By Terez Howard

I’m nearing my 1-year mark with Sisterlocks.  Although I absolutely love my hair, I strongly dislike braiding and banding.  I asked Paulette Brown, the consultant behind Locks4life, what makes braiding and banding so important.

 Her answer:

“The braiding and banding that you do today gives you the beautiful locks you seek tomorrow. When our hair is wet, it typically will swell and shrink. That is the process that you have to control until it settles in or it will loc swollen and uneven (bunched). You know how you see people whose locks are fat on the ends and skinny at the scalp? Or their locks are not straight and symmetrical? That’s what you get when you stop braiding and banding too soon. That can also happen from coloring too soon, not getting regular retightenings and adding oils, shea butters, waxes and gels to the the locks.”

That response made me appreciate how important it is to braid and band.  Get the rest of my interview with Paulette, including her interesting hair journey, at my Sisterlocks blog.

 

 

 

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