Shampooing Sisterlocks

Phyllis the Videolocktician has uploaded another wonderful video.

I must suggest, however, that you discuss any products mentions with your consultant. I've been sisterlocked for 7 months and still use the starter shampoo. Remember that if you are a newbie, you must bind your hair before washing.

I am partial to diluting shampoo in an industrial spray bottle for ease of application, but Phyllis just slathers it on!

Sisterlocked and other Natural Sistahs on the Study Tour of Ancient Kemet

We're back! Safe and sound on Terra firma after an 11 hour flight from Cairo to New York City. Before every Egypt Air flight, a prayer for safe travel in Arabic is played. I didn't understand what was said, but was happy to know everyone was on one accord and affirming for our safe arrival!

What a life altering experience! Our examination of the tombs and temples of Egypt with an emphasis on the Afrikan origin of the concepts and stories that we find in the 3 major western religions was fascinating. I am likely to blog more than once about what we did, where we went, what we saw and what we learned!

But today, I want to introduce you to some of my new friends who shared in this great adventure with us - wonderful, beautiful sisters and a few handsome brothers too!

Naomi (weave extension - Cairo Airport)

Robert (palm-rolled traditional locs - alabaster factory in Luxor)

Mikey (short fade - Tomb of the Nobles in Aswan)

Ben (uncultivated traditional locs - cruising under the Aswan Bridge - sorry for the blur!)

Sharon S. (sisterlocked 2 years - the Giza Plateau)
Sharon H. (palm-rolled traditional locs - the Great Pyramid at Giza)
Diane (Kinky twist extensions - the 'New Ark' of Pharoah Khufu)
Michelle (two strand twists - on the Giza Plateau)

Me, in Cairo, at the Conrad Hotel overlooking the Nile River!

Finally, at Dashur, with Dr. Ray Hagins who is sporting his signature "skinny" under his cap.

Go to http://www.wblr.com/ and create an account to view more photos of this years tour. Plans for the 2009 trip are already underway!

More to come!

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)

J Anthony Brown Murders the Hits

Thought I would give us some comic relief from this 'mental' recession.

I guess y'all noticed that gas is kinda high :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!

A New Sisterlocks Newbie!

I like to flatter myself by thinking that our extended conversations about sisterlocks are responsible, in some small way, for this wonderful sister's new sisterlocks!

Her sisterlocks were installed sometime within the last week, if I recall correctly, and by Calla. She started with at lease 4 inches of natural hair. It seems like yesterday that she was showing off her test locs to me!


Affirming that she will enjoy the journey!

Just Do You!

STI made a comment on this blog that contained a question that I thought I would post along with my response, because it made me consciously consider how my hair and my hair story may be judged by other naturals.

STI said...
Your hair looks amazing! Do you know when you will be ready to chop? I don't know when I will be ready. It seems like its very far away from now though.

How have people been towards you on this?

Docs Locs said...
Hi STI. No overt hostility.

People are all over the map about natural hair and sisterlocks in general. You will hear some people talk about the fact that they have never had a perm and have been natural all of their lives with great pride and flourish. If I were a little less secure, undertones of 'lifelong natural hair' snobbery, might bother me :o)

For me, in a world dominated by a Eurogentile esthetic, 'life long natural hair' IS a cause for pride! If you've read my hair story, I talk about how I wimped out when I went corporate after being natural for over a decade!

On the other hand, a couple of months ago, I had my first taste of sisterlocks envy, when a sister who had traditional locs overheard me tell someone that I had sisterlocks and promptly corrected me by saying, "they're LOCS!" (as opposed to sisterlocks, that is).

Even my interpretation of her comment is biased, as I am sure that she interpreted my use of the term 'sisterlocks' as ‘sisterlocks snobbery’!

My advice: JUST DO YOU.

A Few Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup Photos

What a pleasant encounter with sisterlocks wearers, consultants, and curious inquirers at this month's Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup group gathering.

Lots of good questions were asked by visitors, like How can someone transition from traditional locs to sisterlocks?, Are sisterlocks high maintenance?, How often can I wash my hair?, How long will it take to loc?.

2 months sisterlocked

We met at La Madeline's French Bakery at Perimete Center West. My first time there, I found it delightfully rustic.

Patrick Esquerre, founder of La Madeline's French Bakery

Andre Halston, Chef, La Madeline's in Dallas

Sophia came - sisterlocks intact! The consummate, blogger, she whipped out her camera to capture us all in our natural glory. I did the best I could with my cell phone camera :o~ I'm looking forward to her post about this event!

4 day old sisterlocks with new growth already!

I am also looking forward to next month's meeting. The topic will be "Coloring Sisterlocks."

Sisterlocks Animoto Mania!

Animoto is the most awesome site.

You sisterlocks consultants out there (and other business owners) have GOT to check it out. You can make a commercial grade video promo of your work in under 30 minutes and upload it to your website, your blog, your youtube account or use it for marketing in other venues.

All you have to do is upload your photos then choose your music. Animoto does the rest. It will analyze the music and photos then mix a musical montage for you. This is great.

Sisterlocks Photos: My fifth month lye-free and locked-up

Well, not quite lye-free.

I still have my permed ends. Not ready for the big chop yet. But enjoying the journey.

I cancelled my re-tightening scheduled for this Friday. I don't think I need it, believe it or not. After every three week re-tightenings, then every four week re-tightenings It will likely be five weeks this time. Even though my hair grows fast during the summer, I think the entangling has resulted in less slippage!

I guess it's no secret now, so I will post here that my consultant will be relocating - and out of the country, no less :o(

But she is having a get-together of other area consultants and her current clients this coming Saturday, so we can mix, mingle, network and hopefully click with a new consultant.

For my braid-out, I am now using 1/4 inch bendable rods - almost the smallest I could find, and I am rolling only the ends up to about two inches. This has resulted in a tighter curl that last a lot longer and that falls quite nicely. I rebraid and wet set it when the waves in the locked portion fall flat.

Misplaced My Camera Again

We came back from Hilton Head a few days ago and I haven't seen my camera since. I'm not too worried because I know I packed it and put it in the car before we drove home.

I'm really liking the entangling and length that I see since the weather got hotter. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some new photos soon.

In the mean time, here's a link to Barack Obama's new website to rebut the smear, rumors and lies: Fight the Smears.

If you receive any 'smearing emails' or hear any rumors or lies, let the Obama campaign watchdogs know via email at watchdog@barackobama.com.

Fourth Retightening of Sisterlocks

I found my camera and guess where it was?

Behind my computer monitor!

So I'm back to posting sisterlocks photos. Sorry, I couldn't post the last shampoo, but here are some photos from before, during and after my fourth retightening.

Lot's of new growth the day before my fourth sisterlocks retightening

Me during my fourth sisterlocks retightening session

My hair is growing much faster now that summer is approaching. I went swimming once as well. I also have a big ol' head with lots and lots of sisterlocks. So my retightening took about 6 hours - and Cia works fast.

Me, stylin' and profilin' after my fourth Sisterlocks retightening