29 October 2011

What I've been up to part 2...

Well, here's part 2 of what I have been up to recently and why my blog has been so quiet!!
I unpicked my sisterlocks!!!, that's right! As most of you may know I was increasingly finding fault with my locs and after seeing the work my NEW consultant had done with my daughters hair, I knew I had to take mines down. The main issues have always been the partings and sizing. After that marathon combine that my previous consultant had done, even after I rectified, it was not the same, there were larger locs in the front, micros in the middle and all sorts of sizes in the back. My ear to ear parting had morphed alongside most of my other straight partings and I had just had enough!! I also had a surprise call from my previous consultant that basically said after having gained a further years experience since my install, she feels she would have done it differently and that it was me who taught her her that combining where possible should be done lengthwise to preserve the partings! No comment!

The take down process...
The take down process took 3 weeks!! I started on a Saturday and ended on a saturday and it would have been quicker had it not have been for having to go to work and care for the kids inbetween...oh the inconvenience!!  My tool of choice was a needle which i soon learnt pierces the skin!! so I wrapped it with some sticky tape and worked my way from the ends up until the roots. I hadn't washed my hair so there was some natural oils in my hair and that was it!! After the take down I sprayed it with Mane N Tail detangler (brilliant!) and combed it out in sections and gave it a good wash surprised to say there was minimal hair loss! Sorry there are no pics of the process, I couldn't stand the half locked half napps look lol.

So what next?.....A new Chapter!



 That's right, a new install!! Of course I wasn't going to just take down my locs and leave it like that!! I prebooked my installation with my trusted consultant in advance, took down my locs, gave them a good wash and headed back into the chair!! I will post more pictures of the finished look when I get them. But here are the new stats:

Install date 26th and 27th October
Install time 2 days, 16 hours
Size Small and Medium
Lock count 379
Consultant = A Gem, Client satisfaction = priceless!!

Those that knew my old set will know that I had considerably more locs, but to be honest after the experiences that I had with the combining, I didn't want to go through that again, so between me and my consultant we tried to ensure that each of the root beds has a good chance. Of course there may need to be combining if any of the locs are in trouble, but a good foundation sends them off on a good start.

Day 2 after install



 
 Finally...
17 months on from my initial install, what have I learnt?.....Do your research, see a consultants work and always talk up if you have concerns!!

Join me on my new journey xx

25 October 2011

Retightening help!!

Fellow lockers, what do you do if you have started to retighten a lock and then realise that you cannot complete the rotation, do you leave it in the direction it can comfortably retighten to or do you abandon the full rotation and try to end it in the direction of that section of hair?? confused!! what do you do??

23 October 2011

What I've been up to part 1...

Hey fellow bloggers, its been a while since my last post and I thought I would put out an update. So much has happened in the last 4 months so this is part 1, part 2 will follow a few days behind.

Introducing.....Miss Mac!! That's right, my eldest daughter has been Sisterlocked.

This was a few months before her locs were installed, her hair was damaged by the continuous styling she done as well as peer pressure in secondary school  we reached for the chemical crack which only took 2 months to destroy her crown
Locs were installed after numerous conversations and late nights agonising over the decision!!
Loc Stats: 375 locs installed over 2 days, total of 10 hours with just over an inch new growth, standard sizing in July 2011, age 12, maximum attitude!   
Carnival Time August 2011, can we say shrinkage!!
September 2011 and looking good!!


What Miss Mac calls spider head!! Just before a wash and after being asked again, "when can we wash it without the plaits!! hehe soon baby, soon!

Miss Mac is very pleased with her hair and still has me in knots over the amount of styling she does, but we are working on minimal manipulation whilst they settle, she has asked since day one to have her pics posted on my blog and I am so pleased with my baby girl finally embracing her natural self even going against the odds at school and holding her own, beautiful.

Update on my locs in a few days!!