You've Got Questions...

I received an email from Brenda who has an appointment next week to get her Sisterlocks! Woo-Hoo! She had tons of questions and tried to have answers. I post them here for the benefit of all. Enjoy! 

Did you do anything or spray moisturized your locks when you got them?

When I first got my locks, I did NOT moisturize them with anything other than water. (Still don't!) My hair is very soft and took a long time to lock. Moisturizing/conditioning would have further softened my hair and lengthened the locking process.

Did you have a maintenance plan until your hair locked?

Because of the texture of my hair and the rate of growth my consultant and I determined that my maintenance plan was to meet with her once every four weeks. To wait any longer meant more new growth to be retightened and running the risk of the locks coming loose. Mind you, everyone's plan is different based on their texture, rate of growth, budget, and schedule. I know a woman who gets her locks retightened once every two months (eight weeks) because her hair's rate of growth. 

I've maintained my own locks for about 11 years. I continue to retighten every four to five weeks. I no longer worry about my locks coming loose. It's more about me being able to manage the new growth. The longer I wait, the longer it takes me to retighten. The retightening process itself takes me about three days; a couple of hours each day. I spread it out and take that opportunity to binge watch my favorite TV shows and movies. I find the process relaxing. I could of course go to my consultant and she could get it done a lot faster. But I like the freedom of being able to maintain my hair on my own.

How soon did you apply products? 

I cannot stress enough that I am really not big on using a lot of products in my hair. I really don't recommend it early on in the locking process. I know this is a radical shift in how we deal with our hair, but that is the beauty of Sisterlocks. That said, I would really follow the advice of your consultant assuming of course you have taken the time to meet with and choose someone you like and trust. Remember, you are making an investment in your hair/physical appearance. The last thing you want to do is become impatient and mess it up with hair products you don't need. 

Believe it or not my main product is water in spray bottle. I will occasionally mix in a small amount of Jamaican Mango Lime Setting Lotion. I will also sometimes use Aveda's volumizing tonic. My hair is long but not thick so I like a little body from time to time.

What do you do with your hair at night?

At night, I cover my hair with the DreadSock. I love it. I have one at home, one in my suitcase, and one in my gym bag. The rare times I don't cover my locks is when I'm sleeping with a satin pillowcase But my clear preference is covering.

I'm not an expert or a consultant. My answers are based on my hair, my experience, and my willingness to share information about my hair journey. The choice to go natural and to choose Sisterlocks is a very personal decision that can be both exciting and scary.  If you choose to do it, welcome to the family! If you don't please do what makes YOU happy. It's your hair, your life. Do You!