Miscellaneous

I am trying to be more consistent in blogging about my Sisterlocks. Although it seems unimportant now to rant about random things, later I may be able to look back at these posts and note my progress.

I am going to try a new clean hair routine. Up until a month ago, I faithfully used the Sisterlock starter shampoo to wash my Sisterlocks (and braid and banding). But, to be honest, I hate the way the shampoo feels on my hair. I know it is specifically designed for locking hair, which is why I kept using it despite my unhappiness, but now I'm a bit more irritated with how it leaves my hair feeling. I do wonder, has anyone else with Sisterlocks not liked using the Sisterlock shampoo? I also have a dandruff and "white bulb" problem. "White bulb" is not the correct term, but I am too sleepy right now to remember what it is called. Basically, where strands of hair have come out from the scalp but are still within the Sisterlock itself, there are little white bulbs. They drive me nuts. And then there is the dandruff...

I've been researching. According to other women with Sisterlocks, apple cider vinegar (diluted with water, half and half) works to clean the scalp and help dandruff disapper. On the LockItUP group, I also saw under a "shampoo" search that many women seemed to like the Suave Clarifying shampoo. I would have never thought to use Suave. Honestly, I am of the opinion that you get what you pay for. I always thought that because Suave was only 99 cents (here in Austin, TX) that it couldn't do as good a job as other shampoos. BUT, I will try it and see. (To that end, about a month ago I did buy a $9 bottle of clarifying shampoo that worked horribly on my Sisterlocks, so maybe Suave will work.)

I am buying the ACV and shampoo tomorrow and will wash my hair and post pics of the outcome.

I am anxious to see how these new products will work because I exercise regularly, and so I often need to clean my scalp (wash away all the sweat!). One consultant a while ago told me to wash it when it's dirty...be it every other day or every other week. I shouldn't be afraid and think that because I have Sisterlocks I have to wait two weeks to wash my hair. Another told me spray my hair with water every other day and rinse my scalp out after exercise if I don't have time to wash it. With my routine I can't wait two weeks to wash my hair.

I have had my Sisterlocks almost 15 months. The Sisterlocks in the back of my head are locking (or "encasing" as they call it). EVERY OTHER STRAND on my head is UNlocked. The ends are free. I guess I will be one of those people who has to wait a few years before my hair completely locks. Bummer! I wonder if it has to do with the texture of your hair. I have very dense, very thick hair. I thought for sure it would lock within a few months :) based off of how I used to have to handle it when I wore it natural.

Ahhhh....I am done rambling for tonight.

WOW! Where do I start?

First, I got my retightening....finally! Two very capable women with fast hands worked their magic on my hair and only a few hours later my hair was flawless and polished. They didn't complain about how small my Sisterlocks were. I repeat: they did NOT complain about how small my Sisterlocks were. I LOVE the end result, and from here on out I plan to use them as my regular consultants (well, just one of them. Two of them did my Sisterlocks this time around just to cut down on the time in the chair since it had been so long since my last retightening). Here are pictures of my Sisterlocks after the retightening. Keep in mind that a few on both sides (front) of my hair were weak and I think 3 or 4 fell out, so that is why they are short in that area.








Second, I joined LockItUP, a Yahoo! group for everything Sisterlocks. Apparently I am the only Sisterlocked woman on the planet who is NOT in this group. Where I have I been??? I LOVE the group. There are so many informative posts, and I have already learned a thing or two or three.

Third, I just found out that I can purchase all my favorite natural hair care products right here in AUSTIN, TEXAS. Yes, Austinites!, I said Austin, Texas....the place where they NEVER EVER have what we need for our hair (and we end up driving to Houston or Dallas for it). Naturallycurly.com (curlmart.com) sells tons of natural hair care products for all women with curls. They are reasonably priced and the shipping is faster than ordering the products directly from the individual product sites. In my case, when ordering some Greg Juice (LOVE it!), I found out that they are based in Austin and I can pay online and then go pick the product up. This saved me $$$ in shipping. BUT that is NOT the best part. The best part....the part where I then KNEW I was having an absolutely fabulous hair day....was when I realized they were located ONE BLOCK from where I live. ONE. BLOCK. As in, I can WALK there from home. All my natural hair care needs are not even 2 minutes away from me!!!

Sure, this was a fun post, but I also learned a serious lesson from all of this. I AM NOT ALONE. When I isolate myself, it is easy to feel like I am the only person who has missed a retightening session, the only person who has had trouble finding a consultant in a new area, the only person who doesn't know what the heck to use on her Sisterlocks from time to time. This is why isolation is never the answer when you are going through something. When I reached outside of myself and outside of my circle (friends and family who don't have Sisterlocks), and started to explore blogs and groups and Google and even YouTube, I found a sisterhood of Sisterlocked Sisters who had been through what I had and knew exactly what to say and I found solutions to problems I had related to Sisterlocks.

I have always loved my Sisterlocks, and knew no matter what anyone else thought that Sisterlocks was the best hair decision I have EVER EVER made, but it is so comforting to know there are other sisters with Sisterlocks, and we are all supporting each other.

WOW!