compare lock sizes and color and exchange tips. The Sisterlocks company even has a yearly Homecoming and festival in San Diego
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| The early days of my locks |
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| On my 5 year lociversary |
Not everything works for everyone but sometimes it can be helpful to have a reference point.
So here’s MY Sisterlock maintenance routine
Washing
The general suggestion is to wash your hair every 3-4 weeks. But I live a relatively active lifestyle and its just so darn hot in Virginia
My favorite shampoo: Sisterlocks Green Tea Shampoo (their starter shampoo is also good).
I strongly prefer and recommend using shampoos and other products with NATURAL ingredients.
Moisturizing
I moisturize my hair daily. Right now I’m using Cantu Shea Butter Oil moisturizer. But to be honest, it doesn’t do the trick for my thirsty hair. I prefer the Sisterlocks product: Moisture Treatment (keep it in the fridge when you’re not using it because it’s made with perishable ingredients).
I moisturize my scalp thoroughly once a week.
For daily care: I put some Moisture Treatment cream in a spray bottle and dissolve it with distilled water. I spray the mixture on my hair every morning.
Wrapping
Ok so I don’t do this but I highly recommend wrapping your hair at night to decrease lint from getting stuck within the locks themselves.
De-Linting
Lint happens. I use a push-pin and carefully (don’t compromise the integrity of the lock) push the lint out.
Re-tightening
I do my own re-tightening (I was trained by Sisterlock professionals) about once a month. I work on a few sections at a time while watching TV.
Styling
I'm still on a styling journey. I have a few go-to styles but I need more ideas as my hair gets longer. I like to look online for inspiration.
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