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

Kemet, here we come!

Only 4 days left before we go on a study tour of ancient Kemet! I got my 7th retightening yesterday. Amba was in a groove. She had a rhythm going!

On Amba's front porch

These two times that she has done my hair, I have helped her discover some new functionality of the hydraulic chair that she bought from Cia before Cia (Kinky Awakening) move back to her beloved Panama!

Last month, we figured out how to recline the chair. Yesterday, we figured out how to raise the headrest.

Retightened and Ready for our pilgrimage

Mike and I are going on the New Mind Study Tour of Egypt for about two weeks with Dr. Ray Hagins. In fact, I am blogging from New York now. We leave tonight from JFK!

"Study Tour" makes it sound more like school and less like fun, but I have a sneaking suspicion that we are going to have a fascinating and fun time. My friend, Naomi (see "Young Physician of the Year" post), and another friend, Albert, will be going as well.

I saw Wendy (see the "A New Sisterlocks Newbie" post) before I left Georgia and she asked me, "When are you going to update that blog!" Well, I've been rather lax this summer with regard to posting and since I'll be away most of August, I can't imagine blogging more than 2 or 3 times this month...but I hope to get revved up in the Fall.

Retightening just completed

Amba tells me that I have some good entangling going on and suprisingly little bunching where my new growth meets my permed ends. She says that I can likely stop binding my hair to wash it by next month. I might be able to use the sisterlocks moisture treatment by Winter without fear of excessive slippage.

Wish us safe passage! A travel photo post will likely follow :o)

July '08 Sisterlocks Photos

I'm surprised by the traffic this blog has received in spite of the paucity of posts over the past several weeks!

Here are some photos from last week - I was playing around with my camera.

My 'Maryee' Pose

Maryee has a photo of herself on her website where she is holding up her tresses, gazing demurely into the camera - one of my favorite photos on her website!

I'll try to post again before the end of the month.

Maryee's Sisterlocks Testimony

Speaking of Maryee...

I found some wonderful sisterlocks video testimonies on Maryee's website that were recorded at a Dallas Sisterlocks gathering. She posted them about two years ago when she had been sisterlocked about 3 years.

I guess it's OK to 're-gift' this one to my readers since it is posted on Google video and had an 'embed' code!

The re-run is worth it!




Go here to check out the original post and all the other wonderful sisterlocks testimonies!

5th Sisterlocks Retightening: Amba put her foot in it!

Well, today is the third day after my first retightening with Amba. Y'all know Amba from her blog, I'm sure!

Like Cia, Amba operates her business in a very professional way. She is on time, has a dedicated area in her home for clients and keeps distractions and phone calls to a minimum out of respect for her clients' time!

Great job! Just the right amount of tension and parts well preserved!

No curly ends above - just washed it the very same morning...

...but by day 3 I'm back to my favorite texture with a wavy locked base and curly ends! (braid-out set)

My braid-out is taking a slightly longer time to dry. I'm compensating by braiding and rolling my hair while damp (not soaked) and by sitting under the dryer for an hour or so. It might dry quicker and with less heat if I used hard perm rollers instead of 1/4 inch flexibles, but the flexible rollers are so easy to use and easier to sleep in.

I'll be seeing Amba again at the next Atlanta Sisterlocks meetup and then on August 4rth for my next retightening!