Lock It Up! Support Thread (Sisterlocs, Dreads, Freeform, Etc)

Harpo, who dis woman??? I stumbled on her channel after watching one of Queen Eleem's updates. She is so beautiful and that color is fire!!! I also loved all the styles she did and I like how she left out some loose hair to give her locks more personality. I enjoyed watching her 1 year lock journey.


She makes me want to just go for it and try doing my own color, since I still haven't made it to the barbershop with my sister. She went without me again and I feel some type of way.

iamLindaElaine:

 
Two years loc’d as of today. I can hardly believe it. Pics coming soon.

Congratulations!!!! Are you doing a style for your 2-year anniversary? Mine is coming up next month but I'm not sure if my next retightening will fall around the same time. I hope so so I can be fresh to death for my anniversary but if not I will make it fly. :lachen:
 
What's a good locing creme/wax? I don't think I like this gel.

What gel are you using now? I interlock so I may not be the best person to answer this question...but I think you should ask yourself what you don't like about the gels you're using now and the ones you've tried before. Then compare that to the properties you need or are important to you in a gel. That may help you narrow down your choices.

If there are trial sizes of gels, I would get those first. That way, if you don't like a product you're not stuck with a huge tub of it if your hair doesn't like it.

Some people just do water only retwists, and I have also seen some YouTubers mention using honey to retwist. Another popular choice is aloe vera gel.

I plan to transition DS 1 to retwisting shortly, so in another post I mentioned that I plan on using ecostyler gel when I do that. I chose that just based on what I already have on hand, because I don't want to have to buy a new product. The other factor is I liked how my wash and goes looked with it when I was a loose natural. (Great hold and shine)

I hope that helps! Maybe some of the other ladies who maintain by retwisting can also chime in.
 
I just got a retwist and I finally feel as if my hair is getting longer ! But the woman that does my hair thinks I need to trim. I'm fine with this, but was wondering if I could do it myself.... is this advisable ? I was just going to cut the ends that look stringy (I started with two strand twists and I still have remnants of those). What are your thoughts ?
 
I just got a retwist and I finally feel as if my hair is getting longer ! But the woman that does my hair thinks I need to trim. I'm fine with this, but was wondering if I could do it myself.... is this advisable ? I was just going to cut the ends that look stringy (I started with two strand twists and I still have remnants of those). What are your thoughts ?

Can we see a pic of what your ends look like so we can better advise you?

What is the reason she gave for you saying you need a trim? If it's not disproportionately uneven, I would leave it. Are you unhappy with the way the stringy ends look? If so, and you think cutting them off will make you happier, then I say go for it. Are you confident in your own abilities to trim? The other factor you'll need to consider is are your ends already sealed? If they aren't and you are trimming then that could cause problems with the way your locks will continue to form.

I could be wrong, but I think that you would also be hindering your progress somewhat and creating a "new" starting point for your ends to seal.

With no clear rounded or pointed tip, your locks may even start unraveling. If you trust her to trim your hair, I would say let her do it. Or you could get a second opinion. But take your time making your decision.

Overall, I think you should just wait it out, though.

Another option would be to try to wrap the stringy ends around the bottom portion of the locks and maybe use a crochet needle to reinforce it so it won't keep unravelling from around each lock during a wash.

I mentioned a while back in this thread that I used to wrap my ends around the locks during a retightening, but I quit doing that a long time ago because I love my sprouts. It gives my locks so much character. :2inlove:
 
What gel are you using now? I interlock so I may not be the best person to answer this question...but I think you should ask yourself what you don't like about the gels you're using now and the ones you've tried before. Then compare that to the properties you need or are important to you in a gel. That may help you narrow down your choices.

If there are trial sizes of gels, I would get those first. That way, if you don't like a product you're not stuck with a huge tub of it if your hair doesn't like it.

Some people just do water only retwists, and I have also seen some YouTubers mention using honey to retwist. Another popular choice is aloe vera gel.

I plan to transition DS 1 to retwisting shortly, so in another post I mentioned that I plan on using ecostyler gel when I do that. I chose that just based on what I already have on hand, because I don't want to have to buy a new product. The other factor is I liked how my wash and goes looked with it when I was a loose natural. (Great hold and shine)

I hope that helps! Maybe some of the other ladies who maintain by retwisting can also chime in.



Thanks!
I am using tight hold by Taliah Waajid. Seems to make me itch.
I may try aloe vera, don't know why I didn't think of that.
 
I’m really loving this size of locs! I’m really bummed that the person I reached out to about combining my locs never responded back to me. I’m getting ready to relocate and have yet to find a Sisterlock consultant in my new city and am considering combining my locs myself so I can DIY maintain. I’m trying to think how many Sisterlocks I would have to combine together to get this size.
 
I’m really loving this size of locs! I’m really bummed that the person I reached out to about combining my locs never responded back to me. I’m getting ready to relocate and have yet to find a Sisterlock consultant in my new city and am considering combining my locs myself so I can DIY maintain. I’m trying to think how many Sisterlocks I would have to combine together to get this size.


I'm sorry you're having a hard time finding a new consultant for your new city. Did you check the directory or contact your current consultant to see if she recommends anyone in the city you are getting ready to move to? If that doesn't work, I would ask in some of the SLs groups on Facebook and see if there are any good ones on IG. And of course, good old Google can also help!

As far as combining, I (still)think that's a great idea and it sounds like you are ready and confident with your decision. I think you would only have to combine 2 locks to get that size, maybe three. I wouldn't combine three initially, though.

I think you should start with two and then once you see that they are starting to marry and mesh together see how you like that size. If you want to go bigger from there, that's when you would combine a third lock in. So I think to pull this off and have all the locks come out to about the same size you might want to start counting how many locks are you have per row and then maybe "plan" /visualize how you will combine from there. The way I'm seeing it in my head is for you to leave a single lock in between every two locks you combine so that you can combine the third lock later on with each of the two locks you combined initially.

Another way you can approach this is to do a few test locks of varying sizes to see how you like it, without combining all the locks on your whole head and go from there, just in case you don't like how it looks or you change your mind for some reason. It might be better to have a few locks of differing sizes that can blend in with the rest of your hair than to have all of the locks combined and you being unhappy if you don't like the way it looks.
 
Thank you so much! My consultant is trying to help me find a consultant in my new city but I don’t think she has found one yet. I guess I will say this is my back up plan if I don’t find one or if the ones in my new city are too expensive. I am scheduled through May with my current consultant and may see if I can stick with her till I find a new one as the city I’m relocating to is only two hours away.
As with the combining I was thinking two locs as well, I like that size because it isn’t too big and still gives me a microlocish look.
I'm sorry you're having a hard time finding a new consultant for your new city. Did you check the directory or contact your current consultant to see if she recommends anyone in the city you are getting ready to move to? If that doesn't work, I would ask in some of the SLs groups on Facebook and see if there are any good ones on IG. And of course, good old Google can also help!

As far as combining, I (still)think that's a great idea and it sounds like you are ready and confident with your decision. I think you would only have to combine 2 locks to get that size, maybe three. I wouldn't combine three initially, though.

I think you should start with two and then once you see that they are starting to marry and mesh together see how you like that size. If you want to go bigger from there, that's when you would combine a third lock in. So I think to pull this off and have all the locks come out to about the same size you might want to start counting how many locks are you have per row and then maybe "plan" /visualize how you will combine from there. The way I'm seeing it in my head is for you to leave a single lock in between every two locks you combine so that you can combine the third lock later on with each of the two locks you combined initially.

Another way you can approach this is to do a few test locks of varying sizes to see how you like it, without combining all the locks on your whole head and go from there, just in case you don't like how it looks or you change your mind for some reason. It might be better to have a few locks of differing sizes that can blend in with the rest of your hair than to have all of the locks combined and you being unhappy if you don't like the way it looks.
 
Thank you so much! My consultant is trying to help me find a consultant in my new city but I don’t think she has found one yet. I guess I will say this is my back up plan if I don’t find one or if the ones in my new city are too expensive. I am scheduled through May with my current consultant and may see if I can stick with her till I find a new one as the city I’m relocating to is only two hours away.
As with the combining I was thinking two locs as well, I like that size because it isn’t too big and still gives me a microlocish look.

Have you searched in one of the FB groups?
 
So, this happened last weekend...:(




I washed my hair this week and moisturized my locks afterwards and this came off also. :(



I went through my locks to see if I could pinpoint where these broke off from. I know for sure they came from somewhere in the front. I have a strong feeling that the first one might be from one of the small locks in the front that I was getting ready to lose. I wrapped those around adjacent locks and all seemed to be well. Or it could have came from different locks altogether. I saved it so I can figure out what to do with it later.

The following day after my wash (Wednesday) I retightened all the smaller locks along the hairline that are usually vulnerable and come out. I really need to get more disciplined at that.
 
This week I have spent a lot of time watching YouTube lock videos and and looking at IG pics. Can we talk about how luscious Dxlyn's son Zion's locks are looking, as well as one of her clients, Tasha?!!!

I didn't realize Zion had gotten an undercut but it looks good on him. His hair has flourished all this time and has gotten pretty long.:



ETA: I like how Dxlyn explained that the hold comes mostly from the technique and drying. I love watching her retwist videos and I am feeling even more motivated to give it a go with DS 1.
So for everyone that has questions about products and which ones give the best hold, this might help.

And next up....Harpo, who dis woman???? Her locks are beyond beautiful, so full, lush, bouncy and healthy looking. Tasha:




And I need to know how she lightened her hair without using bleach. I also thought it was interesting that she started her locks on transitioning hair and then cut the ends when she was comfortable. I don't see a lot of that; I usually see people who want locks with relaxed ends and they want to know if they can keep the ends.

The last thing I wanted to note is that her hair reminded me of @Guinan in that she has 200 locks, and @Guinan, I know you had wanted that many, as well as the look of the retwists and texture seems similar to yours.

So I might have found your lock twin, girl! :lachen: I hope she starts a channel because I would love to see how her hair continues to thrive.
 
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Have you searched in one of the FB groups?
That was my recommendation also... I think she would have the best luck there. Some of the groups allow consultants to post/advertise on certain days, too. They even have specials sometimes for new clients or discounts.
:yep:
Thanks ladies I reached out to some of the Sisterlock groups I am in on Facebook and now I am just waiting for some responses.
 
I just saw Queen Eleem's 1 month update and first retightening. I see a couple of things that she's doing that could be cause for concern, though. I can't remember if I told her about one of them in the comments section of a different video or not. I'll head back over there and tell her after I make my posts here.



It always kills me that she has 1 thumbs down on most of her videos. The running joke is it's probably a bitter SL consultant. :lachen:
 
This video of Dxlyn reattaching a set of super long locks popped up on my feed also. I've said it before but I will say it again... she got mad skills!



I'm curious to know what the difference is in all the different tools she uses to reattach. I have seen her use single, double, and now triple needles/hooks and I want to know why. She explained why she uses different sizes but not that.

ETA:. I love the shape of the client's locks here!
 
Bindi Marc combined her locks again, ya'll!



Now she has 242...so she went from 763 to 563 to 242. Great message in the video also.

@mz.rae did you see this video? Have you decided on the method you will use to combine?

Omg thank you so much for sharing this video! Agree so much with what she was saying and can relate. I often have been looking at those with thicker locs and those with thicker micro locs with covetousness and wondering what my hair would look like if I had gone that route. I remember wanting Sisterlocks all the way back in 2010 and being so excited to have finally gotten them almost three years ago, I’m not sure what happened. I think that’s why I keep going back and forth with wanting to combine them. I’m speaking with a consultant in my new city right now that is accepting new clients and may possibly meet up with her tomorrow for a consultant so I am going to see what she says. If I do combine I’m going to twist my hair together and probably just retwist the new growth.
 
Omg thank you so much for sharing this video! Agree so much with what she was saying and can relate. I often have been looking at those with thicker locs and those with thicker micro locs with covetousness and wondering what my hair would look like if I had gone that route. I remember wanting Sisterlocks all the way back in 2010 and being so excited to have finally gotten them almost three years ago, I’m not sure what happened. I think that’s why I keep going back and forth with wanting to combine them. I’m speaking with a consultant in my new city right now that is accepting new clients and may possibly meet up with her tomorrow for a consultant so I am going to see what she says. If I do combine I’m going to twist my hair together and probably just retwist the new growth.

You're welcome! As soon as I saw it was evident that she combined more locks I thought of you. I always thought her first set of locks were amazing and I was bummed that she combed them out. But hopefully this time around she will end up with something closer to what she was hoping for all along.

2010 is the year I started my Sisterlocks, and for me, I had been considering them for a few years prior as well. Just never made the decision until later. So I get it. I think we all at some point wonder what could have been... I think I still have moments like "wow, I wonder what my hair would have looked like now if I had kept my SLs all this time?" But ultimately I know I am much happier with this set of locks than I ever was with my SLs. I don't think I could fully see it then, or maybe I did but I just didn't want to acknowledge it completely. Looking back on pics from that time frame, I can really see it.

Even now, I wonder how my hair would look if I had started my locks differently in terms of method, size, parting, etc. although I am happy with them. I think it's only natural and I understand more where @BillsBackerz67 was coming from when she said she's not unhappy with hers but would be totally fine with starting over.

That's great news that you have finally found a consultant in the new city... so it looks like our advice worked? I hope your consultation with her goes well.

But a part of me is looking forward to this new journey of yours, should you decide to embark on it. Even your approach seems different than what is commonly done with combining Sisterlocks/microlocks. From what I have seen, most people interlock to combine as well as interlock to maintain. I noticed that Bindi twisted to combine and interlocks to maintain, and I have seen a couple others who started their own microlocks do that also.

I think it would be dope to see your approach with twisting to combine and retwisting to maintain. Which reminds me, I need to check on YouTuber YaGirlKesi because I think she started her microlocks with twists and retwists to maintain and I remembered really loving her hair in terms of neatness, size, etc. I believe I have posted her videos in this thread before if you wanted to check her out.

At any rate, I'm so excited for you!
 
I have to do my own reti because the Bay Area has been shut down over the virus with a shelter in place order. Hoping to get them done before my baby gets here (due in just over a week and still prepping)

Oh wow! Congratulations... I didn't know you were expecting! I hope you are able to get everything done in time and you have a safe delivery!
 
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