I got locs!!!!! And honestly, this is like the best decision I have ever made as it relates to my hair!! I am so liberated!!!! For those of you thinking about whether you should loc up or not, it is completely understandable as it is a life changing event. I have been thinking about getting my hair loc’d for quite some time, but I have been so afraid to do it. I finally stepped past my fears about getting loc’d and moved forward! I was back and forth in between whether I should get regular dreadlocks or sisterlocks. I will tell you that it all depends on what you want and what will work best for you and best for your career. So, here’s a few truths about sisterlocks that I have discovered in my first month of being loc’d. I hope that this will give you some insight on sisterlocks. I’m only on my first month, so I promise to keep you updated on my loc journey!!!!!

TRUTH #1: THE INSTALLATION TAKES FOREVER. If you have heard people tell you that sisterlocks take forever to get installed, it is the stone cold truth. And if it doesn’t take you long, I question the quality of your part grid and I question the quality of your outcome. Any loctician who takes his or her time putting them in will take a long time…especially if you have a lot of hair. And let’s not even begin on shoulder length or long hair! However, just because they take a long time to install, doesn’t mean that they will take hours to maintain. Sisterlocks are low maintenance after you get them installed. So, think of it as paying the cost for something extremely valuable in the long run. Mine took me a total of 14 hours. I went in at 9:30am and came out at 11:00pm at night. But, to tell you the truth, I enjoyed every bit of it. Every single hour is a special part of your loc journey process.

TRUTH #2: THEY ARE SO EASY TO MAINTAIN. With sisterlocs, you don’t have to go get your hair done every week. They simply don’t require it. At most you may have to go once every two months…They are so easy to maintain!!!! You will love them. So if you are thinking about sisterlocs because you heard they are easy, you are thinking right! You don’t need product. When you have sisterlocs, they grow longer and stronger without product. As a matter of fact, you won’t have to put anything on your locs the first 2 1/2 to 3 months! All you will need to do is put a stocking cap on, go to sleep, wake up and shake it out! Most locticians will want you to do absolutely nothing to your sisterlocs when you first get them.

TRUTH #3: THEY ARE VERSATILE. Yes, you can do anything with sisterlocsks! Wear them up. Wear them down. Pull them back. Pin them up. Braid them. Twist them. Curl them. They are much more versatile than dreadlocks. So, if you are looking for versatility, sisterlocks would most definitely be your choice. You can also put a wig over them, a sew-in over them as well as box braids! Oh, and you can even color them!!!!! You can do whatever it is that you want to do.

TRUTH #4: YOU CAN’T GO BACK. Once you start them, you have to make sure that they are exactly what you want. When you are locked at the root, it makes it very difficult to take them out without cutting your hair extremely short. So, know that if you start them, you will have to stick with them. There’s not much you can do to take them out after they start locking. But if you want them as bad as I did, you’ll get them with the intent of keeping them. But, do know, that if you want to take them out, you can, you will just have to cut them out. But don’t be discouraged by this. You can always grow your hair back out and start over. You’re not “locked” in if you know what I mean. No pun intended! 🙂

TRUTH #5: THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. Unfortunately, this is so true. They are very expensive because they are labor intensive. They literally take hours, sometimes even days to install. But if you think of it as an investment, it’s not so bad. Think of it as if you are investing in your hair like you invested in that new car. It’s the same thing. As an African-American woman, our hair is truly worth time and investments. We spend so much money on so many other things so it’s not really an excuse. It’s all about what you want. So, be careful criticizing those who decided to invest in their hair. They just chose to invest in something different than you. We’re all different. Respect your sister’s differences.

TRUTH #6: THEY DON’T TANGLE. As much as you would think that they would because of their size, they don’t. A simple “run through” with fingers (just like you would with your unlocked hair) will work wonders. They’re not as tedious as you might think they are.

TRUTH #7: THEY GROW LIKE CRAZY. When you lock your hair in sisterlocs, they grow like crazy because you aren’t doing anything to them. You aren’t using heat. You are using brushes and combs. You aren’t using a whole bunch of products. You are simply leaving your hair alone and letting it be. And to be honest, if we did this more, our hair would grow much stronger, longer and faster. Sisterlocks have the ability to grow down your back to your waist if you let them. It’s all up to you and how long you want them.

TRUTH #8: YOU DON’T HAVE TO START IN THE “UGLY” STAGE. So, this is what many of you are worried about and perhaps I should have made it the #1 truth just in case you didn’t make it down this far. If you don’t want to start in the “ugly” stage, guess what, you don’t have to! There is such a thing as loc extensions. You can get dreadlock extensions, microloc extensions, and sisterlock extensions!!! Yes, there are some talented locticians out there who can place extensions on your sisterlocks if you don’t feel comfortable with starting your loc journey in the so called “ugly” stage.

I hope this helps you ladies out there….I know many of you are considering locs now that the pandemic has hit. You want something low maintenace. You are tired of weave. You are tired of going through ups and downs with your hair. You’re tired of buying products. You are tired of heat and chemical damage. Girl- I feel you!!!!!!!! So if you are interested in getting a loc of any type, I suggest speaking with a loctician and getting a consultation.

Got locs? Are you on a loc journey? Are you thinking about joining the loc community? Please share your loc journey and help a sister out! They just might be able to learn from you. Remember that everybody’s loc journey is different. Your loc journey will be your own loc journey. Some journeys are longer than others. Whatever you journey, embrace it. And don’t for one second worry about what someone else is going to think!!!!!!! It’s your hair. Do you girl.

Thank you guys for stopping by and joining us…We absolutely love connecting with all of you!!! If you haven’t joined us already, be sure to join us by following our FB page! We’d love to have you!!!! Thank you for helping us help others to #GetPhreedUp. You guys are amazing…We love you!