Breaking News...

As the pic shows, I am now a proud mama to a new set of sisterlocks!! Not sure how I feel yet as this is the first day but I want to give a true reflection of my experiences. Can you believe my install a whopping 52 HOURS over 3 consecutive days!! After reading several blogs, I knew that I would be in my consultants chair for a while but had no idea it woudl take so long!! We had problems around my hairline due to previous hair loss so that took a while to figure out. My consultant brought in a colleague on day 3 which I had mixed feelings about. The bonus was that she was quick, the downside was that she was quite heavy handed and I could have sweared down I would leave with no hair attached to my scalp...but alas...I left with a full head of hair! I am grateful for my consultant I cant imagine how hard it is to complete an install and stand for all those hours so I really appreiciate the work she done. I have found the odd loose square that will need fixing but she done an amazing job.

I am apprehensive as to how my journey will go and have already had curious stares this morning but I will have to learn to deal with it... So happy birthday to my sisterlocks officially born on the 29th August 2010. Size is mainly small with some medium and as for count that will come at a later date.

Nappily Happy x

Test Locs

Ok, so I have had my tester locs put in and although I have done an immense amount of research it was really good to have the consultant take me through everything again. As a part of the consultation we discussed sizes and I was told I have a tight curl pattern with medium density (at that point the mind was saying blah, blah, blah!) but what that equates to is that the best sizing for me would be small or small to medium to allow for volume without having the lions mane.

So these are the testers the day they were installed...

And these are the same area's photographed 4 days later...notice the curling up already??

Now if you've read my opening posts you will find that size is one of my fixations...I know it shouldnt be, but somewhere down the line I want to be able to DIY without becoming frustrated with the process, being recommended for the smaller of the locking sizes has given me food for thought. From research I knew that starter locs are small, but trust me....they really are tiny lol

So all in all...I have a few days to make my decisions, do I go with what I planned originally, or do I take the advice of a consultant...One thing is definately for sure and that is...I want to loc...and soon!

The day is fast approaching...but there is confusion!!

Well it is only 3 more days until my consultation for sl's and I must admit that I am growing ever more confused. I took out my weave as that darned thing was creeping up my neck (you all know what i mean!!) and have been left with a head of napptural hair. Now don't get me wrong, but this is what I am having to deal with...

Loose naps

Length deception

And hair combed through half an hour ago that wants to lock already!!

Being the sort of person who I am, i am not into spending hours doing anything so untangling my hair every hour or so is not an option. I know you may think, why not style? well the reasno for this is that by the time i style it will be time to take down for the consultation so i am kinda stuck in a half way house!

Through sheer frustration I have started to write together questions i want to ask the consultant, but then it also dawned on me after seeing some gorgeous locked sista's walking around int he town center near my home that I may not have considered ALL the options. One of he things that attracted me to sl's is the size. I know the sl veterans get alot of questions asked about their sizes etc...vets please beer with us newbies in our information gathering stage! Having said that one of the heads I saw over the weekend had locks almost the diameter of strings: Me to DH "look at those locks aren't they beautiful" he agreed and in chorus said "but they tooooo small". Now of course each to their own, where what i think are micro's might suit someone else, i really dont think i have the time nor patience to do that! they were lovely though.

So i asked around fellow bloggers about some of their experiences (thank you ladies!!) which has helped me define what is important to me when i consider my locks

• They got to be small BUT manageable
• I think i will prefer latching to palm rolling for my locs as I am quite an oily person
• I MUST have uniformed partings in the front for styling in canerows etc

So i have also been looking at traditional small locks started by other methods and here is MY verdict

• Comb twists - Just wouldn't work for me
• Braid loc - I love them but the thought of carrying out my own maintennance and not having the support of a loctician in the beginning petrifies me
• 2 strand twists - I have a case of permanent itchees although my scalp is not dry and a serious case of hand in hair diesease so i can see me unraveling them

Which leaves me with the options of:

• Sisterlocks (TM)
• Locs started by a latchook

Now of course both options have their pro's and cons. So that is where I am at with my research at the moment, it is so hard to find bloggers who have started with unbranded latchook methods but I have come across some locticians/sista's who can do this. The most important things are what was stated above, so now I am left with the main issue....THE PRICE!

So it was in the beginning...

Welcome to my blog. I have titled this post "So it was in the beginning" in recognistion that we were all born with the natural hair that God gave us. Having said that I have not always been thankful for the blessing and have had constant ongoing battles with my hair. I have gone from:

Relaxers

Braids

Weave

Locks (Interlocks)

Interlocks

Natural (after lock take down!)

Hmmm the Jeri!!

Canerow Styles

Weaves my current style today!

 

I have to admit that some of these styles i really loved, but over the years my creativety has been lacking and in all honesty "i really cant be bothered" with the latest style, weave etc. My hair has been pretty resilient to all the changes i have put it through and I am thankful that I still have some left!

The first steps...

Well I woke one day and said enough is enough! as you can see from the picture trail I had installed locks at one stage before. This was in 2007, I only had them in for around 8 months but every since I took them down regretted the desision. There was more than one reason for me taking them down...at the time i finished having them installed, I found out I was preganant with my second child. Within 3 months the whole of my body trippled in size due to water retension and I suffered from all day sickness. One day I got up and my hair was fuzzy and unkempt looking even though I had just had them retightened not too long before, I decided THEY GOTSTA GO! It took about 2 days of me and Mr Mac unpicking and greasing to get back to my natural state. And of course within months of having DD2 and a bald patch left in the middle from post pregnancy shedding I regretted and wished I hadnt.

So present day, I googled Sisterlocks (TM) which is what I had orginally wanted and started reading endless blogs and asking questions, I was sad to see that a few of the old bloggers were not updating anymore but grateful for the ones out there. After phoning a few consultants in my area and speaking with some very helpful ladies on blogger I had my consultaion booked for next Friday....I cant wait...let the count down begin...

Follow me on my journey and please let me know you've stopped by from time to time x