Monsterhead

Well, over the past few evenings I have started retightening my hair myself for the first time, I would say with varied success, but I am sure it will get easier as time goes on. I think my consultant will have some work to do when I see her next month. I only lost 4 locks! lol I am however, even more happy with the decision I made to take a class. Best investment of the year I think. Even if I have a half-dozen two headed monsters! Well, really, monsters is a strong word since they are so small, so lets call them creatures for the time being.

Winter Solstice, December 21st, marked my six month Sisterlock anniversary. In the past month since my last re-teightening, I too experienced that "shrinkage" everyone else seems to go thru but I think I am getting past that stage for the time being.

I am at home from work (office closure for Christmas..yahoo!) for a few days and while sitting here I am thinking, why not try some styling in the comfort of my home home? So I think I will play around, even though I don't have any accessories I will borrow some of the creativity I have read on other blogs. Also, while I was puttering around the house feeling pudgy, I thought that this may be the time when I need to start training for a half marathon. I am not even a runner, so I will start my 5 k training first, which has been my goal for the past three years. Now that I promised my friend that I will do a half marathon with her next fall, I really have to get my but (one "t" in butt used deliberately since mine is soo flat, this baby go not back) in gear. Note to self, stop making promises and plans while drinking wine! Anyone have any tips with mass perspiration and sisterlocks?

Anyhow, I have attached a few pics from my second retight at the end of November last month, as well as the most recent from the last week or two. I'll post my attempts at styling soon!

And another thing

I forgot to mention that when I was in Vegas, a week a ago, I received my first random compliment on my hair. What I mean by random is that it was from a stranger. I was at a time share presentation (for free tickets you know the drill) with a couple from Michigan or Missouri. While we were waiting for our ride back to the Strip, she mentioned how much she liked my natural hair in braids. I enthusiastically informed her that it was Sisterlocs and not braids and that she should really look into it for her daughter. Her daughter is finishing university and is contemplating a natural style. I don't know how much she really listened, but I am sure the seed has been planted.

On a side note, it looks like another trip is in the works in January and I'll be able to see my little niece A.K.A mini-me. The good news is that now I don't have to frantically squeeze in a re-tight every time I vist them now. I can do it myself. Yay me...hold that thought. I still have to do it all myself first. I am feeling some new growth already (I know it's only been two weeks!) I'll have some time off over the Christmas holidays, so I will rent some dvd's and make myself comfortable.

Mission Accomplished

Woo Hoo! My trip was successful on the hair front. I was able to get a hair re-tightening and a lesson the week I was in Toronto. My original consultanttrainee surfaced just before I left home for my trip. It turns out she didn't check the email address and she was indeed in hospital, so she was not able to give me my follow up appointment or my starter kit.

Maria D instructed my on the retightening process. I am very happy I got this done since I now don't have to worry about strategically planning my trips around hair appointments. Way less stress even thinking about it. Phew!

My Aunt is still not sold on Sisterlocks, but she has seen it just after it has been done, so it's not looking it's best when she sees it. I did show her some pictures, and she did say it looked nice. I will be seeing her again In January, so I am sure that it will be looking much better when she sees me then when I next visit Toronto.

I ran into my friend Antoinette in the grocery store yesterday and she cannot get over how much my hair has grown, and she only saw me two weeks ago pre-retightening. My girlfriends who met me in Vegas were also surprised at how much my hair had grown. Actually, one didn't even recognise me from behind. She came up wondering who "that woman with the bob was". So needless to say that there has been some ample growth that is now even more apparent now that my hair has been retightened.

In February, I hope to see my brother and his family. I hope to entice my sister-in-law to get out of weaves and into sisterlocks. I told her that when she sees my hair after a year, she is going to be jealous and wish that she had done so as well. It's just a matter of time till she comes over to the "locked" side.

Now, this next phase will have me experimenting with some styling. I am looking forward to that since I am used to my hair having some body and being kind of "up" like it was when it was shorter. Now I have to get accustomed to styling my own hair which now has some weight and some length, which is a new ballgame for me. I'll start moisturizing in January, and until then will take advantage of the dry climate I live in to assist with locing my hair.

Overdue

Well, it's been far too long since my last retightening. I was not able to travel out of the Yukon as I planned until the end of November. That would be 3 1/2 months between retights, so I am already long overdue. I am sooo looking forward to my hair being done.

My original Consultant trainee is AWOL. I never received my starter kit from her, nor has she replied to any of my emails. She does have poor health , so I can't help but worry, but a sign of life would be ideal. She owes me a retightening. I will call her this week, and If I am not able to make contact, I may have to make a call to Sisterlocks to let them know that her status so they can update the information on the site for who is available.

The good news is that I have a lesson booked for when I pass through Toronto in November. I will still find another consultant to spend a few hours with beforehand to handle all the slippage. I imagine about 4-5 hours should do the trick. They won't be doing all of it since I need to leave some to work on for the training session. It's really important that I do retightening training so I don't have to worry about when my next trip is "out" to get it done. Anyhow, here is current state of my po' little head. 3 and 1/2 weeks till I get my mop all gussied up. I can't wait!

So far so good

Well it's been 5 weeks since my first retightening and I could use another one already. My hair is definitely going through a growth spurt. This pick was taken after a wash and rinse, and letting my hair dry before I took the bands out. I got tons of compliments on this look! I love it too!

The bad part is, my next trip "out" is not until the last weekend in December. I now have to somehow find a way to get a trip out to get my hair done between now and then. This is going to be interesting! I usually tag my personal trips onto a work junket, but I have none planned at the moment, so if I do travel at this point, it's going to be a jolly expensive hair appointment.
There is a possibility of good news however. I have a friend who is supposed to be driving a truck up from Edmonton over the next six weeks. If it pans out, I will fly down there and drive back with him. There is a Sisterlock consultant in Edmonton, so if all things work out, I may get a hair appointment between now and then. Lets keep our fingers crossed!

My next efforts are to get to a retightening course. My aim is to take a side trip after Vegas to Atlanta (via Charlotte of course). That will be a whirlwind weekend trip. I am just looking for airfare right now to figure out the most economic way to get everything I need to get done.

First Retightening

Well, after 5 hours, I finally was able to complete my first Sisterlock retightening while on my trip here in Charlotte. It took a little longer than the estimated 2 hours, since my Trainee Consultant, Zdyea in Toronto, did such a fabulous job with the installation, and according to Nera, a rather fantastic hairline, which was a challenge to follow. Nera was pretty happy with our finished product today. Sweet. I will definitly keep her on my Charlotte task list for my future visits.

I have to say, I cannot believe how much my hair has grown in the past six and a half weeks. This hair growing thing is quite impressive to me. My hair doesn't grow normally, but now I am excited about the prospects of it growing in length and volume.

I shampooed it three times between appointments. There was some slippage at the nape area mostly, but the good news is that it's already beginning to lock. Nera says it should be locked by October. Then she said I may be ready to try some styling techniques. She even mentioned using the curling iron, but no more than once a week. We'll see.

Backtracking a little, I must go back to my first shampooing. After waiting over a month for my starter kit, which I forgot at the consultants. (She needs to mail it to me since I live over 3000 miles away), I have had to be creative with the shampoo process. Armed with numerous spray bottles after diligently banding it as instructed, I started off with a diluted solution of Dr Bonners Hemp Oil Soap. The almond scented one gets me every time, I so love that smell. I then used a lemon juice and water rinse; clarified that with a baking soda and water rinse (I used boiled water since I had no distilled) and followed that up with an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse.

I was happily surprised on how clean and non-vinegary my hair smelled, and how soft my hair felt. I loved how my hair got a little more volume, just the way that I like it. I got tons of compliments that day. In fact, my best friend mentioned that this is the best hairstyle that I have ever had, and she has known me for over 15 years. I think I have to agree.

I can't wait till I get past the banding stage. But I have to mention the added bonus of more space in the bathroom and beyond as I purged all my hair products and divvied it between all my friends and co-workers. It's totally liberating to be free of product. And even though I didn't get my Sisterlock products, I am pretty thrilled that I have found a natural solution to my hair care, without added chemicals. Kitchen ingredients have always been my best friend, and now they have gone beyond their culinary demands! In my quest for better health and non-toxic options, this totally fits the bill! Ooh thats a pun, since this hair care regime is dammed cheap to boot.

I do have to remember though, that I will need a moisturizer once it locks. Nera did highly recommend the Sisterlocks moisturizer. I will try it once, but I will of course, look for a natural remedy.

The next trick will be getting in my next appointment. My next trip after this one is not until Vegas in December. Stay tuned for that one.

In the meantime, I will post my retightening pictures when I return home from Charlotte, and now apparently Orlando. Man, do I ever get around!

Done Deal

I've done it! My Sisterlocks are now two weeks old and I am really digging them.

Despite having to sit for 19, thats right, 19 hours and being quite ill at the same time, I managed to sit through it all.

Since I have been back home, I have so many good comments. My friends are loving them and now I am looking forward to see how these babies grow.

I got the medium size locs, I cannot imagine how they can do it much smaller. Next step is to wash it. I just have to wait for my shampoo to come in the mail from my consultant.

Countdown

Up until 10 years ago, I used to relax my hair regularly. 20 minutes of styling every morning and an unhealthy fear of precipitation was par for the course for me. I used to do it myself, since I live in a very remote and rural part of Canada. I learned how to manage my hair on my own out of necessity.

One summer weekend in August of 1999, after a night of camping at the glorious Tombstone Mountains we decided to drive a little further up the highway to do some fishing. My friend Steve and Sarah went ahead, Mike, his sister Andrea and I followed behind taking our time on the gravel road.

To make a long story short, we never made it. We rolled off the highway, and in true dumb luck, I was the only one that was seriously injured. I much rather prefer that way, as I find it easier to manage my own pain. If anything happened to them, I would have been devastated and maybe a little hysterical. Luckily it was me.

After a helicopter ride, a medevac plane, xrays , lung tubes etc over 16 hours later, I found myself uncomfortably rested in my hospital room with some broken ribs, separated shoulder, collapsed lung and a shredded bicep (my arm bounced out of the car and dragged when we rolled so I had some more than serious road rash). But other than that I felt great.

Luckily, I only had to stay a week at Le Whitehorse General, since my best friend who decided to come up to the Yukon and give me a surprise visit, got a surprise of her own finding me in hospital. I convinced the doctors that she would be able to take care of me.

When I became a little more mobile, I realized that I could not even do my hair since I could barely reach my head. I limped over to a hairdresser, and told her to cut it all off. I still had gravel and dried blood in it from the accident apparently! From there on, I devised the easy "wake and shake" hairstyle which has been my trademark for the last 9 years. It was basically a relaxer that wasn't super straight. After I washed my hair, I would just tousle and go with my wavy/curly shag. It has been very low maintenance and liberating.

Now that every other thing on this planet is causing Cancer I have been educating myself and taking steps to take care of myself and be healthy. Chemical relaxers is on my list to avoid, so going natural became a quest for me since I haven't be natural for about 25 years.

In my quest I came across Sisterlocks!

Well, It's 8 days until I get Sisterlocks. Ironically I am just getting accustomed to my hair as a teeny weeny afro. My last relaxer was Canadian Thanksgiving 07. I was thinking about getting locs then. When I went to visit my brother in Charlotte, I was on a mission to get them done, but then I ended up being to busy helping him out with his Chiropractic and Wellness clinic (lifespringchiropractic.com) so I didn't get any time to find a hair dresser.

I went to Thailand for 3 and a half weeks in January after visiting my brother and took up Mauy Thai (Thai Kickboxing) which kickstarted my fitness journey and helped me lose 10 lbs and reshape my body. I recommend this fitness vacation who is looking for a drastic measure to get back to being fit and healthy.

Anyway , I digress. I had a few days in Charlotte when I returned from Thailand. I was hoping my brother would have set up an appointment for me while I was gone, but he was far too busy.
So after a comedy of errors finally finding a salon, I ended up getting twists, which I didn't like at first, but then I got used to it. That was my confirmation that I am ready for Sisterlocks.