My Adventure Into Sisterlocks and Beyond

I have NAPPY HAIR! When I was a little girl I can remember the weekly ritual of my mom's Saturday night beauty salon. It consisted of me and my sisters each laying on top of the washing machine getting our hair washed in the big sink next to it then blown dry. I remember the smell of the TCB or Sulpur 8 that was brushed into my hair, the chill up my spine as I felt the heat and steam of the pressin' comb and curlers, and the wretched sizzle as the comb grabbed hold of my soft nappy curls. By the end of the week, my bone straight ponytails had drawn up to soft wavy naps that were then pulled up into cornrows until Saturday night.

It's funny how we teased each other as little girls about the naps, kitchens, kinks, kuckabucks, peas, bad hair, wooly hair, and all of the other other names that were passed down to us to describe our nappy hair. Now, I LOVE MY NAPPY HAIR!!

This is my friend, Shannon. When we met a few years ago, she was already happy, nappy, and free. I thought, she has "good hair;" she can get away with it. I had been wearing microbraids and was going back to my relaxed hair that by now was brittle and breaking off. I started asking questions. I was ready to be free of the curling irons and their burns on my ears, and the relaxers and their burns on my scalp. Shannon made it sound so easy! It's as if we were meant to wear our hair in its natural state! What?? Kinky hair is cool?? I decided to go for it and I did just that....I took a deep breath, went to my hairdresser, and asked for THE BIG CHOP! She thought that I'd gone crazy and almost refused to cut it, but she was also a friend that knew that if she didn't cut it for me, I'd probably be completely bald by the next time she saw me!!!

That was in 2002. Over the last 5 years, I've mainly worn the 'fro and even backslid into a texturizer a couple of times. It was amazing that I had no idea what to do with my hair in the state that God made it! Shannon reassured me that it was a trial and error process and that no single hair product worked for everyone. I've tried lots of different products now and have adjusted my regimen along the way as my hair has taken on its own different stages. I've gotten frustrated and cut it back to the TWA (teeny weeny afro) a few times, but patience has paid off as my hair is now thick, curly, and best of all, healthy.

Most recently, I've been wearing the wash and go as I started to finally see my own natural spirals start to take hold. I tried out a coil set a few weeks ago and was amazed to see how much my hair has really grown. My length is about 5-6" all over so I'm experimenting a little now with different hair accessories to see what kind of versatility I have.

My true excitement comes in just about two weeks when I finally have my consultation for Sisterlocks. I love the look and can't wait to finally have them done. I'm a little freaked out about needing the patience to sit for two days to get them but I know that it will be worth it in the end. Does anyone else have pictures of starting Sisterlocks with about 5-6" of length to share?

This picture of me is from this past Saturday with my pooch, Sydney, at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I'm trying out an afro puff with a headband. What do you think? Any style suggestions?

Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself.
~Hubert de Givenchy, Vogue, July 1985