My Transition Hair Style

This is how I style my transitioning hair now, except I don't always have these curls. I usually just two strand twist it and roll it in soft rollers, with a combination of pin curls, and it gives me a crinkly curly look, also keeps my new growth manageable. This style however, is using perm rods after a fresh wash, no two strand twisting. I like the results, however my roots were very thick.

Also, notice how I pin it up in the back? Well, now my relaxed hair broke off in that spot but my new growth is still there!! That is the most important thing, but with the results I have to keep it pinned up because of the uneven look. I pin it much lower now, and not so close on my scalp, to give that spot a rest. Cute style, I will post pictures of that later.

Sisterlocks?? Yes!!! But who will do them??

SO!! After I decided to be natural for the second time, I started thinking of what will I do with my hair. I have heard about sisterlocks years ago, but never really looked into it, because I'm thinking, locs are locs and I don't want them. I think what kept me from thinking about locks were seeing college friends the befores durings and afters. I commend anyone that goes through the traditional locs journey, but the twisting of hair and gels and waxes I could not do, that would be way too frustrating for me. I have also learned recently that my hair does not do very well with a lot of stress on it, e.i. scratching out of bad habit breaks my hair off, hairpins in the same spot (even though I take them out each night) day after day can make my scalp sensitive in that spot and make me want to scratch, and hense breaking it again. I am afraid with traditional locs though, the products I would have to put in it to make it stay would not do good with my habit or messing in my hair and playing in it, I can just see the flakes I can't wash out just yet because the loc has to set first... eh.

I looked into sisterlocks a few months ago and I am so impressed and really excited to get them. the thing is, even after 5 months of no chemicals, I only have about 3 inches. For the past month I have been ripping holes in the internet, finding pictures and videos of ladies with short starting sisterlocks. Mine will be short, and I know there will be shrinkage, since my hair is so classic for that.

Then the other burden is finding a consultant, there are two certified consultants in Richmond but I don't see webpages for them anywhere. Maybe I will email them to see if they can send me pics of their work, is this the right way to go? I still have to meet with them, but I am worried I will have a hard time making a choice. I hear of horror stories, but usually its with stylists that aren't on the sisterlocks website. There are several in Petersburg VA, and they have a website so it was nice to check that out, for some reason because I see them before I call them, and kind of check them out that way, that makes the visit there more optimistic. That being said, I think all certified sisterlock consultants should have a webpage somewhere out there, so people like me can find you... I could pick up the phone and call the ladies in Richmond, but I am not ready to lock yet. I will have to wait until tax refund time, hopefully I will have the starting money at that point to get them, right now I am just so eager to meet someone in my city with sisterlocks.

Also, I will be cutting off my relaxed hair before I sisterlock, I don't see a need to keep those ends. Plus, my relaxed hair has broken off at the weak spots (where kinky and processed hair meet) in the the back of my head, from wearing my hair pinned up in that spot. Not cute.

If there is anyone with sisterlocks in Richmond VA, please message me! There's not much I can do at this point but I would love to see your look and know who started your locks :-)

Hmmmm... why am I blogging??

I don't know. Well, yes I do. I have been obsessed with Sisterlocks for the past 3 months, after I decided to go back natural in August 2009. Let me back track further. Besides being born with kinky hair, and relaxing it in the 2nd grade (I was so happy to have that done then! Such a surprise, believing I was more beautiful with processed straight hair, that looked like everyone else's.), after my first 2 years of college, studying African American history as my minor, I became "pro-black" I guess you can say, lol and began resenting the fact that I had to slap strange chemicals in my hair every 2 months to look like other cultures, and it boggled me more when I didn't have a legitimate reason as to why I was relaxing my hair, other than so-called manageability. There had to be more than that.

So I believe in 2003, I became natural, and stayed that way for about 2-3 years. Man what a ride. I was a DIY, I never did the TWA but I did have about 4 inches when I finally cut my relaxed hair off. I was worried the guys would walk past me ( I know, I know) but I got more compliments and admirers of my natural journey than what I expected. I styled twist outs a lot. I remember being frustrated with my hair texture though, why was it not boingy curly like the other girls I have seen? Then I started learning about curl patterns. My hair is more, hmm, tightly coiled + zig-zag pattern on 90% of my head, giving me that tight cotton afro look. This will sound wierd to admit this, but I hated it. I wanted the coily curls, why couldn't I have that??! I learned that all the creams and muds out there wasn't meant to give me that dream pattern I thought I wanted, so although I loved being a natural, I didn't care for what I had to work with. Oh, and the other 10% of my hair is a loose cotton, much looser, in the back of my head, to where it looks longer than the rest of it, and the rest of it looks like it never grows, although I think it is deceiving when dry. I always had to measure my true length when my hair was wet.

After 2-3 years of being natural, I relaxed my hair again. Yeah. I don't know if I was stressed from my financial situation and the relationship I was in at the time that had me confused about my life and needs, but my scalp began feeling very tight and itchy, to the point where I thought it was my natural hair making my scalp so tight feeling. I mean, my kinks was all ready tight, so maybe it was affecting my scalp. I started wearing scarves a lot more, which probably didn't help my scalp breathe and made it worse, and I got even more tired of styling it, keeping my kinks from drying up. I was trying to avoid greasing my hair, as I heard using those type products were not necessary and clogged pores ( I now know better, I use Nature's Blessings hair pomade and it keeps my scalp soo moisturized, minimized flakes too! and there is no petroleum), so I was really in a bad place. Plus, the guy I was with was more encouraging me to relax my hair (guess he didn't like it), but please know, it was my decision, it was not his fault. I chose to take the easy way out. So, I believe it was 2006 when I relaxed again.

After I relaxed again, my hair looked so full and healthy, oh my! Then, after the second relaxer, it got thinner in weight (chemicals do that to our hair) and that really burst my bubble.

I have had a lot of changes in my life, including a growing spiritual life (all praises to God!) and I have journeyed again in the direction of being natural. So I made that decision in Aug 2009, not knowing how I was going to do it again, but knew it had to be done for me to truly be happy with me.