Milestone?

I'm so happy because it seems that I have hit a milestone with my locks.  My hair no longer unravels when I wash it.  Just a few months ago, some of my locs would unravel whenever any type of moisture hit it and I would have to re-establish the loc.  Now, just the new growth area unravels.  Very happy that I'm making progress!

Month 3

Back View. 

The crown area seems to have flattened out a bit.  The locks above my ears have grown a lot when compared to last month. 

The top has not changed one bit.  My hair in this area is very soft, so it may take years for it to lock.

Not much has changed, except my hair seems flatter. It seems to have less body than month 1 and 2.  I tried the clarifying shampoo from Tresseme, but I shall wait until my locks are mature before using it again.  It made my hair too silky and felt as though my locks would slip out.  So, I've returned to using Aura Rosemary Mint and Nizoral shampoos.  I completed retightening my hair on Feb. 10 and plan to do another towards the end of March.

Month 2

Not much has changed from month 1, maybe a little more frizz.  Still freestyling and enjoying my hair to the fullest.  I started using Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo and it works great.  It didn't dry my  hair out like I expected.  My hair is still very soft with curly ends.  I retightened my hair earlier this month and plan to do another retightening mid February.  I <3  my locks!

Month 1

Day One



One Month Later



It's amazing what can happen in only a month.  My locks are coming along nicely.  There's a lot of shrinkage and frizz.  There are several locks that are very condensed and I therefore can't stretch them.  My guess is they'll be completely locked within 4-6 months. 

I retightened the front sections at week 3 and plan to retighten the back this week.  It only took me about an hour to do the entire front section, much faster than I expected.  I'm very proud to say that I did not interlock any locks.  I use the small nappy lock tool.

I started using Dr. Bronners Castile soap and it works great for locks.   I'm still using water spritzes once a day.  I haven't used any oil since day one and my hair is still very soft and moisturized even though it's cold outside.  I still can't believe that pure water can keep the hair soft. 

My braidlocks have brought me so much freedom.  I no longer have to "figure out" what I'm going to do with my hair every morning.  My hair ALWAYS looks good no matter what, even when I wake up in the morning.  All I do is spritz my hair with water, fluff, and go.  This is my 30 seconds morning regimen.  I'll join other lock rockers and say, "I should have done this years ago!"      





New Products: Dr. Bronner's, Floral Water, and Sweet Almond Oil

So these are the new products that I decided to try this month and I love them.  First off is the sweet almond oil that I use on my daughter's hair.  It's light and keeps her hair soft and moisturized without unraveling her locks.  Next is Dr. Bronner's peppermint Castile soap.  I really like this because it removes all buildup from the hair and scalp without leaving the hair dry.  The peppermint oil is VERY strong and leaves a cool sensation on the skin.  I like that it has a slightly higher pH so it helps the hair to lock.  I've also used this to  wash my face and body, clean my bathroom and kitchen and it works well for those purposes also.  Lastly is a floral water mist that we use on a daily basis.  It's a mixture of rose and neroli floral waters, and essential oils that leaves our hair moisturized. 

Week 1 For Ny

Saturday, December 11th made one week in braidlocks for my daughter, Ny.  The first week was awesome.  She wore her hair down most of the week, other times she wore a ponytail.  I washed her hair twice during the week.  With the second wash I used Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castille Soap, which worked great.  As far as the locking progress, she has a ton of frizz and she's developing small lumps on the ends of her locks.  It doesn't surprise me how fast her locks are progressing because she has very fine hair that tangles easily.  I had a very difficult time detangling her hair when it was loose, so locking her hair has been the best decision for us.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Since I love my locks so much, I decided to go ahead and lock my daughter's hair over the Thanksgiving break.  It took forever to finish her hair because it's so long and thick.  I finally finished them on December 4, 2010 and she loves them just as much as I do.  She loves wearing them down and she reguarly does the hair toss.  I've never let her wear her hair down before, but now she's enjoying the freedom.  I love that she's happy and confident and we both love the convenience of braidlocks.  Her hair regimen has reduced from 4-5 hours to 20 minutes!  We share the same products and wash regimen.  The only difference is I oil her scalp.  She has 258 small-medium braidlocks.


Showing how long her was to start.  It's well past her waist, close to thigh length had I combed out the kinks.  I used a clarifying shampoo.  No conditioner or oil.  I then sectioned her hair into 10 sections.




The front section is done.  She kept herself occupied with her DSi.






I used 1/4 inch partings in the front.  It took several days to complete the front.




I used bigger parts in the back and decided to section off the hair and twist because I was running out of time.

Back is done.  I ran out of time and she had to go to school the next day.  I just put jumbo twists in the crown area and put her hair into a ponytail for school.  

Her ponytail.  Her braids concealed the twisted areas.

Almost Done!!!!  Everyday after school I would braid sections.

All done.  She and I are both relieved.  I needed a shoulder massage!

Just in time for Christmas.

Side view

close up.