OOOOH this is indeed A Journey!

Sisterlocked 5 weeks

Okay,  I'm starting to sound like a broken record.  "It's been so long since I've blogged here!" Atleast I got back before the year was gone!  Lol.   How have you been?  I hope your life has been going well and that you've been in control of your beautiful crowns.    What's new with your natural hair journey?  Please share.    Well as you can see I have journeyed back to locks. But this time Sisterlocks.  I know, I felt crazy when I began to have the same feelings that sent me running into my braid locks a couple years ago.  I ended my braidlock journey because I missed having big hair, and because of lint build up in my nape. 

 I was excited to be back to my fro, but after awhile that work of detangling, wash day, and three day prep and style was wearing on me again. Plus, I kinda missed my locks!?  Man when I tell you I felt CRAZY.. I had never been so conflicted in my life on how I wanted to continue my natural hair journey.  I love being natural that one thing will NEVER  change, but how I wanted to continue my natural Journey?  Now that had me in a "go long" as my mother would say!  

A couple months before Sisterlocks. 

Medium Twists(home base)

After an additional year of washing, detangling, twisting, crocheting, twisting, and wondering what I am going to do with my natural hair next.  I had come to a crossroads again! What do I want to do with my hair long term?   I  LOVE my natural hair but I had to make a decision on what mattered to me more, my peace and time, or my love for my big fluffy natural hair. And babes,  peace and time won out!  My hair is so time consuming, and I don't want to live in two strand twists and braids. Which was happening a lot. So yah, the big hair that I took my locks down for, I was rarely sporting.  And when I was in a protective style I found my self planning for the next one before I could enjoy the one I had. And when my hair was out I was counting down the days until I had to wash and detangle again.  (uggggh)   This cycle had to end.  I just wanted to enjoy my natural hair with out all the "fuss" so I found my self skimming over my old braid lock pics, to see if it was really "that" flat.  Also I started looking at lock inspiration photos again, in particular Sisterlocks.  I started to come across sister lock'd  beauties and specifically the ladies below and thought, hold up?  They have really full hair, fluffy hair, and its locked? I can do this!  I can continue on like this and feel good about my natural hair. 

Gorgeous right!?   (Please be sure to look them up on instagram! They are always serving up beautiful lock pics!)  

I decided to start sisterlocks because I would have more of them, which would yield a fuller head of locks for me.  I can wear my hair down as much as I want to, and not worry about tangles, excessive shrinkage, or my ends.   My natural hair is dense, full and thick. I wanted to  make sure that if I went this route that I could expect my sisterlocks to be full and thick, just like  "my" natural hair.  I didn't want my strands to be suppressed if that makes sense?    My consultant assured me that my hair had the potential to do this.  Now I know natural hair textures and densities are like a fingerprint,  so I am not expecting to have the exact same set of locks as these ladies or others that I crush on. But I do want them full, as long as its full,  I'm good!  

So I am five weeks in, and I am loving this new journey. I have a lot to share so I will be blogging more regularly now.  I also have some topics concerning this journey "long term" that I'd like to discuss. I am running into a lot of long term naturals who are kind of over their natural hair , like actually thinking about going back to relaxers and that scares me! So we need to talk about this.  

 If you have any un answered questions regarding natural hair care please leave me your questions.  If you would like me to discuss certain topics let me know! Shoot me an email or leave it in the comments.   I feel I have discussed everything under the sun as it pertains to natural hair care on this blog over the last 7 years.   But, I know  there are still some questions out there, and I don't mind answering  them : ) Well Until Next time!!  

My Braid Locks are GONE, and I'm a RED head!

Fall Season: Crochet Braids ( as usual) 

Hey Y'all!!  Finally! I'm back to blogging.  : )  I pray that  your start to this new year has been productive and peaceful so far.  Let me first  apologize to anyone who has revisited my blog in the last year looking for new entries  only to find nothing since Last February!   I am too shamed about that, however, I  have comforted myself with the fact that there's over 5 years worth of content on healthy hair care here. I honestly can't think of one topic concerning healthy natural hair that I have not covered?  But blogging for me has always been about the journey, learning, and then sharing so yah, it continues!  

Since I've last blogged too  much has happened in life and with this hair!  I will try my best to summarize!   I am learning that people now days are reading a lot less.  Rapid technology progression, and instant social media outlets have really taken over!   Instagram,Facebook,twitter,snapchat,Periscope, youtube,vine, and everything else has really taken first place for a lot of web surfers.  But I for one still love to read, and write.  

So if you have made it to this third paragraph then I am assuming you still love to read too,  and I am in great company. Welcome!  and  thank you!   My goal in the future will be  posts with shorter blog content, and or short video clips. That will save you and me time in the future, and I can blog more frequently!    

Last time I posted here I had braid locks started.  That journey lasted almost 2 years ago, and I decided to pick and comb them out.  That's right you don't have to cut out locks young or old.  All you need is patience, conditioner, and a push pin!   I loved those locks and never imagined that I would take them down so quickly! I had 276 of them.  and Keisha at Nappybliss Salon in Desoto, TX  kept my locks looking really nice and groomed. I visited her every month. (I miss my visits there!)

Lock take down, it took 2 months! 

I thought I was in that lock journey for the long haul, I was willing to give it atleast 7- 10 years,  dead  serious!   That is how sick  I was of  detangling my loose natural hair.   I soon learned that to lock your hair for this reason was not a good idea,  and especially if you love BIG fluffy hair. (I knew this about myself going in, but I figured I'd get over it.)   

Why I took them down: 

1. I was getting bored often.  I even colored them while they were in to settle that down. worked for about 2 months!  2. My hair seemed flat to me ALL the time. Even when I rodded it, it wasn't big enough for me .   3. I started to get build up in the nape of my locks that was really tough to remove.   

That 3rd reason was what drove me to actually take action on what I had been pondering for atleast 5 months.  Everything else I was willing to power through because I figured the longer my locks got I could do more with them, and possibly the chords of hair would be thicker, yielding fuller bigger hair styles so the first two weren't deal breakers.   But that lint?!?? uh uh.. I could NOT take it, no matter my efforts that stuff was embedded, and I just felt some kinda way about seeing it, and then the stuff  was not budging?  I figured I'm not even 2 years in and I already have  a lint problem, that I can't control??  (and no I didn't use product on my locks or a ton of oils).    I felt like If I pulled out early I could still save my hair and go back to what I knew best,  and that is caring for loose natural hair. BUT I must say, I don't regret my decision to lock my hair,  or the journey one bit.  I loved it and I learned so much more about my natural hair.  Plus wash days were heavenly!!! NO detangling, truly I had wash and go hair it was awesome!!  It  took me 2 months to take my hair down and I was already dreading detangling and was already coming up with ways to not let that get the best of me this time around.      

a week after the take down

Post lock take down, I immediately cleansed my hair and added Henna! (Y'all already know how much I love Henna.)  I figured my hair needed some serious coating  after all of that picking and combing.    I soon decided to lighten my hair color even more, with a chocolate base, and copper  chunky highlights (I wanted to try something that I hadn't tried yet on my natural hair.)  

Twist out(Oh! Got a nose ring too! uh huh) 

I also trimmed my hair quite a bit after the lock take down because I wanted to be sure that 17 months worth of potentially thin and knotted ends were not going to endanger my stronger strands.   The shorter length made it easier to wash, deep condition, and style my  loose hair.  The color actually loosened my texture a tad, not much, but  just enough for me to feel a difference in detangling!  When I say its like night and day, LOVE IT!!    My detangling sessions are so much faster now,  so wondering if its the shorter length, or the color. Time will tell. :)  

Detangling with conditioner

I am very much PRO healthy hair, and have been for years which is why its taken me this long to even think about using a "Bright" chemical color on my hair.  But I've researched and applied  the proper care for color treated natural hair and it has done VERY well thus far. I was so afraid of my hair being dry and potentially breaking but I have learned that its not always the color that is the problem but the improper care of colored treated hair.  You've got to adjust your regimen because you are dealing with a slightly different head of hair.    I will definitely be posting about that soon.       

At the present I am in protective style braid extensions,  as I am most winter and fall seasons.  My hair will come back out to play in the Spring!  

But, I plan to be back here with more information on what I've learned about EVERYTHING retaining to this hair, other people's hair,  the natural hair  industry, Entrepreneurship, and life in general.  Goodness there is so much to share!   

Please  let me know if you have any questions..  What life lessons have you learned, have you gone through any major roller coasters as it pertains to your natural hair journey lately?  Share it!   

Until Next time, (and it's coming sooner than you think! lol)

Individual -Tree braids