Hairline Update

It's been a little over 8 months, and I am not sure if my hairline has progressed at all. I still have not lost the faith! I am going to give my hairline a solid year before I make the determination of whether my traction alopecia is permantent. Until then, I will contine to wear headbands and wait for my locs to grow long enough to pull them forward.

Another lesson learned...weaves, micros and braids are BIG mistake!!!

Lessons Learned

...so I had made it six months and it was time for an evaluation... I was spending $200 a month on retightenings because my consultant was charging $25/hour and taking a minimum of 7 hours during each 4-week session.

I didn't know any better at the time, and I genuinely liked her which is why I kept going back. I started to get frustrated. Time was something I never had much of, and I certainly didn't like devoting my Saturdays to an 8 hour hair styling. I might as well have stayed relaxed and kept visiting the salon. In addition, my involuntary cut left a lot to be desired.

I approached this situation as I had so many others... I researched. I asked quesitons on forums and blogs and the consensus was... 8 hours was too long for a 4 week retightening and $200 a month was entirely too expensive. Thus, I made the best decision in my journey outside of deciding to lock... I changed consultants.

Honestly, I can not be happier. Not only are my retightenings considerably shorter, but my new consultant is much nore knowledgeable and current with sisterlock trends. She has been honest with me, and I am certain that my locs will flourish under her supervision.

Her first step...even out the whack job and turn it into a stylish cut. This one has been a hard transition for me, as I don't like short hair, but I know this is simply another part of my journey and it's only hair! It does grow back!

So my most valuable lessons so far have been...

Question anyhting that you feel is out of the ordinary. Just because someone is a registered consultant does not mean that they are committed to quality and excellence

Get second and third opinions before choosing a consultant. This is a permanent hairstyle. You want to be sure you can fully trust your consultant

BEWARE of any consultant that does not have photos of their work (this should have been a clue for me)

Don't be afraid to speak up. This is YOUR HAIR and you are paying your consultant for a job well done. If for any reason you are dissatisfied, find another consultant. I am SO glad I did!

The Six Month Massacre

I decided when I first locked that I would start TRIMMING off the relaxed ends gradually at the six month mark. Unfortunately, I started to experience a lot of breakage in the middle of my head, and my hair was getting very uneven. So, I went to my six moth retightening, and gave my consultant the liberty to TRIM my ends. It was more like a massive whack. I basically ended up with a shorter, more uneven mess. I knew then that this was the beginning of the end of my relationship with that consultant...

The Prodigal Daughter Returns!

WOW! It has been quite a while since I posted! I am such a slacker! Anyway, as my journey continues, I am learning valuable lessons of self acceptance and self confidence. "Going natural" has given me a newfound appreciation for my natural beauty, and it has ventured into my professional and personal life.

After getting laid off on April 1, 2009, I went through a major metamorphosis. I first learned how to stop identifying with what I do and appreciating who I am. A major turning point in my life came the day I interviewed for my current job which I started on June 1, 2009.

I prepared for the interview as always and donned my wig cap. This had become a ritual for going to work since I locked in December of 2008. I had started wearing my locks out on weekends, but never at work. In the past, I had been afraid to. I made a decision then to break the cycle. I took off the wig and opted to pin up my locks in the back and wear it out in the front (thin edges and all). I didn't know what would happen, but I was determined to go into this interview as the "real" me, and I was going to be judged based on my credentials and qualities rather than my hair... I got the job!