Hello!

First of all, let me give thanks to the Creator for my hair and a chance to share what it was like for me in the world of conformity.

I am a HUGE Maxwell fan.  I dug his muszic from the start and when I finally got the Urban Hang Suite CD, I instantly dug his look as well.  To say the least, the Man is gorgeous!!!  I finally got a chance to see this brother in person at a concert in Atlanta, GA in the summer of 1997.  I was in complete and utter awe!  And, if you have ever seen him in person, you know that his hair is one of the most spectacular things about him.  When I saw it, all I could think of was how free and alive and unrestricted his hair was.  It was a flowing mane of freedom!

I had all ready been considering changing back to natural hair.  Lord knows when the last time I sported a natural 'do.  Was it a sporty 'fro or cornrows?  But after seeing Maxwell's hair in all of it's natural glory, I was convinced that I had to do any and everything to get that chemical out
of my hair and free myself from my world of conformity.  When I got home, I contacted a Sister that I work with who had long and flowing natural hair. She gave me the phone number to her Natural Hair Specialist (a term I use for the wonderful art and sister-bonding that goes on in her presence). 

I called and set up an appointment to have my hair analyzed.  At that time I had about 3/4 to an inch of new growth under my relaxer.  The Sister told me that I would have to let it grow out a little more or cut it now and wait also until I had at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches of new growth.  I tell you, after seeing the beauty of Maxwell's hair, I was ready for my hair to be just as natural and beautiful as his.  So I cut the perm from my hair and waited about 30 to 45 days before I was able to schedule for the locking process.

And what process!!  At the time, my loc specialist had not been certified in Sisterlocks, so she started my out with very small, thin braids.  The texture of my hair at the time was soft and fine, but I have a head full.  I ended up with over 300 little sprouts all over my head.  Oh, they were cute to some, but when I got home and looked in the mirror - !  have you ever seen those shows on television where they show a burned down forrest and all that is left are little black twigs of trees?  Well that is what my head looked like to me!!  I was in total shock!!  I am ashamed to say now, 3 years later, that I hid my head for a week.  I didn't go to work for about 4 days, I wore a hat when I had to go out, I even tried to take the tiny little braids out!!  They were so small and tight, I couldn't get them all out. I finally went back and let the Sister rebraid what I did get loose and vowed to go through with this journey.

Three years and lots of stares later - I have a head full of what most people that know a little sumthin' sumthin' think are Sisterlocks. But in reality, I have a head full of lovely, natural, very thin dread locs.  And I love it!!!  I often look in the mirror today and love my hair so much that I
call my Hair Specialist and tell her I love her, too!!  As crazy as that sounds, she really appreciates it and so do I. 

Today, there is nothing that anyone could tell me about my hair.  It is the most freedom that I have today.  With the help of my Hair specialist, I have learned to appreciate my hair as it's own entity.  On the days when it wants to do what it wants to do, I let it!  I don't have a problem with it today.  In the beginning, the looks and stares got to me a little.  It's a shame to say that a lot of it came from my own kind, but I let them know that it was their way of thinking that needed to be changed and not my hair.  One doctor I work with said that it reminded him of growing up in the south and seeing the women with hair that they couldn't manage, wrapped in a scarf.  Another co-worker said that he remembered the days when my short, braids would have been called pickaninnies.  My own mother even made a comment that I was the one that had chosen to look like a jig-a-boo!!!  I was crushed, but I was not defeated. I knew what I wanted and what my hair needed.  So I stayed with it and I am glad that I did!!

Here is a photo of me this past November on a cruise.  My hair is longer now and continues to grow and amaze me!  It struck me funny when I saw the island women making money off our blue-eyed sisters to have their hair braided to look like ours!!

Peace and Love, and Thanks again for this wonderful outlet for our wonderful hair!!!

Monica M.

Click here to e-mail Monica.

Hello All!!
 
This is a quick update on my 'journey back to nature', so to speak.
 
I have received a lot of emails from some of you who are interested in my story and have come to me for some questions and answers about dreads, locs and SisterLocks.  I hope my story and the answers I am able to give have helped you on your own personal journeys 'back to nature.'
 
I am still in love with this process.  I have continued to receive nothing but compliments and praise for my courage and strength through this journey.  I still see the same Natural Hair Specialist and my hair has never been better or more beautiful.  I would just like to update the photos really, as best I can, to show you that my journey has been and continues to be very successful.  
 
Some people have asked me about losing locs when they are so thin, as SisterLocks often are.(*See note below.)  Though, as I have explained before, my locs are not the traditional SisterLocks, I have lost a couple locs over the past year.   I just hang on to them and have them replaced; actually sewn back into my hair.  This has only happened twice and sure, it was a little frightening.  I guess it always is when you lose hair.  But with locs being the way they are, loss is very easily remedied.  I actually cut one of the locs off at the nape of my neck because it was full of lint.  But I came to realize that because I wear head bands a lot, that is what was causing the lint and that it did not indicate that my hair was dirty, as some people would think. (**See note below.) But I also saved that loc and had it sewn back as stated.  The lint, if it bothers you, can be covered with hair dye.That is why you see a lot of locs with red or blond tips, because some folk couldn't stand the lint when the hair was growing out.  The hair does not seem to gather as much lint once it gets longer and is worn up or in different styles.  Plus, since you don't have to apply hair grease or pomade as you do with perms or hot combs, the hair does not attract as much lint or even dirt and dust from the air.
 
I hope my story and the stories of others helps to convince more and more people that natural is better.  The photos below are some three years since the last photo of my hair.  I have trimmed the top and a little off the sides and back.  But with the rate of growth, approximately a half-inch per month, I barely missed it.  I mainly only trim or plan to trim to maintain the continuity of the loc size.  The ends tend to get a little bushy at times but that can be controlled with re-twisting or braiding or braiding the locs together to create a wave pattern.  This works best after washing then braiding the hair while wet.
 
The first photos are from February, 2002.  I tried to lighten the first one to better show the length.  The second photo, I just happened to to be caught in from the back but it demonstrates the length and flow as well.  The third photo is of my nephew and I on a cruise last summer.  It was taken at a small port in Tortola, BVI. 
 
Peace, Love and God Bless - Monica  
 
 

* Note from Sandy: Because of the Sisterlocks method of parting and locking, when properly maintained, Sisterlocks do not have a higher instance of losing locks than any other locking method. Sisterlocks aren't twisted, therefore there is no undue tension on the hair to make it prone to breakage.

** Note from Sandy: You can purchase a great lint pick from A Nappy Hair Affair. It gets the lint out without disturbing the lock.