Happy 4th Sisterlock Anniversary to me!

Today marks the 4th anniversary of being locked.  Here's a look back over the last 4 years.

Test locks put in a couple of weeks before installation November 2008

Day 1 - November 28, 2008

Locks at 6 Months

Locks at 1 year

Locks at 1.5 years

Locks at 2 years

Locks at 2.5 years

Locks at 3 years

Locks at 3.5 years

Locks at 4 years

Happy 3 Year Anniversary!

Tomorrow will make three years since my locks were installed.  The three years have passed by remarkably quickly, with very few bad hair days during the period.  I still get compliments on my hair, and I still have no regrets about my decision to get locks.

I only wish I knew how to style my hair with a greater variety of styles. There is a lot of information available on the internet, including some very useful Youtube tutorials, but I guess I just have not taken the time to learn.  All in good time.

I wash my hair once a week with White Rain Shampoo, and I condition with Pantene or Redken Smooth Down Butter Treat Conditioner.  These thick creamy conditioners are not usually recommended for locks, and with good reason.  If you don't wash the conditioner out properly you can get buildup in your locks.  So I am very careful about rinsing the conditioner out, but it is worth it, because these conditioners make my hair feel so good.

Locks at day 1

Locks at Year 3

2nd Anniversary

At the end of November I quietly celebrated my 2nd anniversary of lockdom. After two years, I still have no regrets.  With each passing month, and with every inch of growth, it just gets better and better.  I am really enjoying my hair.  Even when I have not had a chance to wash and style it, I am still able to have a nice looking style, thanks to hair ties and hair bands. 

This was also a time that was tinged with sadness, as the wonderful lady who first installed my locks two years ago died. She was in and out of hospital for months, which is why I had to switch to another consultant.  She sadly succumbed to her illness.  May her soul rest in peace.  I would still call her from time to time, and have a chit chat with her. She was still interested in the progress of my hair, and was always asking if my new consultant was caring for my hair properly.  I assured her that my hair is fine.  I will miss her.

Here is a picture taken in my car, with my phone, during a rare moment of idleness.  I just washed and set my hair on soft spikes last night.  The curls are still quite tight.  As the week progresses, the curls will relax.

22 Months

Today is my 22 month anniversary of lockdom.  I am still happy with my decision to get locks and so far I have had no regrets. In fact, I think that I am now more or less over the more difficult, early part of the lock journey. Getting through this tough stage was a learning experience for me and I think I am a stronger, more confident person for having gone through it.


For a couple of months I have been feeling like my hair has not been growing much.  Maybe I am mistaken, or maybe not.  Perhaps the rate of growth has slowed down a bit. On the other hand, my hair has become immensely annoying at night, when it gets in my face while I sleep. Ha! I didn't think I would ever live long enough to say that!  One thing that pleases me is that I can now do an up-do using a hair band.

 The up-do looks nicer when my hair is curled, but it works out just fine even when my hair is not curled.  Finally, some versatility!!

Here is a picture of just-curled hair. This was taken just before my re-tightening. You can see lots of new growth at the front.

Right now I have a dry, scaly patch of scalp at the front of my head.  I am not quite sure why this is happening, and I am not sure what to do about it.  Maybe I will try some dandruff shampoo. Can anyone recommend anything will be easy to wash out and that wont get stuck in my locks?

Happy Anniversary to me!

Today marks my one year lock anniversary.  I find it hard to believe that one year has passed so quickly. How does this past hair-year compare to the times when I had my hair relaxed?  Well, I have had very few bad hair days, I have had far less anxiety about hair dryness and breakage, and I have not spent that much money on hair products.  On the other hand, I have spent a small fortune getting the locks installed and maintained each month.  Do I think it is worth it?  Absolutely.  I think my monthly costs can be reduced if I do some retightening myself on a regular basis. I am seriously thinking about doing the retightening class when it is conducted in Jamaica next year.