One Month-versary!!!

      <~~~~Shrinkage in Full Effect

I'VE BEEN LOCKED FOR ONE FULL MONTH YA'LL!!!

You guys, I can hardly believe this! Time just flew by. I thought that this journey would be a long, painstaking one, but it's been fun and really, REALLY easy. I seriously just wake up, take a shower and go. I don't have to comb or style my hair and I don't have to use any products. Welcome to the good life!!! 

This is definitely a personalized journey. I haven't done everything according to the letter in terms of what new Sisterlockers should do. Here's a list of all the rules I've broken:

• "B&B" Braid and Band the hair before washing...X -> Strands of hair would pull out and my scalp was not fully cleansed. I wash my locks loose with minimal issues.

• Wash with Sisterlocks Starter Shampoo...X -> I have very dry scalp and shampoo will aggravate it even more. I haven't use shampoo in ages. I cleanse with Listerine. See my week 1 post for more information.

• Separate each lock after washing...X -> This was too time-consuming and somewhat unnecessary due to the method I used to dry my hair. See below.

• Use a towel to dry locks...X -> I don't have a micro-fiber towel and I don't want to use a t-shirt, so drying with a regular towel was my only option that was sure to give me lots of lint in my locks. Therefore, I literally shake all of the water from my hair. It takes five minutes for it to stop dripping and my hair gets completely air-dried in about 20 minutes.

• Limit washing to once a week or once every two weeks...X -> No can do. My scalp would go crazy. I wash my hair as often as it needs (sometimes 2x a week). Plus, I rinse my hair in the shower everyday...whether I wash it or not. Water is a natural girl's best friend. My sisterlocks are so soft because of it!

Now, I'm not suggesting to anyone out there to do what I have done. 

But my advice to "extra newbies"...lol...(i.e. those with only test sisterlocks and women with sisterlocks only a few days old) is to research/find out what your hair likes/dislikes. The suggestions passed down from Consultants and other veteran/longtime sisterlockers are valuable, but may not always apply to you. Every head of sisterlocks is different. Do you.

What I Accomplished in Month 1:

• Learned what worked for my dry scalp in terms of itchiness
• Did not over-style my baby locks
• Did not add any oil or conditioner to my hair
• Did not have sisterlocks envy and did not accept any negative energy toward my own locks from other people
• Prevented pesky lint from getting into my locks
• Appreciated the look and shrunken length of my hair. Acceptance is important.

Some Goals for Month 2:

• Do a flat twist style
• Curl my locks
• Recreate two-strand twists
• Do a Cornrow style
• Do a donut bun
• Create elegant updos
• Do a French braid (hair may not be long enough for it, so this will be on every goal list until I am able to do it! LOL)
• Rock accessories (flowers/beads/jewels/scarves/hair ties, etc)
• Create a scented water spritz (water + fragrant essential oil) to keep my hair smelling awesome 24/7

Below are just some pics I took today to showcase my month-old locks. Nothing special...no cute style...but the pics do highlight the fact that my hair has gotten so much thicker in just one month. I've reached my shrinkage length (it won't shrink any shorter). Right now I'm just eager for my lock babies to mature. I'm only a few months away!