Loc'd & Load'd, ALMOST 1 YEAR!!

Wow!! I am fastly approaching the one year mark and what a journey it has been. I'll be one year officially in late March 2010!!!! :-) As I continue to come to grips with this beautiful, new look and new view of life, I am still learning alot about myself and the people around me.

There have been some down days but a whole ton of UP days. I love my locs. I never thought I could ever do this and I did......I am! It took some getting used to, not just for my family and friends but for me too. I really didn't think I would make it this far. Several times, especially when my hair started breaking off in the back (see the Ugliness of Eczema), I thought I would just chop it all off and go back to wigs/weaves. But I didn't and I wore my super dry hair with pride. Spending so much less time on hair has allowed me to really see who I am and still feel beautiful even when I dont necessarily think I look beautiful. The last time I wore anything remotely artificial on my head was in Sept 2008 for one of my closest friend's wedding, this was pre-locs, post-natural....I was still battling with the natural look.

I've had crazy looks from family members and crazy comments from men. Other than my 2 male friends with locs, the only other man that was in love with them was a white man!! Get that! lol I mean, how do you respond when a black man asks you "what are you trying to gain from wearing locs" or "will you ever go back to wearing weaves if your man asks you to". Uhhhh.....NO!

I never really thought of my locs or any of the hairstyles I wore previously as a plan to "gain" something. Not to say that I haven't, because I definitely have gained alot spiritually and mentally from my current choice of hairstyle, but that is not my reason for doing it. I just wanted a change and that change has turned into a journey that I want to continue on for years and years to come. Futhermore, I AM my hair and loving me means loving the coiled follicles attached to my body. I love this look and am anxious to see how my 2 yr, 5 yr, 10 year journey continues!!

Love Ya'll

Loc Extensions??

Well, I've been watching a few vids on youtube about loc extensions. Now, the first time I saw anything about loc extensions, they kinda looked just like silky dreads...a look I definitely do NOT want for my locs. It would be quite obvious that they are extensions if so. However, the loc extensions that they have out now look just like real locs! I dont know why I want them, I guess I'm just being impatient. I want to wake up one morning and have these long gorgeous locs....or maybe I'm so used to being able to change my hair with weaves that I just haven't adjusted to this length or being limited. I love going through all the stages of locdom...the buds, the frizzies, latching too tight, latching too loose, trial and error with different products. Its a very interesting journey to say the least. But Jeez, I want some length!!! NOW!! Loc Extensions? or Should I just wait it out?? **sigh**

Good Hair Day ..finally :-)

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New fav' products!!

Ok, so I love love love these products: Coconut Papaya All Natural Shampoo by Nubian Heritage; Shea Butter Plus Moisturizer and Horsetail & Rosemary Hair Vitalizer by Organics Africa's Best, and Intensive Moisturizing Conditioner by Pantene Pro-V's Relaxed & Natural line. Both of the products by Organics are mineral oil and petrolatum free! I use the Shea Butter Plus to Moisturize my scalp after shampooing or co-washing, and a few time during the week. I use the Horsetail & Rosemary on my locs, not my scalp, for daily conditioning/strengthening. They both work very well, especially the Shea Butter Plus...again because of my eczema the richness relieves and prevents outbreaks. The Coconut Papaya shampoo is very rich as well, but i don't shampoo my hair that often to prevent stripping alot of the natural moisture out of my hair. I still love the shampoo! It cleans very well and I haven't seen any residue after washing! Love it! I like Pantene's conditioner, i use it in between shampoos to co-wash and it does the trick. However it's not as rich as I would like, but it locks in the moisture for the most part. I plan on trying Nubian Heritage's all natural conditioner, which may work better for my hair.
So, are your favorite products??

Going With The FLOW

One of the best parts about wearing my hair naturally is showering!! Showering without worrying about keeping my hair from getting wet...actually, Preferring to get my hair wet! I love it! Letting the water flow thru every follicle...another beautiful moment of FREEDOM! I'm so glad that my hair is locked now, except the little babies in the back that are always unraveling. In the beginning, I still couldn't get my hair wet very often...yes, even us "latchers" have to worry about unraveling. But its been a little over 6 months now, so I'm good to go. When the babies in the back slip a little, I just grab my latch hook and tighten them up a little...not too tight because my hair easily breaks. I also would NOT recommend washing your hair/soaking your hair with water every day because it strips alot of the natural moisture out. Even when I "go with the flow", I condition my hair and rinse before getting out. Another tip, do not wrap your hair while it is still wet...it can cause molding from the inside of your locs. ewwwwwww. Air drying works best for me!
So now, I'm debating on getting a rainshower shower head. :-)

Brown Paper Bag + Locs = Cute Curls!!!

Yeah, I did it! So what! Lol Last night, I reached back into my goodie bag, took all the goodies out and ripped the bag into little pieces to roll my hair. LOL something I had seen my mom do on many occasions as a little girl. I thought it was hilarious, didn’t think it would actually work. So I tried it, mainly because my locs aren’t long enough for the kinds of curls I want right now soooooooooo….paper bag was the next best thing. It worked!! A few in the back fell out already because I used my water & evo spritzer this morning, but overall it turned out pretty cute. You should try it! :-)

my fav lil bra strap! lol

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