Wash hair day – the first where afterwards I will be the one doing the retightening

I washed hair with the sisterlocks salon shampoo with aloe vera and then put the sisterlocks moisture treatment to my scalp. I usually put Cocois (a cold tar based product) which is a medicated ointment for dry scalp. I have been using Cocois since the beginning of my sisterlocks journey, but have decided to stop using the product and find an alternative. This is not due to it not working, but just because I do not want my scalp to get use to having something medicated when there could be alternative everyday options available. The Salon Shampoo and Moisture treatment will be used as my routine for now. I may alternate my shampoo with Neutrogena t-gel for dry scalp formula. My ultimate goal is to only have something very pure and natural as the products for my hair, but this will be in the future once my hair is fully locked.

Before wash:


Shortly after wash:

Day after wash:

Fringe

Random photos of the front of my hair which shrinks into a fringe most of the time.

One week since my first partial self-retightening

Here are some pictures of my texture in natural daylight:

Retightening course accomplished

The Class

Eager as ever I am the first one there where I look over the schedule and begin helping myself to some nibbles. There are four ladies in total, one who is a month ahead of me and two who have had their locks for a couple of years. The course begins, the packs of Sisterlocks goodies are open and before I know it I am taking notes on that all important pattern. All the ladies in the class are a 3 pattern, where I thought I would be a reverse four for some reason from looking at other peoples blogs lol.

Practice makes perfect and we all start using the Clip Tool. On a few occasions I manage to stitch locks together and hurt my thumb on the clip lever. After all my hard efforts I manage to retighten around 6 locks before I am a bit frustrated with not getting it right – a mutual feeling of the group. My consultant reassures us that all it takes is practice and gives us a helping hand answering questions before we break for lunch. Oh what a nice lunch it was – tasty salmon with new potatoes and salad with a drizzle of lemon – yummy. So the fish goes to my head and I think slightly clearly, concentrating in silence whilst retightening. I have a train to catch so leave earlier then the official end time. I think I get it and will practice more on the coach. My consultant quickly begins to give a demo of the Hook tool which is supposed to be useful for the very shorter locks – I haven’t really got the whole idea of it but am happy to know one tool. After saying our Goodbyes, it feels like I am a child again going out in the big bad world. Hahaha maybe that is melodramatic but I said I will return for check-ups in the summer.

The coach

I spend the 4 and a half hour journey trying my luck with the clip tool. I have abandoned the hook tool as I don’t really know how to use it.

Over the course of the journey I get a few looks from the fellow passengers but plod on. I lose a lock from the clip getting tangled whilst pulling it through the lock and me being a bit rough whilst pulling it out. Even the girl I was sitting next to heard my poor lock snap off and saw my look of horror. I see it drop to the floor, pick it up to see the damage – yes it is a whole lock a few rows back from the front of my head on the left hand side. I cannot feel the missing lock and worry at how it will look whilst calling my consultant for advice. After reassurance from my consultant – I begin tentatively retightening the rest. Luckily the front left section that I have to retighten is not that much and I finish the rest off the next day.

Retightening course booked

Today (Friday) I made my usual retightening trip to my consultant. My consultant does more than half of my head before I remember to ask about the retightening course. Unfortunately the next course is in May but she has a course this Sunday which I can book myself onto – a pleasant surprise. I go home nervous and excited, planning my early start.

Wash hair day and retightening thoughts

These are various pictures after my hair has been washed in preparation for my retightening appointment. For the last few weeks I have been thinking about self-retightening due to the travelling distance and financial costs mounting up whilst at university. I wanted to book a retightening course instead of D.I.Y. just so I know how to do my hair the ‘official’ way and to make sure I follow the correct pattern for my hair. So at the next retightening appointment I will ask to be put on the list for the next course which hopefully should be around the end of March (my 8^th month point).