New hairstyle : Sisterlocks
I did it! I finally took the plunge. After years of hesitating and procastinating!
You are probably wondering what I am talking about? I am talking about having Sisterlocks.
If you do not know, Sisterlocks is a type of hairstyle, ressembling dreadlocks. However, the Sister locks are tinier and are made used a different technique involving a crochet.
As someone who cannot take care of her hair, I have toyed with the idea of getting it done for a while now. I was influenced by some of my friends who already have them or dreadlocks. They used to tell me that they the locks are low maintenance. But I could never wrap my head around getting them.
The main reason being that the sisterlocks are permanent. Once you have them installed, removing them is a long and tedious process. You can always cut them off and start growing your hair. I have already shaved all my hair off back in 2007. I really enjoyed having short hair but I was getting nervous about it not growing fully back. It took me 6 months to get my hair length back. I was 26 back then. Now at 43, I am not sure my hair will grow back as quickly. As someone who cannot even commit to the gym on a regular basis, or who is indecisive, getting locks seemed too much of a leap.
The other reason why I was dreading having sisterlocks is that I thought I could not style my hair with them. Believe it or not, I like to style my hair even though I wear a scarf on a regular. I liked the idea of getting it blowdried or silk pressing it. I have not chemically straighten my hair since 2018. But I still enjoyed going to the hair salon and have my hair taken care of. I would usually get twists that would last me up to 3 months. Recently, I got a blow dry and I really enjoyed the experience. It is sure that with sisterlocks I will not be able to get a blow dry or silk press any time soon. Nevertheless, with sisterlocks it appear that we can have several hairstyles: from updo to curling them, even adding some extensions to make them longer or thicker; and braid them, Senegalese style.
Finally the reason why it took me so long was the price of having the sisterlocks installed. I did my research and it was very expensive. It may cost between 50.000 XOF to 150.000 XOF ( $80 to $250/ €77 to €230) depending on where you go. I also wanted to use a salon that was not far from my place and which had a good reputation.
Anyway, in June after much procastinating, I finally did it. I saw an ad on Instagram from a salon which was having Eid promotion, and booked an appointment. I have never heard of the salon before. But I was drawn to the the proximity to my house and obviously the very attractive price of 35.000 XOF ($60/ €54). When I got the salon, there were already 3 other women who took advantages of the promotion to also have their sisterlocks installed. There were many hairdressers (5) but still it took me 11 hours to have my hair fully "locked".
The process is lenghthy due to the method used. The hair dresser has to blow dry my hair first, then part it in several ways before cornrowing it. I am not sure why that is but from what I could see from the other ladies being taken care of in front me, I might be to get symetrical locks all over the head. All through the day, I heard the manager of the salon telling the other hairdressers that the locks should be the same size. Then they remove the cornrows one row at the time and part the hair evenly before locking it. They start at the tip and braid it, then using their finger or a crochet, put the braided end inside the hair and repeat the process until they reach the root.
Once I was finished, the manager gave me some advice on how to upkeep my sisterlocks. At this stage, I have what is called Baby locks. They are not fully locked yet so they can easily unravel if not handled with care. For an entire month I should avoid washing my hair, or using any products on it. When I go to sleep, I should use a bonnet or head wrap in sateen to avoid cotton fibers getting inside the locks. After a month, I can finally wash my hair but I should be gentle and avoid touching or scratching the roots altogether. To dry my hair, I can just pat it with a towel or just wrap my hair in it. Finally I should use a mixture of water and oil (coconut, ricin) and spray on my hair daily. After three months, my hair should be fully locked. The manager also recommended to come every two or three months to retighten my locks depending on my hair growth.
It has been 6 months now that I have the locks. I have changed hair salon. The one I go to now is super far from my house but they are more professional. I have already been there twice to have my locks tighten, remove hair build up and shampoo (not in that order). The locks are not exactly what I expected. I think I am at what they call the ugly stage. My hair is fizzy. And the front is unravelling real fast after I tighten the locks. But I am hoping that with time, my locks will look nicer.
I have barely embarked on this journey. Therefore I am not sure what to expect. All I know is that it will require less care. I won't have to comb my hair for a very long time and see hair fall all over my house (I suffer from breakage). I just have to tighten my locks 6 times a year which is totally doable. I also have to apply some revitalizing spray - made of rosewater, aloe Vera and lemongrass - twice a week and shampoo it every two weeks. So far, the sisterlocks are very low maintenance. I barely think about them at all. I do not stress about breakage like I used to do. It is perfect because I could not stand having to worry about what to do with my hair like I did in the past. I also worried that my Mother whose idea of good hair is to have fresh braids or have them straighten, would say something. But so far it seems she either has given up on me or she no longer cares. I have to admit that I am surprisingly very happy with them.
I am excited at seeing where this journey will take me. I cannot wait to dye my twists in red soon or having cute hairstyles applied. There is so much one can do with sisterlocks.
Comments