It took me almost four years of having locs for me to realize that locs aren’t meant to be perfect. However, in the sisterlocks world, that’s the aesthetic they sell and that’s what you become obsessed with. When I realized that sisterlocks weren’t for me, my view on locs changed drastically.
Sisterlocks were designed to look like loose natural hair. Hair that could be curled, styled and worn like loose hair and still “look professional.” Professional to whom? We have to get away from this notion that our natural hair isn’t professional for the corporate world. Who says that thicker traditional locs aren’t professional? One woman made her idea and opinion on locs a rule and standard that black professional women should live by and it took off like wild fire. Some women use having sisterlocks as a status symbol because they cost so much to have installed.
Why are we as black women using our hair to look down at other black women? Are we really basing our worth on how much money we spent to get teeny tiny locs? I never understood this. I get the concept of sisterlocks. It’s a hairstyle that gives you a lot of options and versatility. It works for the corporate career woman who wants to give the appearance of looking professional by having these tiny, neat locs. But sisterlocks aren’t the standard for professional locs in my opinion.
Disclaimer: I’m not here to bash sisterlocks. They are beautiful and they work for a lot of women who have them. They just didn’t work for me.
If you follow my blog you know my story. I got sisterlocks in 2018. About six months into my journey I realized that I don’t like these tiny locs. I should’ve gotten traditional locs. In 2019 covid hit and the world shut down. I had already been thinking about combining my locs but covid made me go ahead with my decision. After combining my locs I continued to have them interlocked for about a year until I decided to have them twisted/palm rolled in late 2021.
With that said, my locs are not uniform in size. There is no grid or parting system that I adhere to. I have combined my locs many times because of size preference and to address some thinning locs. My roots are bushy with new growth after I wash my hair or when I need a retie. I love the fullness and thickness of my now bigger locs and my roots. None of these facts mean I have inferior, ugly or unprofessional locs. I’ve watched interviews of Jamaicans and other islanders who have locs and they all say that locs aren’t supposed to be neat or perfect – that’s an American concept. They also don’t understand the obsession of seeing your scalp or grid. Thick roots are beautiful to them. It’s a sign of healthy hair. They feel locs are supposed to be unique and have character and thick or bushy roots are nothing to be ashamed of.
Once you start to embrace your natural self, your natural hair included, you’ll start loving what you see in the mirror. You will come to realize that what you see in the reflection is enough. Your natural self is professional, beautiful and worthy. If your locs aren’t perfect and uniform that’s okay! There are so many ways we can style our hair, and if you don’t want to style your hair that’s okay too. My locs have gone through many changes within the past four years and I’m proud of how they look. I’m proud of how they’ve grown and matured. And I’m extremely happy that they aren’t perfect because I’m not a person that’s obsessed with perfection.
Not everyone feels the way I do about locs, and that’s okay. I think black women put so much undue pressure on themselves when it comes to our hair without even realizing it. This is not a competition about who spent the most money on their hair, especially when you can achieve the same look (doing it yourself or paying someone else for much cheaper) using braids or twists and no one would be the wiser! No one should be sitting in judgement over which style of locs is better. No matter how you start your locs, how much money was spent (if any), or if you have a grid or not, your locs are beautiful. Locs aren’t meant to be perfect.
Going Back to my Natural Roots 