Look Ma, no hives!! Yes, my hives are gone and believe it or not but today was my first day without itching! I never imagined that I could have an allergic reaction to something that would last for an entire week! Right now, I'm thanking God for Prednisone because the antihistamines were slackin' on the job. I'm going for allergy testing in a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll know what to avoid and I have an Epi-pen now for emergencies. Whew!Anyway, Pam nudged me and reminded me that I hadn't posted in awhile so I thought that I'd pop in and let everyone know that I'm still alive and lockin'. This picture is of me today....3 months and about 18 days into my Sisterlocks. I caught myself tucking my hair behind my ear the other day as it has gotten long enough to fall not only to the top of my ear but well beyond. I didn't have much new growth at my last retightening but I can tell that my hair has definitely grown considerably over these last few months as a whole.
More than I expected, I am having some issues with my locks settling particularly in the back and at my hairline. I've done everything that I can in my power to help the process along, but alas, I can only work with the texture that I'm given. I've agreed to stay away from headbands for awhile to see if that helps the hairline area but the back of my hair has a mind of its own.
As I've encountered or spoken over the phone with people I know about my Sisterlocks, there is one question that everyone seems to ask and it kind of baffles me that they ask it....they ask me, "...so what happens when you get tired of it? You have to cut off all of your hair?" My answer to them is always, if I did get tired of my locks (is that possible?) then yes, I would have to cut my hair BUT what I always say is WHY WOULD I GET TIRED OF THEM? The people who ask always fall into 2 categories....white people and black friends and family that are still perming, braiding, weaving, wigging, or phonytailing it. Indeed, why would I ever get tired of my locks? I don't often say never, but I'm NEVER going back to having a perm in my head, and I can style my locks in any way that anyone else can with any other type of hair. Not to put down traditional locks, but most people with traditional locks are stuck going freestyle eventually because their locks are too large to style. I'm amazed at the Sisterlocks styles that I see!
It has been weird for me curling my hair again after all of these years. I went completely natural with the big chop in May of 2002 and never applied heat to my hair again. Now I use my Carusos and it reminds me of the days when I stood in the mirror everyday with a curling iron, but in a very different way.
The difference is that my hair now is so much healthier. It lives. It breathes. It inhales the steam and contorts itself into different poses and forms. It snuggles into curls up onto my ears when it gets wet in the rain and stretches itself out again like awakening from a nap when it feels the steam of the shower calling it out to play. My permed hair years ago was an entity; worn and dry, bitter and brittle. It was cold and rebelled against my adventurous nature. It didn't like to play and jump in puddles. Caring for it was a chore instead of the pleasant greeting of my hair today. Each day when I wake up, I go to the mirror and see what my hair looks like. Usually the sides are tightly packed down to my head and the crown standing straight at attention. No matter what though, I greet my hair with a smile and a few massages with my fingers. Just like a flower, when I mist it with water, my hair comes alive again and I wouldn't have it any other way.
9 comments:
AWWWWW.....Look at your blog! You changed the set up and colors and it looks marvelous! You look marvelous I might add!
Your hair is looking well and look at the big smile. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and you look like a SL photo shoot. I am jealous!
BTW my how your hair has grown!
I can't believe it's been over 3 months already. You and your SLs look fabulous :)
I get the "what will you do if you get tired of them" question all the time. The conversation usually ends up somewhere along the lines of "well, I really your hair but I like to change my hair too often to lock". Mind you, this is from the same people who perm their hair and wear it in the same (or very similar) style all the time while complaining about not being able to grow their hair past a certain length.
Your hair looks good. People ask me the same question time to time. I love my hair. Sometimes I do get fed up but, I will not have it any other way.
Really love your prose in this post and after the photos in your previous post (hives) you are looking quite lovely (tee hee). Isn't life with Sisterlocks just grand?
Hey Girl, just dropped by to say greetings! :O
You look great! Your locks are nice, very Nice! I got my hair braided, but I'll update my Blog in APR.
Take Care~
Curls are too cute! Glad you were healed from the hives. I had something similar happen to me a few months ago, but it didn't get me on my face. Keep on smiling!!
Hi,
I am an official sisterlock blog stalker. LOL. I really want to get mine done but I am still looking in to extensions to keep my lenght- I have a perm. Your blog was one I was watching since you started your locks. I have to say, THIS PICTURE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL! YOUR FACE SEEMS TO BE GLOWING! Its ppl like you who make me want to just...do it!
but I am still a ginormous chicken...
Dear Anonymous, say it with me "no more extensions". You can start your sisterlocks with a good 2 inches of new growth and your permed ends will still be there. I personally started with the big chop (cutting off all but about an inch of my hair). Length is only valuable if your hair is truly healthy and with a perm your hair does incur damage over time.
I'm a big proponent of the big chop because it also gives you a chance to get to know what your natural hair is like. It's much different than dealing with your permed hair and you will learn to enjoy the freedom of it. You'll probably get lots of compliments on your short style too because length isn't everything.
The other plus side to doing the big chop is that you won't have to deal with both permed hair and natural hair (your locks) at the same time. Either way you go, I've never regretted getting my locks. they're not without cost or maintenance but my hair is very healthy and growing like a weed! I feel more beautiful now than I ever have and I never knew that my hair could make so much of a difference.
Why not schedule a consultation with a certified consultant? You can at least have a chance to ask questions and have someone look at your hair and help you decide which method will work best for you. Try to get about 2 inches of new growth then have someone take a look, and I'm always here if you'd like to ask me anything. My email address is in my profile and just put Sisterlocks question in the subject line of the email so I know you're not a spammer. Hope to hear back from ya!
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