Addendum: Bejoran Earrings?

At 9:38 AM, sunsail asked ...
Live long and prosper, chile! ... Where did you get the Bejoran earrings??

Believe it or not, I found them years ago at the one and only Star Trek convention I ever went to here in New York. I was quite a trip. Those folks are SERIOUS. I over heard a husband and wife arguing at the convention. She was just a bit pissed that he had spent $2,000 on Star Trek TNG captain's uniform.

"Hailing Frequencies Open, Captain."

On Halloween, I dressed up as Lieutenant Uhura from The Original Star Trek. In lieu of a wig I sported an updo; an adorned bun. Fellow Trekkies may notice that I'm sporting Bejoran ear cuffs which actually don't appear until Star Trek: The Next Generation; specifically Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. (Benjamin Sisko -- Avery Brooks -- was the sexiest Captain, ever! You might recall him as Hawk, from Spencer For Hire.) Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

It's Been A Long Time...

"...I shouldn't have left you,
without a cool blog to step to..."

You Old School Rap fans might recognize this paraphrasing from Erik B & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul" on the "Paid in Full" album, 1987! (Ah, the 80's.)

Hey Everybody!

Yes indeed it has truly been a long time since my last post. I've been super busy but some recent concerned e-mails from my fellow Sisterlocks Sisters & Bloggers (you know who you are :-) have made it quite clear: that's NO EXCUSE. I should at least be doing a monthly update. Agreed! I feel cared for and chastised at the same time! :-)

I will try to do better.

My Little Old Man
One of the reasons I've been so busy is that my husband and I adopted a seven-year old, special needs Cocker Spaniel named Rolie. After two operations on his ears, he's semi deaf. He takes Thryoid medication every other day and while he's house broken, he's had a few accidents in the house due to illness. My rug will never be the same. Now I work harder than ever because apparently dog food costs money. :-)

But lest you think it's all gloom and doom, let me assure you Rolie is a handsome, sweet and shy dog who loves taking us for walks in the park. My Little Old Man loves apples, bananas and chewing gum. He's clearly not supposed to have the latter, but he's always trying to steal a pack out of my purse.

As any animal lover knows, caring for a young, healthy dog takes time; a special little old guy like Rolie, even more so. But he's so adorable, with the most soft and lush coat of fur I have ever seen. Unfortunately, his hair is way too soft for Brotherlocks.

Speaking of locks, as of this past July mine are now five years old. And I can honestly say I am more happy now than ever that I chose Sisterlocks! Not only because it's the best decision I've ever made about my hair, but because of the community of people I have come to know on and off line.

You ladies are amazing!

Thank you sooooo much to all of you who e-mailed to check up on me and say hello while I've been absent from the blogosphere. I appreciate that more than you know.

I'm also pleased to see that so many people find my blog so useful. All the thank you e-mails have been very uplifting! You're all very welcome!!!!

It's nice to be back and I promise not to be gone so long!

(Note: In the two above photos my locks are freshly washed and unstyled. The dog is freshly groomed.)

We Took Over The Laugh Factory

You know, I'm so used to performing for strangers, that I'd forgotten how nerve racking it can be when you KNOW people in the audience! Yikes! But when the MC introduced me, the cheers and applause were so thunderous I felt like a rock star! I was only one of the comics on that night, but the ladies made me feel like I was the only one in the room. They could have done anything with their Saturday Night in the City and they came out to see me. (A risky proposition since comedy and what's funny is sooo subjective.) But like the Visa commercial touts -- priceless.

And thanks to Jack, the manager, we were able to get on stage after the show like we owned the joint and take pictures. It was a wonderful night!

Saturday Night Dinner @ Amy Ruth's

Well, if you've been reading everyone's blog, you've probably already seen most of these pictures from the G.R.I.T.S /Siserlocks trip to NY, but the more the merrier! I don't know when I've last had so much fun.

Now if you ask me how the actual food was, I couldn't really tell you. I was having so much fun, I didn't eat that much. I nibbled at my honey dipped chicken, collard greens and potato salad. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back!



It was so wonderful to finally meet women in person who I feel like I already know. For me it started with LaChanda and Karen late Thursday night, Brunsli on Friday and then the group at large on Saturday. From the way we hugged, photographed, laughed, photographed, talked, photographed, hugged, photographed you'd of thought we'd all known each other from way back in the day!

A running theme of the gathering was how Sisterlocks look different on everybody! That's a beautiful thing! There was a healthy amount of lock envy/appreciation going on. I think the most often asked questions were:

1. How long have you had your locks?
2. How long does it take you to retighten them?
3. Do you do them yourself?
4. May I touch your hair?

Major kudos to Lynda who brought a goody bag filled with hair toys! GREAT THINKING!! I am loving my jeweled black cowrie shells!

Khamit Kinks

Brunsli and I hopped on the downtown number one train and headed down to Khamit Kinks, a natural hair care salon in the City. They had a few hair ornaments for sale and of course we couldn't resist. We even took a photo (top right) with the founder and owner, Anu Prestonia.

Welcome to NY

Well, the Ladies from Dallas came and took New York by storm! I met up with LaChanda and Sister-In-Locks right in Times Square after The Color Purple and after my show at the Improv. We didn't get a picture of the three of us together because we were, after all, in Times Square. More photos to come....

Where There's A Need

Whether natural or chemically treated, our hair, our crown is part of how the world sees us and how we see ourselves. It can be devastating to lose your hair due to illness.

There’s a wonderful new organization here in New York called Where There's A Need. Recently profiled in the New York Daily News series "Celebrating New Yorkers Who Make A Difference" (May 25, 2006):

"The Mission of Where There’s A Need Inc. is to support women & children who have cancer, and have experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy & radiation cancer treatment. The loss of hair can be extremely difficult, in particular for women & little girls."

I called and spoke with the founder, Cheryl James; a lovely woman who is anxious to get the word out about her organization. They "donate specially designed headwear, with attached hair, to cancer hospitals for their patients." And for a small fee will do a special order scarf. The goal of her organization is to, "boost the self-esteem of the cancer patients during a time of affliction and uncertainty."

Please help spread the word. 

Consultant Update

My Consultant, the Fabulous Khumura, can now be reached @ 917-650-5544.

Wedding Hair....

Went to a wedding last weekend in Hot-lanta (Atlanta, GA). The heat sure makes it hard to keep a hairstyle, but I tried to work it anyway.

I curled my hair the night before on Soft Spike Curlers and wore an updo using a Bobby Stick. I accented with a flowered hair clip from Claire's. Yes, I know the store is really for adolescent girls, but there's some really cute hair stuff in there. The grown up version of Claire's is Icing. Same stuff, less acne.

I think the second picture shows the locks in better detail. I love updos but after a while they begin to give me a bit of headache. It's like my locks don't want to be on lock down. Because I only used the Bobby Stick and didn't sure it up with pins, I found myself tucking in stray locks that were trying to escape. At least once I had to take it down and redo do it all together. Thankfully it's rather easy.

Why did I even bother with an updo? Well, because of the dress. I can't take any credit for it. My Mom (The Catalog Queen) saw it one of her catalogs and thought it would be perfect me. I don't know when I've ever gotten so many compliments on an outfit. If I could find a reason to wear it everyday I would.

I would be remiss if I didn't include at least one photo from the wedding. At the reception this is my mom, the bride (my niece) and moi. The arm bracelet is from Claire's. Did I mention they have cute stuff?

The day after the wedding I had the pleasure of having lunch with one of my best friends from grammar school. She happened to catch me on a VH-1clip show, 40 Most Shocking Hair Moments, Googled me and two old friends are reunited!

Who says the internet isn't living up to it's potential?

I included this picture because you'd never know I had curled my locks just the day before! I don't know how you hot climate folks do it! Good thing Sisterlocks look good in all kinds of weather. :-) 

Q&A: Tool, Lock Size, Color, Curls, Lint

Folks are asking questions faster than I can answer, but I'll try to keep up. I just hope I haven't missed anybody. First and foremost though, a big thanks to everyone who reads my blog! I am so very flattered by the e-mails and positive comments! I really do love having Sisterlocks and if I can help anybody a fraction as much as others have helped me then I'm happy!

Anonymous said... Which tool do you use when your hair gets that long. The one with the clip or the larger tool? I have had my SL only 16 months, I took the retightening class so I maintain my own hair. I have shoulder length SL's but was wondering what to use when it gets to a longer length?
I don't know if there's any correlation between length of hair and what tool you use. For me it's what ever tool is most comfy for ya. I never learned how to use the hook tool, but I still use the clip for the tiny locks around my hair line. My tool of choice, however, is the Nappy Locs tool. LaChanda has a great post with a photo on her blog and a review of the various tools.


Tra said... Hey Leighann, I was browsing your blog "as usual" and I was wondering if your loc size is Micro SL's vs. Standard, etc.? from that pic above they seem to be.
I think on the SL scale they're a combination of micro and small.


Anonymous said... your hair looks lovely and the color is so natural. Do you colour it yourself and how often? My locks are just over 1 year old and I would love to experiment with colors.
Great, an easy question! I don't color my hair. To read my earlier post (March 06) on that click Here. From what I've heard, it's okay to color as long as your locks have settled. The advice I've seen over and over again is "Go to a professional who has experience coloring Sisterlocks." Better safe than sorry.


OLIVIA SHAW said... Hi,Your locks are beautiful!!!! Please share the instructions for creating the style pictured in the photo where you are standing with your consultant. I, too have sisterlocks. My locs are a little shorter than your locs and I think I can wear that style too.
Hi Olivia (I love that name!) I achieved that style using a pack of small Soft Spike Curlers. I spritzed my hair with water, as a setting lotion, and rolled my locks according to the instructions. When I took the curlers out the next day, I had these spiral Shirley Temple-esque curls that I chose not to finger comb out.

Southerngirl said... This is the absolutely BEST sisterlock site I have seen. Your tips and insights are a big help. My only problem is I need to find someone that can help me 'groom' my locks. I have lint an a few of them and it is driving me crazy. Any suggestions for getting lint out of my 2-yr old locks? Thanks. Peace. Southerngirl.
Hi Southerngirl, I did a post about how to avoid getting lint in your locks, but alas did not address what to do once the lint is already there. I don't have a ton of experience here so I did a little research. Most sites also focus on prevention, but I found an article about Dreadlock Tips and Guidelines at HumiNature. Scroll down to Problems with Locks and click on Lint.

High Maintenance - No Way!!!

Tammycat said... Hi Leighann, I was just wondering if you consider your locks to be high maintenance? Because i was reading a forum recntly and someone said that their locks are really high maintenance. Thanks a lot!

Hey Tammy! Hope school is going well. This is a tricky question. For me the answer is no, but it's all relative. What I mean is: my hair is soft and it grows fast, so I retighten it myself about every four weeks. I'm okay with that, but someone else might consider a four week schedule high maintenance.

I think people confuse low maintenance with no maintenance, and there's really no such thing. Even if you choose to go bald, you've gotta shave regularly to keep that smooth look. Locks can be low maintenance if you just do the basics: wash, separate, go. But if you want your locks to look a certain way, then you've added to your maintenance. For example:

-- If you want neat locking locks then you're retightening more frequently.

-- If you want curls then you're twisting, braiding, steaming and/or rolling.

-- If you want color then you know that colored locks require extra care: moisturizing and conditioning. You've also committed yourself to keeping up a regular coloring schedule if you want the color of your new growth to match the old.

-- If you want independence then you're retightening your locks yourself, which usually takes longer then if your consultant did it.

My consultant can do my locks in about five hours. It takes me two or three hours a night, over three or four days. That gives me a chance to watch movies and catch up on my favorite TV shows.

Granted some maintenence isn't by choice.

-- If you've got loose, soft, slippage prone hair or even fast growing hair you're going to be retightening a little more often then someone who doesn't.

-- If you've got scalp issues such as excessive dryness, dandruff or medical problems that manifest in the scalp or hair, this too will add to your maintenance. But you'd have to tend to this whether you had locks or not.

Scalp and medical problems aside, it may not be the locks that are high maintenance, but the person and their choices.

I like neat locks and I enjoy styling them. It's not high maintenance for me since I'm willing and able to spend the time. It's nice to know, however, that when I don't want to be bothered I don't have to be. My natural hair before Sisterlocks was much higher maintenance, without nearly as much pay off: great looking, healthy hair. I love my Sisterlocks!

Actually, in the grand scheme of things, my blog about my hair is higher maintenance than my hair!

My Consultant: The Fabulous Khumura!

onyxcherry said... How did you choose a consultant to install your sisterlocks in the beginning? Did you research them or look at their previous work? There are so many talented consultants in the NYC area I do not know how to decide which one will give me the perfect set of sisterlocks.

I think the most important step in finding a consultant is to meet him or her; that's why the consultation is very important. It not only gives the consultant a chance to evaluate your hair and give you test locks, but for you to ask questions and get to know them as well.

When you have a number of consultants to choose from I think it really comes down to who you click with. You'll be spending a lot of time with that person so it's important that you like their work and feel comfortable with them.

When I got my locks in 2001 there were only three consultants in the NYC area and one was completely booked for months! I left a message with the second consultant; she never called me back. The third, who came highly recommended by the Home Office, was and is amazing!

I liked Khumura from our first phone conversation. She was pleasant, professional and patient! At our first meeting she answered all of my questions and told me what she envisioned for my hair type in Sisterlocks. She was open, warm, down to earth and no nonsense. We clicked! She showed me pictures of her work and I even got to meet and talk with one of her clients.

(PHOTO: Khumura and I hanging out last November at the Improv during one of my shows. She's a cutter as in she doesn't hesitate to pick up a pair of scissors to cut her locks down to a length she's happy with.) ADDENDUM: My bad. I should have noted that I achieved the spiral curls in this picture with Soft Spike Curlers. Spritz with water, set, sleep, unroll, don't finger curl out.)

To quote an earlier post:
"My Sisterlocks were put in by the fabulous Khumura Khumnetertauset! I can't say enough about this woman. She is very thorough, professional and a joy to know. I am proud to call her my consultant and my friend. Khumura didn't just put in my locks and retighten them, she monitored my soft and fine hair very closely in that first year, doing grooming and maintenance as necessary to avoid any major problems before they started. She laid a strong foundation so that I could enjoy the healthy and beautiful locks I have now. Khumura taught me how to retighten my hair and took my panicked phone calls when I thought I had "messed it up." She also made time to see me when I inadvertently joined a couple of locks. Her care and attentiveness to detail is unmatched."
I still go to Khumura once or twice a year, and I don't mind the travel. (When we met she lived in Brooklyn, New York and she's now in New Jersey.) She checks my locks to make sure they're "ok" and she does an occassional grooming (trimming lose hairs along the lock). We don't do a lot of that because my locks look fuller when they're ungroomed.

Recently, while retightening, I got a knot in my lock. I was horrified! The Fabulous Khumura was able to undo the knot in under a minute while we were standing and chatting on sidewalk! She never ceases to impress me!

Khumura is now based in New Jersey but travels. While she is no longer with the Sisterlocks company, she now runs Innovative Hair Care Solutions and can be reached at 862-452-1924.

UPDATED INFORMATION: Khumura can now be reached @ 917-650-5544.

FYI: JML @ NWL

I was browsing around National Wholesale Liquidators a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised when I saw the much touted Jamaican Mango & Lime hair products!

I treated myself to the Jamaican Mango & Lime Hair N'Cense (for only $3.99). The website describes it as "a fragrant formula that removes odor and leaves hair feeling clean and fresh." I've used it a couple of times (comes in handy after the gym or a smoky show) and I like the scent.

Lock Stalker Strikes Again

Last week I saw a woman with the longest locks I've ever seen (in person). They hit her MID THIGH!!!! I just had to catch up to her and tell how beautiful they were and ask her how long she's had them: 20 years!!!! (She didn't look any older than late 30s!) I didn't get to touch them, but her hair texture seemed quite soft.Very inspirational.

It really made my day, my week and I daresay my quarter! My only regret was I didn't get a photo! GRRR! It feels a little weird asking complete strangers in New York City if I can take a picture of their hair.

Lint (Plus Addendum)

Dee said... i think your locks are beautiful and well maintained. I would like to know if you ever get the odd bit of lint trapped in your locks and how do you deal with getting it out.

(PHOTO: Taken this past Saturday at the Halifax Comedy Festival in Nova Scotia.)

Hi Dee,

I think I've been very fortunate on the lint front for a few reasons.
1. I try not to wear a lot of fabrics that attract lint. I gave away a beautiful hat and scarf set that I got as a gift last year because it was a shaggy/furry material that shed worse than a cat.

2. I use a lint roller on my clothes (when needed) and even have a travel size "lint licker" in my purse.

3. I don't use oily products (grease, butters, waxes, pomades, anything sticky) that create buildup and/or attract lint. Keep it simple.

4. I cover my locks at night with my L.B. Soc.

5. (And this is the most embarrasing to admit.) I suffer from a severe case of "Hands-in-the-hair-itis." I check my locks so much you'd think they were under surveillance. I do get the occassional piece of lint, but through my vanity and vigilance it doesn't get a chance to settle in. This may also be a side bonus to not having thick hair. Fewer locks, means fewer places for lint and debris to hide.

6. Just thought about this one: I have a three-panelled mirror* in my bathroom that when opened allows me to see the sides of my hair. For a back view, I have a hand mirror that I hold up to let me see all angles. If the style doesn't look good coming and going what's the point. (That goes back to the whole vanity thing. :-)

*ADDENDUM (5/3/06): To be more accurate, the mirror in my bathroom is called a Tri View Medicine Cabinet. The one pictured in the link is better than mine, because of the row of lights on top. An even nicer looking mirror can be found at Home Depot.

Welcome to My "Village"

Long time Lockitup members may recall back in September 2003 a fellow member shared her consultant's Village Analogy on the thickness (or thinness) of one's hair:

"... She explained my hair in terms of people: If a square section was parted in my hair that would represent a village. I have a lot of people (individual strands of hair) in my village. But all the people are skinny. So I have a lot of hair, but it's all thin. Thick thin hair."

I've always loved this! However, based on this concept I DON'T have a lot of people in my village (think very small midwestern town), and the people who live there are slim (think anorexic supermodels).

On the down side this means:

-- My locks don't have a lot of body.
-- After a retightening, a little scalp peeks through, even after 4 years.
-- At 320 +/-, I have less than the "average" number of locks, but if my consultant had made them any smaller they'd be the size of a strand of thread!

I would love to have more and bigger people in my village, but we play the hand we are dealt. I am also learning from my fellow bloggers who have the big hair I so desire, that big hair can come with big problems. So, I try to focus on the positive things about my little village:

-- Faster retightening
-- Faster hair drying
-- Ease of styling

Overall, I really do love my Sisterlocks. They have allowed me to do more with less, so to speak. They make my little village seem like an exclusive resort! ;-)

Locks in Balance

Tra said... Leighann, I wanted to know more about the unevenness of your locs. Do you mean that one side is longer than the other or do you mean that you have shorter locs through out your head in different places...sort of a layered look.

Both actually. I started with 5 - 7 inches of all natural hair; the front being shorter than the back. Also, my hair on the right side seems to grow slightly faster than the left. Not dramatically different, perhaps an 1/8 of an inch. The back grows faster than the front. I also seem to have one lock in the back kitchen area that is trying to grow "down to there" all by itself.

I didn't trim or even up my hair before getting my locks since my consultant is a big fan of the layered look. She believes layers give you more dimension, body and style. I agree in theory. I don't have thick hair and so I'll take all the body I can get. However I really do I like a balanced finished look. I can get that -- or the illusion of it -- when my hair is curled.

Now this picture is a bit of an exaggeration. My left shoulder is my handbag carrying shoulder, so I always flip most of my locks back behind me so as not to get them caught up in the bag straps. On top of that, I also seem to have a penchant for tilting my head to the side. I guess I'm trying to be cute.