Rethinking Sisterlocks Part II: The Final Decision

The moment of truth has arrived. After all of my research, asking questions, watching a million YouTube videos about other women’s loc journey or sisterlocks journey, researching other loc options, having a change in financial circumstances* and going to a consultation, I’ve decided to get sisterlocks.

Too much youtube

First, I want to say that there is such a thing as watching too much YouTube. I let other people’s experiences and price quotes scare me into thinking that I wouldn’t be able to afford sisterlocks for the long haul. Yes, they are an investment, however, the price range varies depending on where you live, the length of your hair, and your hair type. The same is true for the price of retightening.

The consultant I chose is a certified sisterlocks consultant with over ten years of experience. I found her on the Sisterlocks website, and she was also highly recommended by a YouTuber. I found her Instagram page and followed her and was able to see her work. She has hundreds of photos posted, and I liked what I saw. Her work was neat and clean and her clients were always happy. I wish more consultants would post photos of their work because that is a huge factor for me when it comes to choosing who to have a consultation with.

We clicked

When we met, we clicked right away. First off, her shop was very neat and clean and I felt comfortable right away. She was kind, professional, and very engaging when it came to me, my hair health, my overall health, and my reasons for wanting locs or sisterlocks. (I informed her that I wasn’t just interested in sisterlocks and that I was exploring other loc options as well.) She explained everything thoroughly, answered all of my questions and took the time to explain to me whatever it was I didn’t understand such as what interlocking was and the difference between that and sisterlocks. We discussed other loc forms and what all they entail as far as how they are installed, how often they need to be retightened, etc. She also shared with me her loc journey, which was quite interesting. My consultation with her lasted almost two hours, and it was time well spent. When she gave me my price for establishing my sisterlocks, the price made sense. Of course, I had hoped it would have been a little less, but I was okay with it since I was informed of what all factors into the price. Her retightening fee is a flat fee, she does not charge by the hour, and it’s a very reasonable fee.

Educating instead of pushing a sell

I appreciated the fact that she was more interested in educating than selling me on getting sisterlocks or any kind of locs for that matter. She did not pressure me to make an immediate decision. She installed my test locs so fast I was amazed, and I immediately fell in love with them. Everything she quoted me she put in writing and gave me a copy of all the paperwork and a receipt for my consultation fee. She also informed me that even if I wait months down the line to get sisterlocks, her quote will stay the same unless my hair grows five more inches.  She assured me that she does not flip-flop on her price quotes, which is why she puts it in writing for her clients or potential clients.

observing my hair type and choosing my loc size

Speaking of my hair, as instructed, I showed up with freshly washed, air-dried hair with no conditioner or product in it. When she measured my hair, it was between 6-7 1/2 inches in certain areas, and she went with 7 inches. My consultant said I have the “Gold Mine” hair for sisterlocks or locs in general because of its coarseness and thickness and it’s ability to loc at a faster pace. I have 4c hair and a lot of it. She also determined that having the micro sisterlocks would not be best for me because I’d end up with too many of them because I have so much hair.

I knew right away

After my consultation, I discussed her fee with my husband, and after sleeping on it, I knew I wanted her to do my installation. I know it’s highly recommended to go to at least two consultations, and I did have a second one on my list in case the first one didn’t work out, but I knew what I wanted after the first consultation.

The next day I contacted my consultant and we scheduled my installation for November 16th. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this new journey!! I. Am. Ready.

*The change in financial circumstances was hubby and I postponed a trip he and I were going to take in November until a later date due to an unexpected family emergency.  It’s something how quickly circumstances and plans can change.

Can We Talk About Your Loc Journey?

The other day I stopped a woman named Sarah who is a Fed Ex driver who had started her loc journey this spring. She’s made deliveries to my job about two or three times before, and she’s always very nice, so I stopped her and asked her about her journey. We only spoke for about five minutes before she had to leave and get to her next stop, but let me tell you, what she shared with me was quite powerful. Here are some things I was able to take away from our short conversation:

Sarah’s loc journey

• Her loc journey started in May of this year. Her hair texture is fine and very soft, so the locking process is taking a bit of time. I believe her locs were started with two-strand twists.
• She struggled big time with the shrinkage. Her short locs made her feel unpretty (cue in TLC’s song). Wearing makeup usually made her feel better, but because of the nature of her job, she doesn’t wear a full face of makeup because she’d sweat it off.  However, the shortness of her hair bothered her so much that she wore wigs over her locs for a long time until her locs started to grow. I’ve learned that a lot of women wear wigs or weaves because they can’t deal with the shortness of their locs in the beginning. They don’t feel pretty. I actually started to get tears in my eyes when she shared this with me!
• She was so bothered by not feeling feminine or pretty that she started to see a therapist. That revelation took me back. This hair thing us women and girls go through is deep. I’m glad she sought help so she can regain her self-confidence. (I’m sure other issues were at play that contributed to her feeling unattractive, but that’s none of my business.)
• She had considered sisterlocks, but the price was simply too much for her. She kept her mind open to other forms of locs, and she now has medium-sized locs that are cute and growing! She also dyed her locs a burgundy color.
• Despite having a hard time with how she looked with short locs, she said she does not regret getting them for a single second. They are convenient for her and her lifestyle and she’s committed to the journey.

It’s more than just hair

The relationship women have with their hair is very deep. I was not expecting my conversation with Sarah to get so deep and personal, but I’m glad she felt comfortable enough to share her journey with me. It’s not often that we discuss our personal struggles with our hair no matter if it’s relaxed, natural or locked. Our hair is tied to so many things – memories, emotions, self-esteem, self-love, or lack thereof. So when you see a woman or a young girl get emotional about their hair, it’s for a reason. You can’t just say “Get over it, it’s just hair.” Many times it goes much deeper for some of us, and we need to respect and try to understand that.

It’s not that deep

During my obsession with sisterlocks and locs in general, I’ve also learned that for some men and women, their loc journey is of a spiritual nature. That is not the case for me. Last night I watched a very honest and funny YouTube video from a vlogger who was sharing her loc journey and why she chose micro locs. She related how people would ask her if she was on some spiritual journey with deciding to get locs and she said “No, it’s not that deep. I’m a lazy natural and this is what works for me. The end.” In a nutshell, she described me. I’m not knocking those who are on a spiritual journey with their locs, but my reasons are about sheer convenience. And I like how beautiful and versatile locs or sisterlocks can be.

locs here, locs there, locs everywhere!

It seems as though that now that I’m seriously considering locs or sisterlocks, I’m noticing more and more women with them. I think I’m subconsciously looking for them, LOL! I felt this way before I went natural. I was noticing so many women sporting their natural hair and I would stop them to tell them how beautiful their hair was. I look forward to having more random loc conversations.

Rethinking Sisterlocks

Listen. I am obsessed about sisterlocks. O B S E S S E D. When I’m obsessed about something, I will do a ton of research and dig and dig for information about the subject. One thing I keep circling back to…no, the one thing that keeps slapping me in the face, is the cost of sisterlocks. Everyone who has them says how they are so worth it, however, it’s not just the cost of the installation that’s giving me heart palpitations. It’s also the cost of the upkeep.

Do the math

You can easily have to drop $500 – $1,000+ on the installation (or establishment) of sisterlocks (depending on the length of your hair), and then drop $50-$100+ on retightening sessions that you must have every 4-6 weeks, depending on what is recommended by your consultant. And that cost is based on how much they charge per hour for your retightening, i.e. $25 per hour or if they only charge a flat fee. So really, the hit to your wallet doesn’t end with the cost of the installation. Yet, I continued to convince myself that I could make it work, that I could somehow fit this into our budget and everything would be okay.  But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t true.

When I factored in our annual spring break vacation with the kids, me and my husband’s anniversary trip, and another short trip he and I will be taking shortly, I wouldn’t be able to fit sisterlocks into my budget until late 2019 – and that’s if nothing unexpected comes up. You can’t predict unforeseen circumstances, but I like to have money saved to deal with those situations as they arise. Anyway,  I now see why so many women who have sisterlocks take the class to learn how to retighten them themselves. They are trying to save money!

There’s still hope

While my dreams are crushed, I haven’t lost all hope.  I’ve been researching micro locs. They are still small, they are just as beautiful, and for the most part cheaper than sisterlocks. It’s hard to find pricing online, but I did come across one business who had their prices laid out on their website based on hair length, and it was pretty ridiculous because if you have over 5 inches of hair, you’ll end up paying the same price as you would for sisterlocks! I know prices vary depending on the loctician and location, so I continued to search elsewhere. I’ve already contacted a person about setting up a consultation so I can get a better understanding of the difference between micro locs and sisterlocks, and more importantly, see what the pricing differences are.

Getting what I can afford

The bottom line for me is I want locs, but I also want what I can afford and can keep up with. So if sisterlocks aren’t in my budget, then I want the next best thing or the next size up, be it micro locs or traditional. I know this is a lifestyle change and I’m more than ready for it. I’m over my loose natural hair. OVER IT. I love my afro, and yes I’ll miss rocking it. But I also hate the maintenance and upkeep of it. Every night or every other night I have to do something to my hair – twist it, plait it, braid it. Moisturize it. It’s like having a baby! And no, I don’t think that locs will be a cake walk. I know there’s work involved and a whole new way that I’ll have to care for my hair, but I do know that it’ll be much easier than caring for my loose natural hair.

Talk to me y’all. Do you have locs? What kind do you have? Do you have sisterlocks,  micro locs or something in between? What has your experience been like? Leave a comment below!

xoxo