Monday, December 7, 2009

Happy Birthday Locs! You Are Two Years Old!

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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

25 comments:

Felicia said...

Happy Locversary!!!! I love your blog!!! What size NL tool do you use? I always watch your vids for inspiration, but I don't know whether to order a micro or a small for my sisterlocks. Anyway, back to you, your locks look beautiful!!!

Titus 2 Thandi said...

Happy birthday lady!!Well done.And I also wish I'd done it sooner!!

Nubian1 said...

Hey look at you! Locks falling on the shoulders thing going on. 2 years, i dont believe it!

Looking goooooooood!!!

Bajan Lily said...

Happy Lock-versary!
Thank heavens you didn't giv eup. it was your Youtube videos and this blog that taught me how to D-I-Y!
Thanks for being an inspiration and all the best for the future :)

Kicukalah said...

Happy Locversary!
I celebrated my first year on December 7th. I've been through alot myself with my locs. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone when it comes to the frustrations. We have or have had them. Keep going and I pray many more healthy loc years for you.

Muah!

Anna Renee said...

Congratulations on your two year locaversary! You're going to fall even deeper in lurv with your locks! Keep us posted as they continue to grow and flow and basically just look good! :-D

new2locs said...

Congrat's on your two year milestone! I'm having issues now with bunching but I can't see my self cutting the bunched ends off I've been trying to smooth it out with my hands by rolling the loc between my finger's hoping this works. You're looking great & I know what you mean when you said the permed heads are checking you out girl you know they got loc envy!!! They always say to me ooh your hair is pretty but I could never do that! Man they have some soul searching to do I promise you!

Chrissystina said...

Happy Birthday to your lovely locs! They are beautiful, and they've grown!

Afrolady said...

Happy Anniversary girl!!! You are the Q in the word QUEEN!!!! I am so glad you didn't give up on your journey because you have been a main source of inspiration and instruction for me in my journey. I was just telling my youngest the other day: We are all connected to somebody and when we get off track, we effect someone else even if we don't know it. I'm sure I join many when I say "I am because you are". Peace Lovie!!

Kittylocks said...

Happy 2 years. Well done, you made it!

I am pleased that you did not give I to temptaiton and take them down.

Then where would I get my inspiration from?

Your hair is fabulous and I also love your make up tips.

Ro said...

Happy Loc birth, NubianLP, Welcome to Loc maturity. You had me praying for you when you were thinking about starting over! I am so glad that you stayed on the course. Your locs are absolutely beautiful!

Many Blessings to you!

NubianLockedPrincess said...

Thank you my sisters for giving me the support and inspiration to continue with my locs. Because of you, I have the inspiration to make videos based on my experiences and yours. Thank you for sharing my locs second year. I pray that I will share many more with you!

@ Felicia: I use a small NL tool.

@ Ro: Thanks for praying for me! I needed it!

@Thandi: Thank you!

@Nubian1: Girl, these locs cease to amaze me! They are growing up so fast!

@ Bajan Lily: Wow! I did not thing I made that much of a difference. Thank you!

@Kicukulah: Your locs are beautiful! It is so amazing how are baby locs transforms into beautiful locs!

@Anna Renee: Girl! God is good! I dedicated these locs to him. Because of him, I have locs. Because of my locs, I have I learned who I was and why he is " I`AM!

@ New2locs: Every time I would straighten them out, they would do what they wanted to do! So , I let them. When they were finished, I cut the rebel portion off. They bunched at the tips because my ends do not produce a coil. They produced a single curl or a wave. My ends could not properly loc at the ends. You would be surprised how fast the locs that I cut grew.

One lady asked, what African shop I got my hair done. I told here these are not braids, they are micro dreadlocks. This is my real hair! :P

@Chrisystina: Thank you, girl! I do appreciate the love!

@ froLady: Thanks Girl! I have to correct you! We are all Queens!

DewDrop was and is my inspiration! because of her and a friend, I was able to take my locs into my own hands and make a positive negative experience, a positive one for many!

The reason I made my first video, because I wanted people to take charge of their hair and have what they want. I`am happy that I discovered SL, but I do not like the division it has made between the loc world. It reminds me of Dark skin, light skin division. I cannot be apart of that! Natural hair is beautiful whether its locked or loose!

@ KittyLocs: Congratulations of your completion of the SL course! I pray that you have much success!
Now go and convert the women into natural beauties!

PhePhi said...

happy anniversary. thnx 4 sharing what u've been thru. ur locs look lovely. sumtimes it's the journey that makes us appreciate thangs a lil more.

z said...

Happy lockversary!! My goodness your locks look so hot! My locks in the back locked faster than the rest also. I'm so excited about your journey and I can't wait to see more pics!

Kumina said...

HAPPY LOC-A-BIRTHDAY! Look at cha sis, looking all regal and errthang! Your celebration is also a celebration for so many of us that you have helped and inspired. Blessings and happiness to you!

Chelle27 said...

Happy Loversary to your locks. I am 14mths and seem to be going through the stage where i want to take them down. The back has locked no problem but the top has a softer texture and just seems to not want too do anything. I started with straight ends and started cutting them off, now the ends are just fuzzy and keep opening so my questin to you is, do you just put the blob of glue at the end and leave it or do you blob and roll with the tip of the glue??

NubianLockedPrincess said...

@PhePhi:Thank you! Yes it was a tough beginning, but good things come to those who are patient and wait!

@ DewDrop: Girl you know you rock! I`am so blessed to find your blog! You taught us a lot!keep doing the great work!

@Kumina! To my Loc Buddie! Thanks for sharing and giving me the inspiration I needed to continue my journey! If it were not because of you and the others, I probably would be permed again!

@ Chelle27: Thank you! You have done a great re-ti job! Hang in there! It`s worth the journey!

Anna Renee said...

So much sista-luv here!! I feel warm all over and I'm not even loced up! I have twice before but not sister-locks.....hmmm...
But I so much love my loose naps!
Anyway, have a Happy New Year! 2010is here -- new beginnings and blessings!

NubianLockedPrincess said...

Anna Renee! We are a sisterhood of naturalness! Regardless of how we choose to rock our natural hair.Locs are just a variation of our natural crown! Baby, you and my natural loose divas are always welcome!

Anna Renee said...

How did I already know this? Nappy hair RULES baby! Yaaay!

Happy, Nappy, Kinky, Loc'd New Year to all of you! If you aint nappy, can you really be happy?
I'm just sayin'! Don't hate!
;-D

Anna Renee said...

Hi NubianLockedPrincess! You won't believe it! I had to redo my blog! Please stop on over and leave your beautiful face and hair on my page again!! Follow me again!!!!!! Please! Thanks sister!

msfullroller said...

Lawd I am soo late but congratulations Sis!! Beautiful locs...look at you with all that hangtime goin' on. And such a beautiful, inspirational post!

KnottyAuthor said...

wow congratulations!!! i remember when you were just a baby lock head! lol!

anthia-ofo said...

happy loc b'day! better Late than neva!!!

KnottyAuthor said...

This post helps me, bc bunching is an issue for me too-but it's an issue in the SAME section it was with my BLs too. I cut the tips off at year 4 with those. They just unraveled and did the same. So, I'm just trying to make peace with it ... again.