Sisterlocks Photo Essay: Months 1 to 10

What a challenge it is to capture the evolution of sisterlocks with my camera.

I can feel changes in the size and texture of my locs with my fingers, but through my photos the only obvious change is in the length.

As Cia promised, many of my locs that have truly locked are almost twice their original thickness. Most of those are on the crown of my head.

The many micro-locs around the periphery of my head and behind my ears are still rather small in diameter and I can still feel their crocheted pattern with my fingers, but they are well entangled and I no longer experience any slippage.

Sisterlocks Installation

Remember this photo? This was my two to three inches of new growth with permed ends on the day of my lockiversary ;o)

Here is my scalp at the end of day one.

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Sisterlocks Retightening at 4 months

But check out the increase in length in the photos below. These photos were taken towards the end of my fourth month with sisterlocks.

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Sisterlocks grow over several months: scalp photos

Compare day 3 sisterlocks...

...with week eight of sisterlocks. And compare week eight of sisterlocks...

...with month 8 of sisterlocks!

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A fuller hairline

Check out the return of my previously 'burnt-out' hairline. At 9 month, lots of new coils have finally recovered from the shock of the 'lye' and are creeping out again!

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Increasing length from month 2 to month 10

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Braid-out set: Months 2, 4 and 8

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Styled Braid-out set: Month 1 and Month 10

Still lovin' Sisterlocks: Week 8 Photos

I attended New African Nation Day this weekend. It was held at Tougaloo college. I took some hair photos in my hotel room.

I hadn't attended in over ten years. But it was nice to see Imari Obadele and General Rashid again.

General Rashid's signature locs

My husband is from Pontiac, Michigan. His family knew Attorney Milton Henry (Gaidi Obadele) well; and Dr. Lester Henry, the first Master of the College of Physicians that I ever met, taught us endocrinology at Howard. Time sure does fly...

...and everyone seems just a tad older...

...but I guess I do too :o~

Here are a few more hair photos.

What to Expect from a Certified Sisterlocks Consultant

When I meet women who admire my hair and seem interested in getting sisterlocks themselves, they always come around to asking two questions that are the deal breakers:

1. How long did it take to put them in? and
2. How much did they cost?

I tell them that with my 2 inches of new growth, it took two 7-hour days, but I quickly tell them that retightenings take only two to four hours.

Texture shot (click to enlarge)

When I talk about cost, I emphasize that the initial package price includes two months worth of services offered in a package of three visits! The three visits should include:

• A Consultation where your Consultant will gather information from you about your hair care history; Share information with you about the care and maintenance of Sisterlocks. During this visit, she will put a number of Sample Locs in your hair, using different locking patterns, which she will monitor between the time of your consultation and your locking session.

• The initial Locking Session, where your Consultant will do the entire Sisterlocks procedure. Some consultants schedule two shorter sessions for this depending upon the length of your hair. You will also be given your sisterlocks care kit at this visit.

• Your first "Follow-up Session" which is your first check-in and minor re-tightening after 2-3 shampoos or about 3-4 weeks. (Remember, all this should be included in your Package Price!)

Everyones locs are unique!

Sisterlocks certification is your assurance that an individual has not only been properly trained in the techniques, but has gone on to demonstrate their proficiency in several important areas like, proper lock sizing, adequate consultations, long-term maintenance, and more.

Make sure that your loctician can be found on the sisterlocks website in the certified consultant section or in the registered trainee section.

Finally, if you live in the Atlanta area anywhere near Tucker, I highly recommend my loctician, Cia, of Kinky Awakenings!

Second Re-tightening Close-up Photos

I couldn't hold out for four weeks.

After I used my homemade glycerine-based spray on conditioner, and had to wash the stickiness out of my hair, I had too much slippage around the edges to hold out for four weeks.

Hard-headed is what my grandmother would have called me. Why did I have to learn the hard way NOT TO PUT ANY SUBSTANCES ON MY BABY SISTERLOCKS! I hope other newbies can learn from my mistake.

I'm posting some close-ups today.

Close-up of my edges

Close-up of my crown

Close-up of four locs

Close-up of my kitchen

"Nappy Edged Freedom" by Roxanne

I was checking my old links and I discovered that the ones below are now dead :o(
...but you might enjoy this spoken word performance instead :o)
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I washed my hair last night. It was my second shampoo since getting my sisterlocks. I waited only two weeks instead of three weeks, and boy, am I seeing nappy edges and a lot of new growth! Or is that slippage I see around the edges?

I guess nappy edges are relative, but this is nappy for me

My next retightening is scheduled in two weeks, but can I wait that long? If, after only three weeks, my first retightening took 4 hours, how long will my next retightening take if I wait four weeks and wash my hair again?

I must confess a secret, though. I broke one of the cardinal rules of sisterlock maintenance: I put something on my hair! Shame on me!

I made a glycerine based spray conditioner, following a recipe that I found on YouTube. It made my hair sticky, so I had to wash my hair :o~.

Fuzzies around the hairline!

"[like] Ancestors...creeping...naturally seeking freedom!" says Roxanne about our edges, in her poem entitled Nappy Edged Freedom.

I am feelin' this poem today!

Sons of Blood and Thunder

My little cousin, crossed over this past weekend! Psi Chapter (Morehouse College), Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

CJ's Dog Face

His mom (my cousin Vera) and I waited in the lobby of the Omega World Headquarters for him to come down with his line brothers after the ceremony on Saturday.

Omega World Headquarters

Hugging mommy!

Founder's poster in the lobby

His uncle (my cousin, Frank) pinned him and gave him his jacket, one of a dozen gifts!

The line was presented to the campus on Sunday afternoon. My mom, my boys, my cousins and I had a ball!

Near Kilgore Hall, Morehouse College

My little cousin is the seventh Q on my dad's side of the family including my dad. My mom's dad was a Q as well. He graduated from Johnson C. Smith College, class of 1915, but I think he may have been made at Ohio State or made as a graduate later in life. He knew Ernest Everett Just, the father of cell biology; one of the illustrious founders of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

After working out - no makeup - and Kofi's finger in my face!

[Since this is supposed to be a hair blog, I thought I would throw in some hair photos from this weekend!]

I have a colleague who has a real problem with the concept of a "Black Greek." His wife is a Delta.

I suppose "Black Greek" could be considered an oxymoron.

If my sorors and I were in our right minds, we'd be venerating the goddess Safkhet or Ma'at instead of Minerva.

But, interestingly, according to the Greeks, the city-state of Athens was founded by Senwosret the first, the fifth monarch of the 12th Dynasty of ancient Kemet - an Afrikan, don't cha know.

So, perhaps "Black Greek" not such an oxymoron after all. ;o)