Alise's Sisterlocks

6 days from now, 3 years ago I started my sisterlock journey. I cannot say enough what a good hair decision this has been for me. My life is so easy now that my hair is a non issue. Freestyling works whenever I don't feel like curling and people still stop me to ask about my hair. In the beginning I usually received compliments from older, caucasion women. Over the last year I've been stopped and complimented by AA women inquiring about my hair. It may be that I have a little length now. I still can't get it in a ponytail yet. My head is too big and my hair is too thick. Maybe in another 6 months or so.


Just after washing


Curled with Soft Spike Rollers



In my post below I had been tagged and mentioned a few things about myself that I was working on. I'm happy to say that I'm still a non-smoker and have also lost 19 of the 35 pounds I gained when I quit in Feb 2007. Still working on losing 20 more. We've also adopted a new pug named Rocky so now we have 3. What were we thinking?

Dang,
Ever since I started blogging I have been dreading the day I would be tagged. Don't ask me why though. I am usually an open book and really don't have anything to hide but I just didn't think I had anything interesting to say. I have managed to slip under the radar for over 2 years until Salt-n-Pepper Diva decided to call me out. Thanks for looking out (smirk)!

As always....here are the rules
1. Link to the person(s) that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 6 non important quirks/things/habits about yourself.
4. Tag 6 random, people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a post on their blog.

Okay.......let's see....what can I tell you about myself that I haven't already posted about.

1. My Pugs (aka my furry children) run my life. Sounds weird, but they truly do. I feel so guilty leaving them at home while we work that we rarely go out on weeknights. Also, on the weekends I take them to the off-leash dog park in the morning and late afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays. They love it there.
2.I was raised in "white" America. I know it sounds funny but that is how I describe growing up in a little Navy town in the Pacific Northwest. I'm not complaining though. I love my hometown and thanks to the military (Air Force) I've been able to see the world and not get stuck with a small town mentality. I believe I've had the best of both worlds and am a proud, well adjusted African American woman.
3.I used to be a neat freak. However, 5 years ago when I became the Mommy to two furry children I gave that habit up. It's too hard keeping up with Pug hair. Don't get me wrong now....most people come to my house and still say I'm neat. I'm just not neurotic about it anymore.
4. I recently celebrated a 1 year anniversary. I smoked (cigarettes only) for 27 years. I quit on 2/6/07 and haven't smoked since.
5. I've gained 30-35 pounds in past the year since I quit smoking. You can probably see the difference in some of past blog posts to the most current. During that year of eating dangerously my mantra was......."Your healthier fat than being a smoker."
6. On January 21st, 2008 I started the Body for Life program. It's a 12 week challenge of weight lifting and cardio exercise, 6 days a week, to get your body back in shape. Since starting, I've managed to lose 7 pounds. I've got at least 30 pounds more to go. Wish me luck!

So who am I gonna "call out" to join us in this tagging frenzy? Get your typing fingers ready ladies. Roll call is: BlackDoll, NappyBlessings, QueeBaby, PureHappiness, Malaikablus, and princessblack247. Happy blogging!

Who'd of thought going natural would be so easy? It's been 2 years since I got my Sisterlocks and I don't know where the time has gone. As I look back on my previous posts I can assure you I never imagined this would be so easy.

Now that I've reached another milestone in my journey I'd like to take the opportunity to provide a little advice to anyone considering sisterlocks.

1. If you don't over-manipulate your hair you'll have nothing to worry about.

2. Most folks don't give a darn about your hair more than you do. As along as it's clean....don't stress about it.

3. Your sisterlocks will not look exactly the same as the ones you covet. You are unique and so are your locks.

4. If you are stressing more about your hair since you've gotten locks.......you've probably made the wrong decision.

These are just a few of my thoughts. Here are some old and updated pics for comparison purposes. In 2008, I urge you to embrace your new locks and welcome the freedom they give you. Happy New Year!

Day 1 with Sisterlocks - Dec 28, 2005



March 2006



August 2006



December 2006


December 28, 2007

My company Christmas party was last night so I had another reason to do my hair. I would love to have done an updo but my hair is not quite long enough. Maybe in a few more months. For now I'm gonna keep sporting "big hair". Love those Soft Spikes.

It's been 19 months and with each day my locs get better and better. How did I live without them?

Since I was going to my 25 year high school reunion I had an occasion to dress up and do my hair. I even put on makeup which is rare for me. I received so many compliments about my hair from my family, friends and former classmates and all I did was set it, slightly damp, on foam rollers and sit under the dryer for about an hour. I went to bed with the rollers still in and took them out in the morning. I hung out all day with them lightly finger combed (they were tightly curled)and when it was time to go to the Reunion I lightly misted the tight curls with water and acheived the less curly style (or non-sytle) in the photos. Enjoy!




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April 2006

May 2007

May 2007

May 2007

Here are Essie's traditional locs approximately 13 months after she started them. She continues to maintain them herself by twisting, which she states takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Last week I was at my brother's place in Las Vegas for a small family reunion. Of course the camera came out so here are some updated pics of my hair at almost 17 months. Enjoy.

December 28th marked my 1 year anniversary of living with locks. What a wonderful year it has been. No hair worries to speak of. I thought I would post a few comparison photos to document the changes. I think the hardest part of this journey so far was the first month and even that wasn't so bad. I was very used to my full head of thick hair and it took about a month for it to adjust to the new locks. After that.....it was on!

1 Year and 2 days Locked

December 28th, 2005. Day 1

Back of head - Dec 30, 2006

Back of head - Dec 28, 2005

Essie just e-mailed the photos below this morning. She says these pics were just taken after she washed and retwisted last night. You can't help but notice the growth since my last post about her locs. Of course, she is still loving the look but is anxious to see the growth that will continue to occur in the next couple of months.

As mentioned in my previous post, her locks were started in March 2006, after 3 failed attempts to establish them by "so called professionals" who wanted her to put heavy greases and waxes in her hair to aid in the locking process. By establishing them herself, she is in control of what goes in her hair and has been maintaining her locks using only JML products that wash out during each wash. Her locks are soft and springy and look incredibly healthy. Take a look for yourself.

On 13 October 2006 my husband and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary by taking a cruise on the Norwegian Star to the Mexican Riviera. My sister and her significant other (aka hubby) traveled with us as well. The cruise was for 8 nights and 9 days to Acapulco, Zihautenjo/Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. The heat, tropical humidity, sand and sea water were no match for my locks. Since having my locks put in I have never washed or manipulated them as much as I did those 9 days. Needless to say, I did not experience any slippage or other type of damage. This was the first vacation I've taken that I didn't think twice about what to do with my hair once it hit the water.

Tra recently asked if my twin sister, Essie, had succumbed to Sisterlocks. Well, first let me say that she is a fan of locs but didn't want the trademark small size of Sisterlocks. Also, she says there is no way she could have sat for 3 days and umpteen hours to have them put in.

In early March 2006, after 3 tries of starting traditional locs with so-called professionals, she decided to do it herself. She did not like that the professionals were installing her locks with numerous products that contained buildup containing properties, such as beeswax and shea butters. Armed with knowlege she obtained from the web and 3 failed attempts. She one strand twisted her hair with the size of locs that she liked and has been maintaining them herself since.


Top of Head April 2006


Front View April 2006


Front View April 2006

Here she is 4 months after starting her locks and she loves them. She's says it's getting much easier for her to maintain. Her routine is to wash every couple of weeks and twist individually. She twists the new growth, uses a JML product for hold, holds them in place with duck clips, and then uses the blow drier to set them.


Front View August 2006

On Saturday I had another retightening and was extremely pleased that my consultant agreed that I do not have to band and braid anymore. It had been five weeks since my last retightening and in my last post I confessed that I had not banded and braided last week when I washed my hair. Well of course, I had to wash my hair the night before my retightening on September 16th, and once again, I did not band and braid. I guess I figured that if any damage was going to occur this would be the time since it had only been one week since I had washed my hair. When I got out of the shower I carefully checked each loc and then separated them at the roots. Lucky for me I did not notice any slippage.....but Yvette, my SL consultant, would be the judge of that.

I arrived at Yvette's at 7:50 a.m. and once I sat in her chair I confessed. After checking my locs she agreed that no damage had occurred and that she felt my locs were mature enough to wash without the chore of banding and braiding. I AM SO HAPPY!



Almost 9 Months 

On the 28th of September I will have had my Sisterlocks for 9 months. I'm excited to approach this milestone and will try to post photos to chronicle the event.

I have to tell you though about what I did last weekend. My twin had come up for a weekend visit from Vancouver and after she left on Sunday I decided to clean house. It was quite a chore as she had brought her dogs (A german shepard mix and 2 cairn terriers) and the amount of dog hair had quadrupled from it's normal amount of just Milo and Kito shedding.

Needless to say, after vacuuming the area rugs and sponge mopping the hardwood floors my head was feeling kinda sweaty. It was already 7:30 p.m. and I just didn't want to spend time braiding and banding, washing, and then removing the rubberbands. So....... I just washed my hair, very gently mind you, but nonetheless, without the protection of the rubberbands. As soon as the water hit my head I was afraid of what the outcome of my premature actions might produce. But alas, I got out of the shower, towel dried my locks and found that not one lock had slipped or unraveled. Either I was lucky or I'm fully locked and loaded. I will definitely be happy if I don't have to braid and band anymore.

I'm scheduled for a retightening session with my consultant in Portland (Yvette Campbell) and will tell her about my transgression. I think she may agree that I don't have to braid and band anymore but I still want to get the green light about it.

It's obviously been a while since I lasted posted but I felt I needed to concentrate on my search for a new job and my diligence has paid off. I resigned from my job as the lead LPN at the assisted living facility where I was previously employed so that I could spend quality evenings and weekends with my husband and the pugs instead of working over 100 hours a pay period. At the beginning of July I started work as a clinic nurse with a group of gastroenterologists where my hours are Monday through Friday with weekends and holidays off. Most importantly...I'm getting better pay and not working as many hours. Who'd of thought!

In the meantime my sisterlocks have been the best hair decision I've made in 42 years. I've had my sisterlocks now for a little over 7 months now and they look better and better every day. It's great doing absolutely nothing to my hair except washing about every 2 weeks and prior to retightening. I use a little of the Sisterlocks moisurizing treatment every now and then and in the photos below I immediately took out the rubberbands after I washed, put in some moisturizer and used the blowdryer to dry my hair. Voila!


7 months - A little over 7 months


Side view


Front view again

Today I had my 3rd retightening. It's hard to believe that I've had my SLs for over 3 months. It's been such a pleasant experience with my hair that time is just flying by. No more worries about what I'm going to do with my hair in the morning. Just jump in the shower and go.

I can always tell the difference in my growth after a retightening but this time I can really see the difference. I look forward to sharing my 6 month photos with you. I don't think I've said this before so here goes.......I love my sisterlocks!


Front


Another front view


Side View


Top View

Today I finally figured out how to read and respond to the comments left by folks who have viewed my blog. I've been so busy with my job that I really haven't had the time to sit and play with it. Well, I finally got off work in time to allow me to play.

A few of you have asked that I post photos of my 2 pugs (aka my sons) Makito and Milo. These guys are my pride and joy and I absolutely adore them. Some say I might be a bit eccentric about them but I don't care. They are funny and loving and most of all they think I am the next best thing to peanut butter. I don't think there is any other living being on that planet that is as devoted as a dog.

Makito is the oldest at 3 years 10 months. He'll be 4 in May. We weighs approximately 25 pounds and is the athlete of the two. He can be very serious at times and is definitly the alpha in charge. Milo is the baby at 3 years 2 months. He is the clown and loves to make us laugh. Enjoy the pics.


Milo in the blankets


Makito in the backyard.


Milo at his 2nd birthday 2005


Milo and Kito


Milo and his Dad


Their favorite positon on the couch.

Front


Back


Top

So here I am the day after my 2nd retightening to my Sisterlocks. I've had them now for 2 months and 7 days. My consultant says they are doing well and that the middle of my head is really starting to lock. I haven't really done much to it other than the requisite wash prior my appointments. I have had some slippage around the circumference of my head but my consultant decided to try a new pattern on those to see if that will help deter it.

I really can't tell the difference between the 1st month and these but I promised to post each month and so I shall. I'm hoping these photos will inspire others to enjoy the freedom of their natural hair as I am. See ya next month!

Front view before retightening Back view before retightening.

So this is me the morning of my retightening on Saturday, January 28th 2006. I am freshly washed and dried and getting ready to head out the door to see my consultant/trainee for my first retightening. I sat under my hooded dryer to dry my hair while I was still banded and braided hence the extemely crinkly look. I'm so happy to be seeing by loctitican today because I have a few loose hairs at the front of my hairline that somehow escaped being put into a loc and they have been kinda bugging me, but I haven't been stressing about them 'cause I know she can fix 'em.


Front view after retightening. Close up of back after retightening
Back view after retightening. Side view after retightening.


Top view after retightening.

Okay, so now I am really loving my locs. My loctician did a fabulous job and hooked a sistah's wig up. It took eight hours for my first retightening session and we've agreed that we'll have to work on speeding up the process. One of my locs had to be combined during this session because it was just too small so now I'm down to 525 locs now. Can you tell (ha)? You can see a few of my parts but that doesn't bother me either because usually my hair is so thick I often wonder if there is a scalp down there.

My loctician tells me that my locs are doing great. She did not find any slippage and already the back is starting to lock as evidenced by the balls on the ends. Hopefully, the rest of my journey will be as easy as the first month has been. To tell you the truth, I can't imagine it being bad at all . My hair feels heatlthy and it's obvious I've had some growth this first month. I can't wait to post some pictures at 6 months. Of course, in the meantime, I'll post pictures at all the months in between as well. Dang, this blogging thing is addictive.

I have been natural, wearing braid extensions, since early 2004. I knew then that I would never again put a chemical relaxer in my hair but I wasn't sure early on how I would style my very thick, crinkly/curly hair.

Me and my identical twin - I'm in front - Braid extensions.

Me and Mark - Christmas 2005 - More braid extensions.

Imagine my joy when I discovered Sisterlocks while surfing the net. I then joined this website and have been lurking ever since. I found my consultant/trainee, PJ Hadley, on the Sisterlocks website and contacted her. After my consultation, in which we immediately "hit if off" I decided that the time was now and began my journey. PJ put in 7 test locks and examined them two weeks later. As I suspected, and she confirmed, there would be no problem with this "brillo head locking".

Night Before Sisterlocks.

We started the locks on 12/26/05 and 3 days and 38 hours later (I am her second client and she is very meticulous) I had a head full of 526 teeny, weeny little locks.

Sisterlocks - Day 1 - Front View

Sisterlocks - Day 1 - Back view

I am totally overjoyed. It's only 4 days later and I have received only positive reactions from coworkers, friends, and family.

I just want to thank everyone on the Lockitup website for providing all the information a person needs to prepare for their journey. Your blogs and links are inspirational.

Photo before Sisterlocks with braid extensions

Thanks for stopping by to view my blog. My plans for this blog are to chronicle the progress of my hair in the various stages of my Sisterlock journey. Come along for the ride!