One woman who works in my building stopped me in the hallway and told me how pretty my braids were. I explained that they're not braids, they're the beginning stage of my locks. She was very impressed and said she had always wanted to go natural but never had the guts.  Since then she always stops me whenever she sees me so she can check out my hair and see how it's changing.  She loves it almost as much as I do! Who knows.. I may have started something in my workplace. :-)

During the first couple of weeks I needed to use the Sisterlocks moisturizer liberally on my scalp twice a week to keep the itch away.  This stuff seems to calm my scalp, and I love the smell!  After the first couple of weeks, though, I didn't need to use it as much.  I moisturize once a week now.  I don't have an itching problem or dryness problem at all anymore. We'll see what the Michigan winter will have to say about that. 

Week one pictures were taken by a co-worker.  I used sponge rollers with end papers and a little gel on the permed ends.  Not bad.  I've since learned that I shouldn't use sponge rollers or end papers.  Gotta make a run to the hair store for those rubber rods.

I didn't take any pictures the second week because I didn't see any noticeable difference in my hair.

Week three:  I washed my hair for the first time, braiding it in bunches and banding it as I was instructed. I also used Ebene Naturals herbal rinse and the Sisterlocks moisturizer.  These pictures were taken four days after shampooing and two days after setting with sponge rollers (still haven't purchased those perm rods) and plain water. Actually I sprayed water on my hair, braided small bunches of locks, and then rolled the braids.  It's kind of a crinkly look, but you can't see it very clearly in the pictures.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE Sisterlocks?

No pictures for week five.

This is what it looks like now (8/30/00).  This picture doesn't really show my hair very well, but my 5-year-old grandson Brandon looks so cute that I just had to add this one. I had my locks retightened a couple of days before this picture was taken. Still not doing much in the way of styling, as I was told not to manipulate it very much for the first couple of months. This 'do is the result of washing, moisturizing, and air-drying.
 

More week six. These pictures were taken on September 1st. They aren't centered properly, have bad backrounds, etc.  But I think they show the hair very well. This style was done with pincurls. I sprayed water on my hair, braided the locks, rolled them in a circle down to my scalp, and then pinned the curls down with hairpins.

See ya in a few weeks!