After I read Going Natural: How to Fall in Love With Nappy Hair by Mireille Liong-A-Kong, the lady behind this super helpful natural hair care resource, I knew that I was ready to get locs.

By Terez Howard

 After I read Going Natural: How to Fall in Love With Nappy Hair by Mireille Liong-A-Kong, the lady behind this super helpful natural hair care resource, I knew that I was ready to get locs.I was vacationing during the summer of 2010, and I brought the book along with me. I had been enjoying the freedom of natural hair for the past five years. As I read Mireille’s book, I realized that I had tried every natural hair style she mentioned, except for the ones with extensions or weave.

When I reached the locs section, I received a real education. I learned there were different ways of starting and maintaining locs, and those different methods would determine the way mature locs would look. I learned that all locs are not created equally because black hair textures vary greatly.

I also cleared up one misconception I and many other people have about locs – that they are dirty. They are far from dirty and require regular washing and care.

I had always admired locs, but I determined they were not for me because of that misconception. With that cleared, I set my mind on getting the perfect locs for me.

The research begins

Then I started researching locs on blogs and websites to find which locs were my favorite. I knew that I wanted to have a variety of styling options and that I wanted to eventually maintain my own locs, but I did not wish to start them. Sisterlocks gave me what I wanted.

At first, I thought the smaller the locs, the better. I could develop very intricate styles with tiny locs. But if they were too tiny, I would never want to maintain them on my own. It would take too long to retighten 600 Sisterlocks. So, I got expert advice.

I located a Sisterlocks consultant in my area from the official Sisterlocks website, and Chasrah explained what she thought was best for me. Her advice cemented my notion that Sisterlocks were best for me. By the end of October 2010, I had a head full of Sisterlocks.

What I like about my Sisterlocks

My favorite thing about my Sisterlocks is that detangling has become a thing of the past. I hated detangling my loose natural hair. My impatience with knots and tangles led me to snap and break more than a few of my fragile strands. Now, I never have to detangle ever again!

Sisterlocks are easy to maintain. I don’t yet retighten my own Sisterlocks, but I wash and style them. I keep them clean by shampooing at least once per week, and I’ve been able to try out a variety of styles. I love that I can wake up in the morning when I’m in a rush, take my satin scarf off my head and go. One time, that’s exactly what I did. Only when I was in the car did I realize that I hadn’t even looked at my hair. It was still cute to me!

Lastly, my Sisterlocks are growing. I cannot believe the amount of growth I’ve seen over the past eight months. Shrinkage kept my loose natural hair looking the same length for the past five years. It looks like my hair grew more over the past eight months than the past five years. I know that it isn’t true, but I’m excited to grow my natural hair longer than ever before.

If you want to follow my Sisterlocks journey, please visit my Sisterlocks blog.

 

Going Natural Hair Care for Black Women, African American Men and Children