Update Parts 1, 2, & 3

Part 1: As an update to my last post: We had agreed that I could come to the class and my hair would be evaluated. However, I was asked to make the full payment the night before. I didn't feel comfortable making the full payment given the fact that I could still be turned away in person and I would have to wait to get my money back. I had already paid a non-refundable deposit, and I felt it was fair to be allowed to make the full payment in person if i could stay for the class. The instructor did not agree, so I said forget it (plus my husband was pissed and thought it was bad business). So i lost $75....

Part 2: I went for my retightning today and my mother/daughter duo asked how the class was. I told them that I didn't go. They said they did not give any indication that I was not ready to take the class. In fact, they said they told the instructor that they encourage all of their clients to learn the retightening technique. So, that led me to believe that my former consultant must have been the one to provide negative feedback. A friend of mine who goes to my former consultant said that she mentioned to her that the instructor had called her and that they had some in depth conversation about my hair, so who knows what really went down.

Part 3: After this experience, I desperately needed to find a way to let go of all the negative feelings I had bottled up. I felt like once again, I was being "punished" for having thick hair. I felt completely hopeless. I made the decision to get Sisterlocks so I could be free from the demands held on my hair in the past; yet, I felt like I was in bondage and subject to other people's rules and opinions. For a brief moment, I seriously contemplated cutting my hair, all 680 locks. But I snapped back to reality and determined that I couldn't let others take away my joy, my freedom, and my hard earned investment. So, I considered taking the retightning class offered by the home office. But then it hit me: why not take the full training class? I've always had an interest and now would be a great time (before I give birth). I'm sure there are other women who have experienced situations similar to mine, and maybe I can be the person to help them. I've have received so much love and encouragement from the comments left on my blog and I want to be able to do the same for someone else. What better way than to be fully trained? And, it would be a great investment for me in return. So, I plan to make a final decision by Wednesday. I'll keep you posted!

Retightening class: Denied

I registered to take the retightening class this Saturday. In order to successfully register, you have to meet the following requirements :
• Sisterlocks®/Brotherlocks® that are older than 6 months AND completely settled
• 3/4 inches or 3-5 weeks of new growth (since last retightening)
• Know your personal locking pattern (from your most recent consultant)
You must also provide your current consultant's name and phone number so that the condition of your hair can be verified. As of June 23rd, my Sisterlocks will reach their 1 yr anniversary. According to my consultant from my last session, my locks are completely settled. I know my locking pattern (4). So why was I initially denied from taking this class???

I was told that my consultant suggested that now was not a good time for me to take the class. She said that since I have many locks, taking the class now may not work for me. In addition, she said I have soft spots. This disturbed me greatly because 1) When i mentioned during my last re-tight (3 wks ago mind you) that I had planned to take the class, she said she thought it was a good idea. So why tell the instructor otherwise? 2) Why should I be turned away from taking the class just because I have "many locks"? I surely wasn't aware that people with "many locks" should be discouraged from learning the retightening method. 3) Where are these soft spots and why have I not heard of them before? I knew of two locks by my left temple that use to slip, but they were combined and have not slipped since (3 months).

Maybe my consultant thought that I would cancel the rest of my appointments once I took the class (I'm scheduled through August). This was not my intention, but even if it was, isn't that my prerogative?

I called the instructor and told her that I was being done a disservice. She said that there would be another class in August and maybe I should wait. What difference will it make between now and August? I'll still have "many locks" then. Now, I understand the reasoning behind verifying the condition of the individuals hair. However, I think that this can really mess a person up if the consultant gives conflicting information. I could see if I had slippage, unsettled locks, or no new growth. But to say because I have many locks, I shouldn't take the class? I don't understand. Anyway, the instructor agreed that I could come on Saturday and she will evaluate my hair herself. I understand where she is coming from and that she doesn't want to be responsible for teaching me the method if the time is not right. If she approves, I can stay. If not, she will apply my deposit towards the next class in August. I told her that was fair. If I could, I would cancel altogether and take the class offered by Sisterlocks in June, but I fear I'll be in the same boat as I believe they also contact your consultant. Plus, the deposit I paid is non-refundable. So I guess we will see. What do you think?

Addendum: I am considering calling the Sisterlocks home office to ask whether having thick hair can be used as a reason to not be eligible for taking the class. I don't believe that the comment about the soft spots is accurate since it was never mentioned before and I would think that the consultant would have discouraged me when I mentioned my interest in the class instead of telling me it was a good idea. I get the impression that this particular class is taught with the expectation that the individual will maintain their own locks without the assistance of a consultant ever; so maybe they think I'm not ready to handle my hair on my own. However, my reason, as stated on the Sisterlocks website, is to have the flexibility to maintain my own hair in between appointments. I understand that the class teaches you your pattern only, not how to fix trouble spots like slippage (which I don't have). If my hair meets the requirements, then shouldn't I be allowed to learn? Can you tell this is really bugging me? To be continued...

Totally unrelated to hair, but still good news...

Well, it is official! My husband and I are going to be parents!!! I feel so unbelievably blessed beyond meausure right now. Before the start of the new year, my husband and talked about starting a family. I had been on birth control for quite some time and stopped to allow my cycle to regulate itself. Well, that didnt happen. After stopping birth control, I went 45 days without a period. After it finally came, I went another 35 days without a period. Again, after it came, it was no where to be seen for 60 days! On the 50th day, I saw an OB. She assured me that this does happen to alot of women once they stop birth control. My body did not ovulate. No ovulation, no period. She started me on progesterone pills to "force" my cycle to start, which it did ten days later. The experience was discouraging because I felt as if I had done something wrong. It really made me re-consider whether I will try birth control again in the future. I know it's necessary but it can do a number on the body.


I decided to use the Clear Blue Easy Fertility monitor to see whether I would ovulate this time. This is when I really got a lesson in fertility. Women are normally taught that the average cycle is 28 days with ovulation occurring on day 14. Well, this doesn't take into account those of us with irregular cycles. According to the monitor, for this cycle, ovulation occurred day 24, not day 14. Interesting indeed.
So, here I am 7 weeks pregnant and feeling great! I've had no morning sickness, nausea, dizziness, or anything of the sort. But, I have had crucial bloating, gas, and a little, shall I say, slowness of the bowels. Oh, and my breasts are huge!!! Before getting pregnant, I made some real important decisions about my health. I completely cut out sodas, fast foods, high fructose anything, and partially hydrogenated everything. I started the Special K Challenge and replaced two meals with a bowl of cereal (I switched to an Organic cereal from the grocery once I realized Special K contained my banned ingredients). My third meal varied between salads and sandwiches. I've tweaked it now to include a little more calories, from healthy foods of course! I snack on fresh fruits and vegetables. I've stepped up my game and exercise every day for at least 30 minutes (my OB said I can continue to exercise as long as I don't experience discomfort).

My hair is holding up very well. I had a retight on Monday and my mother/daughter duo team finished in 2hrs and 20 minutes. They are so awesome! I had some more of the tiny locks on my hairline combined. I think that's enough combining for now. I'm taking the retight class this month; I decided not to wait until June. Next month will be my one year anniversary. I can't wait!

What is the reason?

What is the reason for the happy look on my face??? Can you guess??? Yep, you guessed it, I had my hair retightened. Guess how long it took??? Four hours!!! How awesome is that? I had the pleasure of visiting a mother/daughter Sisterlocks Retightening team in my area and they finished my hair in four hours. They estimated that it should only take 3 hours during my next visit. They both have Sisterlocks and their hair is absolutely beautiful. They recommended combining some of the tiny locks around my hairline, for fear that they may break off. I agreed since I have already lost two (yep, two) locks on my right side. I still plan to take the retightening class in June, just so that I can learn the technique and do my front rows. Thanks so much for all of the encouragement. I look forward to continuing to provide updates. Three more months to go until my one year anniversary. I'm still counting down the days to wearing a nice long ponytail!

HELP... I need encouragement....

As you know from my retightening updates, my sessions were 13 hrs long with my first loctician, and 7 hrs with my current loctician. I felt pretty good about this until my last retightening. I could feel that she was getting tired during my session. I don’t blame her; I do have a lot of hair. But the kicker was that when she was done, she said that we may have to start splitting my sessions into two days. I definitely don’t like the idea of doing that.

If I split the sessions, I estimate it will be 4 hours on day one and 3 hours on day two. This is not bad in general, but I do have other evening responsibilities. I would have to go after work which means I lose my work-out time for two days and risk running in to my class time. Having it done it one day allows me to go after work on the day that I don’t have class and still get other things done.

When I first started thinking about getting Sisterlocks, I did wonder whether maintenance would be troublesome due to my “high density” hair. When it came to lock size, I asked for large locks in the middle, and medium around the perimeter. Well, it turns out that I have medium locks in the middle, and small locks around the perimeter (688 locks total, yes, I counted). Now I’m wondering whether combining some of the smaller locks may be a solution. Only thing is, I don’t want to “mess up” the look of my locks at this point, especially since they are swelling.

It seems I just can’t escape the consequences of having thick hair. This was the reason that my mom put a relaxer in my hair at a young age. My hair was almost to my waist and she couldn’t handle it. She told me that she later regretted her decision and should have just put up with my crying and squirming while combing my hair. I can't fault her. Just last year before I got Sisterlocks, I use to cry when I had to blow dry my hair. The bottom line is that I didn't go into this all happy-go-lucky and thinking that this process would be maintenance free. But that doesn't stop me from feeling a little discouraged right now about the future and whether I can work out a hair schedule that doesn't interrupt my life.

I’ve really got to take the retightening class....

Guess what?

I lost my first lock. I'm not too blown since it is a tiny one from my right temple, just dead hair. Oh well...... 

My hair regimen

* Sisterlocks shampoo: still using at the advice of my loctician.
*Aveda Sapp Moss: I love this shampoo. I really see a difference in my hair being clean after use.
*Organic Root Herbal Cleanse and Shea Butter: I don't use the shea butter often, but do use the herbal cleanse after working out. It's good stuff.
*Aveda scalp remedy: this helps eliminate dandruff. Works pretty good so far but it smells a little weird.
*Rosa water and lavender water: I give my hair a spritz before going to work.
*Aveda reviving mist: I use this when I feel "the poof" trying to gain control.
*That's my lintless microfiber hair towel in the background

 

Retightening Update Part II

I've been seeing a new SL Loctician (thank you CloudNine) and I'm very happy to report that the time for my retightening has reduced from 13 hours to 7. My locks in the back are retightened fairly quickly; the locks in the front and sides are the culprits. They are really small and take more time to work with. It doesn't help that I am very tenderheaded in the front either. But hey, I'll take that over 13 hours of sitting anyday. The best part is that I don't have to take the day off for appointments. This Thursday will be my 8th month anniversary and I would really like to take the retightning class (I didn't get to take the class in December). The training class will be offered in Baltimore on March 3rd and June 16th. I haven't decided which one to register for. Is anyone planning to take the training soon?
 

Advice on cleansing

Lately, I've been wondering whether my hair is truly clean after washes. After washing, I still see little white clumps of dandruff at the base of the lock and new growth, sort of imbedded into the lock. Once my hair dries, it becomes really noticeable. I question whether the Sisterlocks shampoo is a good cleanser. I went to Aveda over the weekend and the sales associate recommended the sap moss shampoo for cleansing locks. I'm thinking of using it today since I'm going for a retightening tomorrow. Has anyone had the same issue? Are there any other products that you recommend?

Christmas in New York

There's nothing like it! I hope everyone had a great one! 

Merry Christmas

So much has happened since my last post; I thought it would be fun to post a wrap up before the Christmas weekend. My husband and I just moved into our first/new house and it has been wonderful! I still have a few boxes to unpack, but I'm settling in pretty well. I also completed the requirements for my Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration this week (hooray!!!). UMUC only has one commencement service so I'll have to wait until May to walk the stage, but hey, I'm done so it's all good. I am contemplating whether to take the doctoral program next year. I reeeeaaally need a break, but I would like to keep going while I have some steam. I suppose I still have time to decide. My hair is doing well and growing like wildfire. I'll be meeting with a new loctician for a consultation soon so I'm definitely excited about that. My friend napptical1 also found a new loctician so I'm happy for her. I feel bad that things didn't work out with the loctician who started my SLs, but I'm entitled to seek other options so I guess that's that. I hope to post some new pictures before the weekend. I'm heading to NY for Christmas so I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and give you His peace this Christmas!

"Poof" be gone!

Ok, so I decided to not let "the poof" get the best of me. I grabbed some bobby-pins and did my thing. Not bad I dare say. From the pic on the lower left, you would think that my hair is really long! I only hope this will look nice at 5:30 tomorrow morning when I have to get ready for work (lol). 

"The Poof"

Well, here it is: the poof. Can you tell by my expression that I'm trying to figure out what to do next?

Re-tightening recap

Ok, so I've spent some time doing some more research on the re-tightening issue. My loctician charges a flat fee of $150 and takes 12 hours to complete my 688 locs. Although I really like her, I have to admit that this will no longer work for me. I end up using 9 1/2 hours of leave from work for each session, and lose precious quality time with my husband in the evening. So, I have been on the hunt for a new loctician. Thanks to sunsail for recommending her locitian. I have also come across three others that I plan to contact soon. It's really hard to venture to someone new once you've become comfortable with someone :-(

On a brighter note, I'm planning to take a re-tightening class in December, once my locs have reached their 6 month stage. And how cute is this: my husband wants to take the class too! He told me he could learn to re-tighten my hair so that we can save time and money. All he wants in return is an Xbox game and a pizza. He is too sweet. I love how he always takes an interest in my interests. I thought he was joking at first but he was serious. Personally, I don't think he could handle doing my hair. He would probably breeze through the first 7 locs then get tired or bored. I do appreciate the offer though :-)

In the meantime, my hair is doing what I like to call "the poof". I'll post a picture tomorrow for an illustration. I wish I could put some conditioner in it, but I know that's a no-no. I don't really know what to do with it right now. Maybe I'll get some inspriration tomorrow...

How many hours should re-tightening take???

It took 3 days for my Sisterlocks to be installed. It took 13 hours the first day, 14 hours the second day, and 13 hours the third day. I was prepared to deal with the hours of sitting through this process since I knew the benefit would be worth it. Now, as for my retightening, it takes 12 hours. Is this normal? I once did a search on Google and found postings from ladies who said their hair is re-tightened in 2-4 hours. Two other posts said 5-6 hours. I really like my consultant, but is 12 hours for re-tightening extreme?

My first Sisterlocks pic

Here are my 3 month old Sisterlocks! Although I like rocking the short look, I'll be so glad once I get some length to these babies. I can't wait to wear my hair in a ponytail!!! 

The days before Sisterlocks: I loved wearing braids!

A new beginning...

Welcome to my blog! I joined the Sisterlock family on June 24th, 2006 and I must say, it was the best decision I have made in regards to my hair! I hope to have some pictures posted shortly. Stay tuned for more!