Free Sisterlock / Brotherlock Installation Services in New York City

Check it out!

Patricia is an Official Sisterlocks Trainee living in the New York area. She is presently offering a free installation service of sisterlocks and brotherlocks for the first 4 inches of hair.



For those of you who don't know, an Official Sisterlocks Trainee has successfully completed the Sisterlocks training course and is in the process of collecting photographs of her high quality work to submit to the home office to become an Official Sisterlocks Consultant.

Patricia also offer retightening services for a reasonable price.

If you live anywhere along the Eastern Seaboard and are considering sisterlocks or brotherlocks, contact Patricia at 347 743 1007 or niikili@hotmail.com.

Pass it on!

World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show

It's time, once again for Talia Waajid's World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show.

In fact, April's Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup will be held at the show on Saturday, April 4rth. Find the Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup Group logo link in the sidebar to join the group and to RSVP.

If you have any hesitancy - don't! Amba, with assistance from Sophia, organizes meetings that are fun, informal and open to one and all. At the meetings you will meet women who are contemplating going natural, natural and contemplating sisterlocks, women with hair locked by other tooled locking techniques, sisterlocked newbies, and consultants.

If you are contemplating going natural or getting locs or sisterlocks, the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show is a great place to learn all you can about the process.

(See last year's post here)

How I Shampoo My Sisterlocks at 14 Months

I love it! I love it! I love it! ----- Texture!

I washed my hair tonight.

Notice where I bind each section of my hair.

The secret to reducing bunching at your ends, if you still have permed ends, is to bind your hair just above and just below the transition between your permed ends and your loc'd roots.

1 Month

14 Months

It seems that my ends are taking care of themselves. You can see how much of the weak ends have fallen by the wayside in this comparison shot. When I decide to go ahead with the big chop, it may not be as big a chop as I thought it would be!

16 sections to be braided for a braid-out after washing

I bound my hair into more sections that I usually do. Six sections would be typical for me at this point, but tonight I decided to bind my hair into the sections that I would braid for a braid-out.

The sisterlocks kit comes with several of these elastic hair ties which you can find in any drug store. They are ideal for binding because they are small, don't damage your hair, have a lot of 'give' but can still be snapped in case I have a hard time removing them from my ends.

Follow this link to see some of the products I'm using now

My locs have thickened up and are taking a little longer to dry, especially when braided and rolled on flex rods. I've found that I can braid them when they are a little dryer that I have in the past, with the same results as long as they are very dry when I remove the rods.

Love my hair dryer. I use one of those bonnets that attaches to the end of a pistol shaped blow dryer. It travels well - compact and light weight.

The Finished Product

After I braid, roll, and dry, I will lose a little of my texture. The combination of the braiding and heat smooths the cuticle.

To keep more texture, you can free style or, for move waves and if you have the length, you can make Nubian knots and let them air dry without heat.

Tight curls just after the set and braid-out

The curls are really tight, but they will fall over the course of the next several days. I can help it along by spraying some water on my roots to make it fall faster. This set will last 2 to 3 weeks or more. All I do at night to maintain this style is to make a loose ponytail high on my head and put on my dreadsock.

When it falls it will look a lot like this...

Looser curls after 2 weeks

Wisdom from the Husia

I felt moved to affirm for peace and reconciliation today. But, sadly, when reconciliation is not possible and peace remains elusive, 'truce' may be the best we can hope for.

---------------------------------------------------------------

'Those who are blameless in matters of conduct, no words can prevail against them. And those who are self-mastered, the harsh are kinder to them than their own mothers, and all people become their servants. Let your name go forth, while you yourself are silent and you will be recognized and respected. '

'If you are a powerful person, gain respect through knowledge and gentleness of speech and conduct; Give commands only where necessary and fitting. Those who abuse their authority provoke resistance. And those who place themselves above others are brought low. Be not silent when it is your duty to speak. But be cautious in your speech lest you offend. When you answer the angry, show self control. For the angry heart speaks fiery words, but those who walk gently, their path is already paved. '

'If you are angered by a wrong done you by another, lean not toward remembering it, but toward righteousness. Pass over it quickly and do not hold it in your heart after the first day it happens.'

- from The Book of Ptah-Hotep, The Husia [Selected and Re-translated by Dr. Maulana Karenga]

Sisterlocks Style Gallery II

Oh how wonderful it feels to have a newly retightened head of sisterlocks!

After my 6am appointment today, Julia started playing with styles. She declared that my hair was long enough to be braided into a fish bone braid.

I was doubtful, but she was right! Here are a few photos of my first fish bone braid.

Julia took hair from the sides of my head, starting in the front, and covered a central strip of hair running down the middle of my scalp to create this braid.

I asked Julia whether I could use a deep conditioner, but she says not yet. Apparently, I still have a little slippage in my kitchen. I'm not quite loc'd in the very back of my head, from my nape to my ears. But she guestimates that in 6 months or so deep conditioning will be a go!

(See Sisterlocks Style Gallery I here)

Natural. The Beautiful 'N' Word

I'll be adding a book to my favorite hair books list in the side bar...

Natural. The Beautiful 'N' Word: Breaking the Psychological Bondage of the American Standard of Beauty

by Jennifer C. Jones and Richard O. Jones

You guessed it - Dr. Joanne Cornwell, founder of Sisterlocks, is featured on the cover! Dr. Joanne Cornwell

Book Description:

The American standard of beauty is an optical illusion that has mesmerized the world. Artificial hair, and makeup in the hands of a beautician is equivalent to a deck of cards, a top hat and a magic wand in the hands of a magician. The multi billion-dollar beauty industry has successfully proven that the hand is quicker than the eye. Hypnotically, the public applauds the deception. Most women-even some little girls-are addictive users of the hair and cosmetic charade yet, few know its history.

Most women were convinced in childhood by subliminal messages in the media that their natural hair and facial features were substandard. Ultimately, acquiring the acceptance and applause from a well-trained public became a subconscious ritual. No civilized race or nationality is exempt.

*Featuring a section about Sisterlocks and its' creator, Dr. Joanne Cornwell.

Sisterlocks on Yahoo Glue!

What is Yahoo! Glue?

The Yahoo! Glue Beta brings you everything you need, all in one page.

Glue topic pages (available for select popular topics) give you one place to browse through images, video, articles, and more from the best places on the web.

They are designed to help you discover and explore while saving you time.

This was the description of Yahoo! Glue Beta that I found on Yahoo! Help.

Check out sisterlocks on Yahoo! Glue.

More Coily & Kinky Hair in the Work Place

As Ross Perot used to say, I'm in "deep voodoo."

My recent post on loc'd nurses and docs' was wildy popular, but a few people felt slighted.

"What about us medical secretaries?"
"What about us in medical records?"
"What about us respiratory therapist?"
"What about us men?" ...Yada, yada, yada.

Well, I'm sure to have missed a department or two

...or three.

But here goes my first attempt at redeeming myself.

More female nurses, but a few other departments represented...and some male energy too!

Loc'd Nurses (Med-Surg)



Sisterlocks on an elevator ride - (Me, representing the doc's!)

Hair Extensions (Nurse Manager - LTAC)

Traditional Locs (Nursing ICU)

TWA 'Boy cut' (Med-Surg Nursing)

TWA (Med-Surg Nursing)

Palm-rolled locks (Medical Secetary - Unit Clerk)

Rat-tailed comb coils (Nurse Manager)

Loc's and Braid Extensions (Respiratory Therapy & Nursing ICU)

Power 'Fro! (Medical Clerk-ICU)

Babylocs, twisted 1 week (Health Information Management a.k.a. Medical Records)

Cornrows (Respiratory Therapy)

Thin traditional tooled locs >6 yrs (Med-Surg Nursing)

Mature traditional locs >7 years (Materials Management)

Sisterlocks Snow Day Photos in Atlanta, Georgia

It snowed all day long here in Atlanta! An unusual occurrence and quite a treat for my children who don't see snow very often.

The daffodils were already in bloom here and we were awaiting the forsythia!

Typically, it will snow once a year, dusting the lawn and melting by noon. Of course, this generates about 48 hours of special weather reports on all of the local channels. And everyone goes to the grocery store to stock up on bottled water, canned goods and batteries.

Every couple of years we'll have an ice storm that lasts a few days during which all of the tree branches are coated with ice and the roads become slick and treacherous. The power will go out in the city where above ground utilities are common, and there might be a school snow day closing.

But today, we spent the afternoon under the big tent at the UniverSoul Circus. ['Pride, joy and hip-hop, under the big top!']

When we went in, we figured that it would stop snowing by the time we came out, and the typical melting would have begun. But much to our surprise it snowed for the rest of the afternoon.

It is so beautiful outside. One can almost forget what life was like going to classes and commuting in weather like this month after month after month so many years ago.

It is wonderful to be able to enjoy the quietness of the neighborhood that follows a good snow - which is easier to do when it is a rare treat ;o)