One Week in Sisterlocks - How it Feels

It's been at least a week since I had my Sisterlocks installation appointment. I love my hair and I feel great about my decision to grow it with Sisterlocks. As each day passes by I feel more and more comfortable with my new look. Here are a few pictures after one week taken on June 8th:

Happy about my Hair

Profile Shot

Length in the back

Length on top

Sisterlocks Installation - Day 2

After a good night’s sleep, I got up and arrived for my appointment to finish my Sisterlocks by Locks by Landi at 8:00 am on May 3st. We pretty much did the same thing as Day 1 but we were done around 2pm. Landi gave me instructions on how to treat my hair. I could do just about anything I wanted except for put a lot of products in it. A lot of oily products could cause slippage. (Note: Slippage can occur if the hair slips and slides within the structure of the Sisterlock pattern creating an undesirable look.)

Here’s a look at my hair at the end of Day 2

Sisterlocks Installation - Day 1

I arrived at Locks by Landi at 8:00am on May 30^th and was as excited as a child would be on Christmas Day. Landi and I talked for just a few minutes before she went straight to work on my head. She sectioned my hair into 14 sections with a goal to get through as many as possible by 6pm.  We talked for a few hours as I browsed the Internet on my Ipad then we discovered HBO GO, an Ipad application. We both are fans of spoken work so we spent hours watching a season of Def Poetry Jam.

Landi’s work ethic was very strong. She took very short breaks for the bathroom and to eat. She was very focused on getting through the 14 sections of my head. By the end of the day she had gotten through 9 sections. I went home with 5 little Afro puffs as I eagerly awaited my return appointment.

Here’s a look at my hair at the end of Day 1.

Preparing for My Sisterlocks Installation Appointment

While waiting for my consultation, I decided to twist my hair up and buy a short wig. Because I wore braid and twist extensions for so long, I wanted to get comfortable with short hair again. I found a wig with a cute pixie cut and sore that for about a week. I felt that my co-workers made such a big deal about the dramatic change in my hair so I ended up giving some ‘lessons’ on black hair. Remember…I had been wearing braids and two strand twist extensions since I worked there so none of them had ever seen my natural hair. I did explain to them that even with that, there’s no way my nappy, kinky, coily hair could ever bee as straight as the wig was even if it was scared straight! LOL I also felt that I should give them a clue so when I came back in the following week with my kinky short locks that they wouldn’t be too surprised.

As my appointment grew closer, I decided to wear twists and twist outs for a couple of days. I washed and deep conditioned my hair one last time the night before my appointment. I arrived at my appointment with no product in my hair. For comfort, I packed a lunch bag with lunch and snacks to hold me over until dinner. I ate breakfast before I left home J. I also took my Ipad. 

The Journey Begins

I narrowed my search down to four locticians that I found in the Sisterlocks Certified Consultant Registry. (See my previous post on My Criteria for Selecting a Sisterlocks Consultant to understand how I narrowed my search to four).  I scheduled my consultation on 5/21/11 with Alandria Niblack who runs and operates Locks by Landi . I prepared for my hair for the consultation by washing and applying a deep conditioner to it. Since I had just taken braids out, I decided to give myself an ACV rinse, as well as, a deep condition with honey added. I applied a leave in conditioner and picked my hair out into a bush.

When I met Landi, I thought she was very knowledgeable and had a great attitude. I really enjoyed talking with her; she was great! Landi took the time to answer all of my questions. I watched her re-tighten a client’s hair and was impressed with how the new growth disappeared as she worked through the session. She came off as professional and was very friendly. 

We talked for about an hour. Landi took out a ruler to measure my hair to determine pricing. I was afraid that my hair wouldn't be long enough but my hair was 3 inches on the top, 4 inches on the sides, and 5 inches in the back. Landi averaged the length and quoted me a price for 4.5 inches of hair. I thought that was fair. We booked my appointment to have Sisterlocks installed before I left and I provided her with a down payment to secure the date.

My Criteria for Selecting a Sisterlocks Consultant

One of the challenges I faced when searching for a Sisterlocks Consultant was where to begin and how to choose the right consultant for me. I started my search for a Consultant at the official Sisterlocks Website and searched the Certified Consultant Registry. 

To narrow my search, I followed the criteria that  was important to me. My criteria is listed below:

1. The Consultant had a website - By visiting websites, I could research on my own time instead of playing phone tag.
2. The Consultant worked in a location that was easily accessible.  Taking into consideration that I would be going back to the same person for maintenance,  I didn't want a long commute.
3. The Consultant was Experienced. Getting Sisterlocks is a big commitment for me. I know everyone has to start somewhere but I wanted someone who has already made many mistakes that they have learned from.
4. The Consultant had pictures of their work. It is very helpful to see actual work done by the person doing your hair.
5. The Consultant had some type of locks; Sisterlocks a plus. This made me feel that they believed in the product.
6. The pricing was reasonable.

Once I was able to get a good feeling on all of my criteria, I proceeded to schedule an appointment for my initial consultation. 

The Coily Road to Sisterlocks

I began my natural hair journey in June of 2007. I am pleased that my decision has led me to Sisterlocks. 

In June 2007 I had about 2 inches of natural hair growth and about 6 inches of permed ends. I was planning to transition for a while but grew impatient. I tried cutting my own hair but it was uneven so I went to a barber to get an even cut. The barber cut my hair shorter than I wanted it but I grew to love my Teenie Weenie Afro (TWA). Over the next few months I experimented with a variety of hair products and loved my wash n go TWA. Then it got cold outside! Going outside with a wet head was not working. 

My hair grew to a length where it didn't look as cute in an Afro and it was too short for me to get some of the hairstyles I adored. I became frustrated with my hair so I went to a natural hair salon to get comb coils. I really liked the way they looked!

I was happy to have found a natural hair stylist so I continued to get my hair styled by her...until...

One day I was desperately in need of my hair being done but my schedule did not connect with my stylist's schedule. I was frustrated that I didn't know how to do my own hair. I thought this is the hair that God made me with and I don't even know how to do it!  So I learned to do my own hair. I practiced twisting my hair in two strand twists until I got good at it. I began wearing twists and twist outs. 

 I was starting a new job in November 2009. By that time my hair was a length that I thought was unmanageable so I decided to get braids. I alternated between braids and two strand twist extensions for a year and a half. Halfway through that time period, I decided that I wanted to color my hair. I bought a permanent hair coloring kit and applied it myself. I had continued to re-braid my hair not realizing that it was breaking off terribly . Although I was deep conditioning between braiding sessions, I lost about 3 inches of hair growth. I believe my hair loss was due to several things but mainly not allowing my hair to breath between braids and not properly moisturizing my hair after coloring it. Lessons learned! At this point, I was extremely frustrated with my hair...even with braids! 

Since 2007 I have been researching Sisterlocks. I would see women on the street with the most beautiful locked hair. I would walk up to them and talk to them about their experience. I haven’t heard anyone complain yet. On May 21st, I had my Sisterlocks consultation. I was very impressed with the loctician and booked my appointment that very day.