Happy Birthday Graphic Comments
December 1, 2009, marked my second year of locdom! Was it easy? No! Was it worth the time and aggravation? Yes! All I can say is that I`am locked for life!
My first year, I had major issues! I had mad slippage, unraveling, and bunching! There were days when I got the loc envy bug. I would visit SL lock blogs and admire the mature locs. I would get angry because mine was not long enough to style and not perfect. I would go into the mirror and critique each of my locs. When I found a loc that was not perfect, I would unravel it and restart it or cut the imperfect portion off. Four of my micro locs in the front of my head broke off at six months. I was devastated! That was my cue to combine all of my micro and small locs. I have one micro loc. It reminds me how small my micro locs were.
My locs in the back of my head were the first to loc. They were my gauge for the rest of my locs. They locked and sealed with minimal problems. Maybe they locked because I laid on them and roughen them up. Maybe the texture is different? I do know when I combined my locs, they locked faster than when they were tiny.
The locs on the top of my head gave me the most problems. I had major bunching and over matting tip issues. I don`t know how many times I took the locs down and restarted them. Bunching I discovered was a problem for my hair type when it begins to loc. So, I allowed it to do its thing and when they matured, I cut the bunched or over matted tips off and sealed the tips with a tiny bead of crazy glue.
Yes, Crazy glue! My consultant used it to prevent my locs from unraveling when she locked up 1 1/2" long hair. It worked! My glued tips looked naturally sealed.
I also got traditional loc envy at 22 months. I love traditional locs! They are so beautiful and cylindrical. I almost took my locs down and restarted then with two strand twist. What stopped me was two factors. The time and money I put in my locs . The second was my experiment: I took a lock down and palm rolled it with gel. The next day, my loc had unraveled :(
There was a point where I was going to pick my locs out and be done with it! My LovinLocs buddies and blog buddies, gave me lots of support! Now I want to encourage newbies that locking is not easy, but it is a truly enlightening and healing experience.
Don`t give up! think of the rewards that come with locs. There is a sisterhood and brotherhood of loc heads on the net that will help you over the hump! I never thought in a million years that I have a head full of dreadlocks! When I look in the mirror, I see the true me. When I come into the presence of perm heads, they look and stare because my natural presence demand respect! I`am not perpetrating a fraud. I`represent the true reflection of natural beauty.
I have grown to love and accept my locs with their curled ends and other imperfections. They are truly unique to me. I can go to the gym, swim, walk in the rain and best of all, be intimate without worrying whether my hair is going to revert to its natural state!
This is the first time in my life I have wash and wear hair. No hot combs. No electric rollers, No blow drying. No waiting long hours in the salon to get my hair did! I have no negatives even with the rocky start! I wish I had the mentality to loc much sooner! I would have saved myself lots of stress and pain!
"Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise" Proverbs 19:20
