My Hair Color

I forgot to mention that I've been using the Sisterlocks Moisturize Treatment for about two months now. It felt like my hair needed a little somethin'-somethin' this winter between the seesaw weather outside and the indoor heat.

Loc'd Yet Free said... Your hair color is beautiful- Born with it? Maybe it's Maybelline? Please share.

This is my natural hair color; if only I knew what that was. (LOL) For simplicity sake I say "brown" but if you see my locks up close you can tell I've got a bit of a rainbow thing going on. The lower third of my locks are a lighter color than the top. And the edges are off in their own little world. Luckily this doesn't bother me.

I was born with what appeared to be jet black hair, which quickly lightened to a sandy reddish color and then gradually darkened again as I got older. Go figure. I'm sure it'll get even more interesting when the gray comes in.

Perhaps those with more hair knowledge can tell me why my lower locks are lighter than the top. Just natural hair color? Too much exposure to the sun? Hard water? (PHOTO: Me at age 3 or 4, and our beloved dog, Buttsie!)

As far as professional coloring goes, I am way to chicken! I'll leave that to the folks with stronger nerves than mine. Now I can "hear" some of you asking: "Aren't you going to color when you start to go gray?"

Although, as a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind about this issue, at the moment the answer is a resounding no. My Mom was born with gray hair; a little patch in the middle of her head. Consequently, I've always thought of gray hair as regal and beautiful. One time, back when I used to get my hair braided, I had a few strands of gray braided in as sort of a tribute to her. No special reason; me and Mom are just tight like that.

Quiet as it's kept, I've already got a few strands of gray. Three to be exact. Nobody sees them but me, but I know they're there. I got them the year I got married! I tease my husband and say he caused them. But then he points to his gray filled beard and says "That's all you!" Well, I never claimed to be a low maintenance woman, but he knew what he was getting in to. :-)

In the Studio

On Monday, I was in the studio taping a national radio commercial for Elexa Condoms. The campaign is set to begin ASAP and, from what I'm told, will be heard nation wide in mid April. Yeah, let's be careful out there!

The hair? Freshly washed and sporting a braidout. I'm even (GASP) wearing makeup! Not for the voice over, of course, but for an on-camera audition I had later that day. (Fingers crossed!)

Ladies & Gentlemen... Wali Collins

The photo is a tad blurry but I'd like to introduce comedian extraordinaire, Wali Collins! He is one of my fellow performers on Souled Out Comedy, a weekly show we do every Thursday night at the NY Improv.

I'm featuring Mr. Collins because he's had his hair in traditional locks since 1994!!!! Theoretically they should be down his back, but he keeps cutting them (grrrrr!) as you can see from the extremely close up photo on left.
To be honest he was a little uncomfortable with me taking a photo of the back of his head. "You have a blog about ... [puzzled silence] hair?" It does sound weird when you explain it out loud to people who aren't in the blogosphere or obsessed with natural hair. But since I'm "in the arts" folks are generally more willing to over look eccentric behavior.

It's worth noting that we are both big fans of another locked comic, the incomparable Franklyn Ajaye.

Close to Home

Regarding my What Are You Going To Do With Your Hair? Post

Anonymous said...
Were you are the Rib Shack by chance?

Clearly Anonymous knows the neighborhood! Hello Neighbor! Alas, no I wasn't at the Rib Shack. Good food, but the Fish House gives you bigger portions. I can get two meals out of one Fish House dinner! Three if I'm not being greedy. And don't get me started on the Sweet Potato Pie.... and the mini meat patties that you can get on their catering menu.... uh oh... now I'm hungry!

What Are You Going To Do With Your Hair?

ADDENDUM: The photo credit for this picture goes to my Husband who was riding the train with me. Call me a cynical New Yorker, but I can't just up and trust my digital camera to just any old random body.

I was on line at our local soul food take out joint picking up an order of cholesterol for a late lunch, early dinner when this question came up.

I was eyeing the baked fish – the “being good part of the meal” – and wondering why the lady wasn’t dishing it up so we could move on to the “being bad part of the meal:” collard greens and potato salad.

She was absent mindedly moving the fish around with the serving spoon, but steady looking at my head. Normally, I would have picked up on this, but hunger had lowered my defenses and her question too me off guard.

“What are you going to do with your hair?”

That was what she said out loud, but her tone and body language seemed to say: “What the hell are you doing to your hair? Are you gonna fix that?”

I thought, “What am I going to do with my hair? Love it. Style it. Take if for long walks in the park, tell it how much it means to me, and ask it where it’s been all my life.” I settled for the less sarcastic, “What?”

She said, “Aren’t those small braids? What are you going to do with them?”
“They’re dreadlocks?”
“So small?”
“Yes.”
“I thought they were braids.”
“No, they’re dreadlocks.”
“How do you get them so small?”
“They’re a type of lock called Sisterlocks and they’re done with a tool, that’s why their so small.”
“Oh, I thought they were braids and you were just gonna let them grow into locks.”
“Well, actually, you can do that too.”
“Oh.”

At this point, I’d say my food was getting cold, but I still didn’t have any. It felt as though answering her questions were a precondition to sustenance. Normally I wouldn’t have minded the inquiry. I can talk about natural hair and locks all day long, but I guess I was a bit put off by her confrontational tone and the fact that no one else on the LONG line behind me - including my husband - seemed particularly interested in a hair lesson.

If only I’d brought along my new Sisterlocks Journal! But then again, I know everybody in the place would have wanted to see it, and I’m not ready to share until I’ve finished reading it cover to cover.

As you can see in the photo, I did have it on the train today and when I reached my stop, I slipped it right back in the plastic.

I Got It!

After several days on the road, or rather at sea, doing shows for Carnival Cruise Lines, I returned home today to find a very pleasant surprise: MY SISTERLOCKS MAGAZINE! As you can see, I was too excited to even take it out of the plastic. My Dad, who I asked to take the picture, was baffled. "Don't you want to take it out of the plastic?" Not yet! I want to savor every moment. I plan to cut the wrapper in such a way that I can carefully slip the magazine back in when I'm done!
It's worth noting, that my Mom actually took this picture. My Dad, for some reason, couldn't get past the plastic. My Mom, in great Mom fashion, asked no questions. She just snapped the photo and kept on steppin'. She did take a moment to look at the cover and say, "Humph, I might have to get me some Sisterlocks."

Welcome to the Famiily!

Monique said... Leighann, I get my lock put in tommorow and your site is so useful! I love the "hot" links throughout your text and your comments. I will check back in since I also intend to document my experience on the web. It was also helpful to see the finished product on someone with soft hair. That has been my number one concern! Thank you SO much for sharing. Question also: I live in Michigan ( I am also going to email Sandy) and my scalp is REALLY dry as in dandruff dry, is there anything I can use in the beginning to help?Thanks!

Hi Monique!

Congratulations on joining the Sisterlocks family! As I post this, you're locks are probably already in, so I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures and reading about your journey.

You're absolutely right, documenting your progress is very helpful for yourself and others. I am amazed at my progress so far and never would have believed it was possible. Check out my post on 4/20/05 Sisterlocks Overview to see the side by side comparison.

On the dry scalp/dandruff issue, I do believe this is a good question for Sandy. You may even want to post the question in Lockitup and check the files. What you can do is tempered by the fact that your locks are new. But lots of people have dealt with this issue. I've been able to get away with spritzing with water when my scalp is a little parched.

Congrats!

How Long Did It Take To Lock?

lisa said... Leighann- Great blog.. I have learned a lot from it and you have beautiful SL's. I am just curious about your locking experience, when would you say you began locking? When did it finally lock from "root" to end? Thanks, again beautiful hair!

*************

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the compliments! You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Good thing you put "root" in quotes. As you know our roots, always being the new growth, are never fully locked. But to answer your question, since my hair is really soft and fine, I'm in the Took Forever to Lock category. My Sisterlocks looked like little braids for the longest! I'd say my locks finally started to look like locks at around the two year mark. (I'm at four and a half now.) Even now, I still have a few curly q's on the ends of my locks. Not a lot, but a few.

To be honest, a few folks will ask, "Are those braids?" But I can tell by they way they're asking, they know they're not braids, but just can't quite believe they're seeing such small locks.

No Oil? How Do You Moisturize?

AFunkyKindaGlow said...
... No oil what do you use to moisturise? did I miss something?

Good question. In the early days of Sisterlocks (until they settle) we're instructed not to use any oils as it might inhibit the locking process. Sounds weird, I know, but it worked. Luckily, my scalp produced enough oil naturally, when allowed to breathe.

Nowawdays, if my locks or scalp feel a little dry I'll spray them with little water; sometimes with a little rose water mixed in.

Lately I've been using the Sisterlocks Moisture Treatment. So far, I like it.