The First Step toward Locs

by Fleurzty on May 7, 2012

First, let me thank those of you who commented on the previous post. I am glad that you will be tuned in to hear stories and my hair experiences over the next year as my hair slowly transitions to locs.

My visit to N Natural Hair Studio was great. I met Angela Walker, the stylist and owner of the salon, who I spoke to the evening prior. Angela called me ahead of my appointment to get a little bit of info about my hair and what I was trying to accomplish. Well, once I arrived, Angela was ready to begin working with me.

How My Locs Began

The treatment at the salon was professional. Angela took me to the sink to wash my hair. Well, in the wash room, she has a chair and a table. Of course, I opted to use the table and get a spa experience :) . She washed my hair, conditioned it twice. The first time she used Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle. I love this product!!! After an invigorating scalp conditioning massage, she detangled, rinsed and then used a second conditioner by Shea Radiance. My hair felt great through the process. I realized in that moment though that this was going to be my last detangling session for a (little) while.

After the conditioning treatment, the styling began. I showed Angela the pictures that I brought with me for her to have an idea of the size that I hoping to create my locs. Collectively, we decided that the diamond parting system was best for me. Diamond shaped locs means that a loc always falls between the gap of two other locs. My middle part in the front was also very obvious to her lol, but she worked around that. I ended up with small diamond-shaped two-strand twists everywhere. To prevent the twists from volumizing like traditional two-strand twists on wet hair would, she pinned my hair against itself. she also twisted my hair rope tight. She warned me several times that it would not be the cutest style initially lol. I sat under the dryer for maybe 30 minutes, then off I went.

Angela is really kind, and she answered every question that I had about the process as best as she could. I was amazed that she felt the decision is mine on when to begin retwisting on my own. Let me explain! While I have watched several naturals on youtube retwisting and starting their locs on their own, it is still a bit intimidating to me for now. Other stylists that I had consultations with thought that my best bet would be to visit the salon for every retwist. While there is nothing wrong with that recommendation, it did not seem fully honest considering how many DIYers that I have witnessed doing it. I left the salon feeling rather confident that this would be a plausible partnership, as I try something new. One thing I was looking for in a stylist that I found with Angela, was a professional who would provide a helping hand, not a takeover, if that makes sense.

Enough said, here are my locs (twists) at the start and end of the first week.

Day 1


Day 7_ I can see my hair loosening a bit already.

   

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My Next Hair Style

by Fleurzty on April 29, 2012

I am getting locs. (Pick up your jaw lol).

While most people who arrive at this decision can say that it was a spiritual, deeply felt and sought step, my decision to loc my hair is not that. I am simply ready to loc. Locs are a style that I have thought about getting for at least a couple of years on and off, though you would probably not know this since I have never written about this anywhere on the blog in the past 4 years since I started blogging. Honestly, I just figured that I would never do it, so whenever the thought came up, I quickly dismissed it before it took roots. With my two sisters and sister-in-law loc’ed. It became more and more difficult to dismiss the thought. However, this is not a result of family pressure lol.

I love my loose hair. I love the options that I have had with my hair over the past seven years of being natural. I absolutely enjoyed experimenting with my hair, changing it up, learning new styles, learning what routines work best for me, etc. It has been a lot of fun, but I know loose hair isn’t the only way to wear natural hair. Locs have been the unchartered territory for me, and if you know me, I love adventures with my hair. We pack our bags and go on new destinations together :) .

We are off to the next chapter. Mind you, I understand that this could last 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years, seven or longer. I am excited nonetheless and I know that it will be fun, very different but fun (or so I hope).

Now, many of the uncertainties that surfaced when I was first going natural tried to surge yet again. They include people’s reactions, not knowing what to do with my hair, awkward stages, tension with friends and family members, work conflicts or perceived work conflicts, as well as society’s reaction as a whole. Well, the difference is that this time, I have not spent much time on these. While I believe we are all entitled to our opinions and everyone won’t like this new step, or feel that it is necessary or that I am doing it for the “right” reasons, the truth is I am fine with the criticism. Opinions are just that, opinions…well until we empower them and give them way more weight than they deserve. I respect the opinions that my family, friends and even colleagues will convey in this process, good or bad, but at the same time, I understand that this is a personal decision (well, personal to my husband and I). As far as professionalism is concerned, I have researched and found that locs can be worn professionally and in fact, they are worn professionally by many men and women in our workforce.

As for the timing of it all, I think now is the time because I have definitely slowed down on the manipulation to my hair. I find myself less anxious to try every new style that I see and change my hair very often. This change in my routine and hair habit will definitely be handy in the beginning stages.

Lastly ladies, I am nervous lol. I would not be fully honest if I said I am fully confident that I want to do this. I have bouts of nervousness that I counter by looking at pictured of mature locs that I like. The process is endearing and I wonder if I won’t take them down in a month. Whether my locs make it to maturity or I remove them in a month (not the goal here), I know that I am going to try.

The date is tomorrow, Monday, April 30th. The place N Natural Hair Studio. The stylist, Angela Walker. We spoke tonight about this decision and my appointment tomorrow afternoon and I got off the phone feeling very comfortable with her expertise, personality and ability to help me through this next step. I am ready to have fun with this next move. Stay tuned! I am excited and eagerly nervous :)

   

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Oh Goodness, It Has Been Too Long

by Fleurzty on April 6, 2012

Hi Readers (covering face),

It has been so long since my last post that I literally covered my face when I started typing. I have been well, and the family is doing well also. Ty is growing and turning into a big, opinionated boy. Hr had his fourth birthday in March and the hubby and I celebrated our seventh anniversary in March as well. How time flies? After this long hiatus, you would think that I have lots of hair pictures to show and styles to share, but not at all. In fact, my hair has been almost in the same style as when I last posted: a wash and go. The wash ‘n go has been my staple style lately. I have had very little desire to play with my hair. I have been going the easy route while focusing on everything else I have going on.

I did change my hair up however for our anniversary. I wore my hair in a dry twist-out. The twists were done on slightly dampened hair. You can also see the red from the lush caca brun henna in the sun. I only did the application twice to get rid of the lighter color I had in my hair, but the stain is definitely present.

I started the day with my twistouts looking like the picture above, but as the day progressed, my natural hair did what it does best: EXPAND :) . I am so glad that I have learned that my hair is not always compliant and that changes in its appearance does not signal a problem, or failed hairstyle.

The red really shows in this picture. Although caca brun is supposed to leave a darker stain, in the sun, it shows the same henna reddish color.

   

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Wash ‘n Go Day

by Fleurzty on January 29, 2012

As my hair gets longer, my wash ‘n go is getting bigger. It is at the perfect length for wash ‘n gos as well, since it is starting to hang a little more but is not long enough yet to simply stretch without much of a curl definition.

   

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Last Two Weeks in Hair

by Fleurzty on January 29, 2012

I have been meaning to post these, but did not get around to it.

The Afro

After lip gloss and fixing my eyebrows :)

The Twistouts

Large twistouts on Day 1~ I did 8 big twists and let them dry overnight


He has a full big boy hair cut now

Hair on Day 2 and following


   

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Afro Loving Video

January 16, 2012 Fleurzty TV

I often say that the best styles happen accidentally. This held true this past week. After the bantu knots I last recorded for a week, I knew I had to begin the tangle removal process manually before wetting my hair. I typically detangle my hair with conditioner added, but I was once given a hair-saving [...]

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Vintage Do from an Old Bantu Knot

January 8, 2012 My Hair Musings

I found this lovely picture of my aunt and wanted to recreate the style. She took the picture in 1966, the year she passed away at only 19. The few pictures that the family still has of her of part of how we preserve her memory. Lucky me, I ended up with a picture of [...]

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Bantu Knot Out Style, Pics and Video

January 5, 2012 Fleurzty TV

I had every intention to do a vintage style by now, the fourth day of the year, but it did not quite work out that way. I stretched my hair in a dry bantu knot out but I decided instead that I would wear a bantu knot-out again. The second time I did the style [...]

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Jojo’s Curls

January 3, 2012 Natural Journeys

How long have you been natural? I’ve been natural for about 2 years. What is your absolute favorite part of wearing natural hair? My favorite part about being natural would have to be the countless # of styles 99% of the time(especially for a woman who loves to change it up often) and the 1% [...]

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Happy New Year 2012

January 1, 2012 General

Happy New Year! Every new year presents a unique opportunity, to either continue on a successful path or wake up to our inadequacies and improve ourselves. Quite frankly, all of us can stand to improve in an area or another. Make the best of 2012 and remember that lasting changes happen over time. Best wishes [...]

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