2nd retwist/2 month update

I had my 2nd professional retwist on Sunday, 9/8. This was my 3rd visit to Damian Walter. In my previous post I said I wouldn't be seeing Damian this month but things changed and it worked out for me to get my retwist masterfully done by him.

Left hand side: pre retwist. Right hand side: post retwist. Check out my wannabe bangs:D

I'm travelling to Tanzania (home) in two days. I'll be gone for two weeks and by the time I return, I'll be a few days away from my fourth professional retwist on October 5th. My goal is to make it through the entire month without shampooing. I'm doing this because the baby locs in my crown and the back row are not making much progress. So, I'm thinking if I give them a solid four weeks they'll do better? We'll see. If it turns out that they're doing just as badly then I won't feel bad about shampooing more frequently. 

If you read my previous post, you know that I've had my share of scalp woes. A week post my retwist and I am doing fairly - no urge whatsoever to shampoo and no itchiness but I do see evidence of dry scalp (small white flakes). My plan this month is to spray Black Queen Carrot Oil Sheen Spray (this is what Damian uses) every three days as needed. I also have Shea Moisture Dandruff & Dry Scalp Elixir which I hope will keep the dry scalp in check and some Seabreeze in case I get the "itchies".

Yesterday my babies clocked two months. Loving that I have some hang in the front. I see a few buds here and there. Looking forward to seeing the progress made by the time they are three months.

See ya!

Anxious scalp and resulting horrors

I have had a miserable week 7 and week 8 isn't starting off so well either. Why? My scalp has been such a pain! Basically, on Friday, at the end of week 6, I was overcome by an intense need to scratch my scalp. So I did, I scratched it all the way through an unauthorized shampoo! That's right, I washed my hair! It just happened... Luckily, I had products on hand because a part of me suspected they'd come in handy and that they did! I used Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo and Suave Naturals Conditioner. I did not use a stocking cap or any shield for my baby locs. I was in such a frenzy to get my scalp clean, I did not scrub gently and by the end of the episode, I had a fro staring back at me.

woo woo woo

Trying not to think of the mess I had created, I proceeded to retwist right away. I started with the crown (rookie approach) which was the most unraveled. I had to guess at a few parts but it turns out most of the original sections survived despite the fro-like appearance. The sides and most of the back were intact. I'm so proud of my lil' fighters, standing up to that aggressive wash. I used Taliah Waajid Lock It Up, a comb and metal clips and simply finger coiled the unraveled portion/new growth. It took me 1 hour and 40 minutes. I sat under the dryer for about 35 minutes and was impressed with the results although they screamed, "amateur!" As long as the fro was gone and a semblance of individual twists was before me, I was stoked. In fact, it was alright by me since I'm not crazy about the "snatched" professional retwist look.

Not too bad, right? Crooked for sure but I'm thinking I can only get better!

So my scalp was cool for another few days but didn't even make it a full week! By Thursday of week 7, I was experiencing the same discomfort that led me into my first shampoo and shampooing my hair once again. This time, I used a stocking cap, I was very gentle and I did my best to give my scalp the scrubbing it yearned for while minimizing the unraveling. I used the same shampoo, conditioner and retwist product. This time, I comb coiled the front and sides and finger coiled the back because comb coiling was hard enough without trying to do it blind. I was happy to use the comb coil method since that's what my loctician would be using and I'm guessing it makes a difference?


After comb coiling... Notice the ends are looking more "locked"... yes? I wonder if the back to back shampoos accelerated the process... I'm also thinking I can't tell the difference between the comb coiled front and the finger coiled back...

View from the top after 2nd self retwist (4th total retwist) by comb coiling. See rookie mistake... I failed to clip that one properly.

I'm now 4 days past my last shampoo and already negotiating delay tactics with my brat of a scalp. I never felt the need to shampoo this frequently when I had a relaxer. I could also go 5 weeks without a shampoo when I had braids and my scalp was a trouper then. I'm so disappointed that now a week or just a few days between shampoos and I'm falling apart. I don't even know if a shampoo is what I need or if I'm merely soothing without actually fixing the core issue. Why is my scalp being such a whiny child? They say an itchy scalp is an unhealthy scalp. I don't know what the remedy is. I've been using Eden Peppermint Tea Tree Hair Oil. I like the smell, I love the sensation and the fact that I'm nourishing my scalp with these pro scalp health oils. But does my scalp show any appreciation? No! I'm about to lose it. I'm determined to make it to my retwist appointment on Saturday, which will be at 8 weeks, without another shampoo. I won't be able to see Damian this month because I have an event on Sunday, the day he's in town. I'm optimistic that the loctician I'm seeing on Saturday will be a good fit for me. I also hope she has the remedy I need to keep my scalp in check so that I can be stress free and get back to enjoying my real babies, the locs. Sigh

Quick note: For the past couple of weeks, I've been using the Eden Peppermint Tea Tree Hair Oil daily. I plan on sticking to it for consistency. I find I still have flakes that I'm calling dry scalp but I don't want to know what it would be like if I wasn't applying some oil daily. I started out with oiling every 3-4 days... That made me itchier. I'm challenging myself not to scratch with every urge, to nourish my scalp then ignore the majority of its complaints. Wish me luck... If you have counsel, please share!

Weeks 5 & 6

About a week after my first retwist, my twists started filling out again (or getting messy if you see it that way) and I had some fun styling them.


I had been looking for satin headbands at the obvious stores with no luck. Got these at Walgreens for 3 or 4 bucks.

Loc Jewelry

Are five week starter locs too young for loc jewelry? Do I have to wait till my babies are grown and mature? I'm guessing the answer is yes. I love this baby elephant loc charm.

1st Retwist

1st retwist yesterday after exactly four weeks. I received two vigorous shampoos and sat with conditioner for about 15 minutes. My scalp was on cloud 9! Damian retwisted with his Loc n Curl spray and a barber comb in 15 minutes clipping as he went. I attempted to count the locs as he twisted each one. I lost count after 150 and may have skipped ahead 10 at some point so I'm thinking I have approximately 145-165 locs.



Top left - conditioning; Bottom row - post shampoo & conditioner; Top right - half way through retwist

After the speedy and precise retwist, I sat under the dryer then got a spray of carrot oil and was sent on my way. I did not bring up my wanting to shampoo after 2.5 weeks rather than waiting till I see him again in four weeks. While waiting for my appointment, I spoke to another client and she said she had no trouble making it four weeks so I thought I'd try again. This time, the plan is to spray my scalp with a light oil no more than twice a week. I went spray crazy last month and I also applied a coconut pomade laced with petroleum (yikes!)... I've since gotten rid of that product after reading in natural hair care forums and blogs about how one must avoid petroleum and parabens (whatever those are). We'll see if this strategy serves me better.

So, I expected a very different look after the retwist. I imagined twists just as plump as my starters and potentially longer but not by much. Instead, I got longer for sure but much skinnier twists with my original twists at the end - whichever ones survived the shampoo and conditioning. I feel like I got a relaxer going from a locfro to bone straight sections. Nevertheless, it didn't take me long to fall in love with the new look. Can't wait to see what the next four weeks bring.

Top left, top right & bottom center are fresh from the retwist. Bottom left and right are my starters for comparison.

Honestly, I don't understand why the hair is so different this time around. All the same, once I saw the result, I thought, "of course, this is how it looked on all those videos I watched and rewatched. Duh!" So, off I go to researching why the same part creates a much slimmer twist than the starter twist. Until next time!

the first weeks

Week 1 - I loved my hair! I caught myself checking out my reflection as I passed store windows. Yeah, with this hair, I'm that girl. <giggle>
I sprayed oil that I had on hand every couple of days. Not sure if this was wise or not and if it contributed to the horrible state of my scalp at the end of week 2 as referenced in my first post. TBD...

Week 2 - I got cute accessories from Claire's & Target (flower pins and clips, head wraps and the like). I've had a blast accessorizing. Maybe it's cause it's new and maybe it's cause it's right but I'm so inspired with these babies. My sistah colleagues are calling me creative, what? LOL

Week 3 - The crown area started looking messy but the sides and back were in mint condition. My scalp was starting to drive me crazy and ideally I'd be washing my hair at this point if I weren't forbidden! I started scalp cleanses every few days and daily shakes to let out debris and other junk. Funny story - when I told one of my girlfriends that I was going to get locs she was surprised and she laughed as she reminded me of how, 2-3 years ago, she and I were walking behind a man with long mature locs and I quietly mentioned to her that something just fell out of his hair. I may have been judgmental and a little horrified. LOL and oh my gosh, karma? So I'm super paranoid about that being me. The idea of getting locs is completely brand new to me. Before this year and the transition, I had never imagined that I would wear this style. And now, I want to wear it at all costs - strange, right? Not if you too are bitten by the bug but definitely strange to those who aren't in that place. But I digress, where was I?

Week 4 - I write this on week 4 itself, 3 days away from my 1st re-twist appointment. This week, I've been wearing what I'm calling a locfro, named by a friend who's on this journey as well. I have tons of growth and of course I've been inadvertently loosening some coils with my scalp cleanses so there's looseness going on. But I love it still. And I'm thinking, please let this be the ugly phase that I've been warned about cause I don't mind it one bit!
Aight, picture time.

 

The background and pic on the right are fresh from the install. The pictures along the diagonal show the state of my babies at the beginning of week four. Bottom left and top right are back and side respectively and center is the disheveled crown.

 

In the center and bottom right, we have the loc fro as worn in week 4. The other 3 pics are from the 2nd and 3rd weeks.

As for my regimen which is all over the place right now and totally borrowed from YouTubers and fellow bloggers, I've been using oils that I've had on hand from my perm days (gasp?). I spritz my babies with a mix of water and essential oils when the hair looks dry. As I've mentioned, I'm doing Tea Tree Oil + water scalp cleanses every few days. Unless advised differently by Damian, I will continue this in month 2. Oh and I'll be asking (begging?) him for tips on doing my super gentle wash at 2.5-3 weeks post re-twist cause I can't do this no-shampoo-for-four-weeks thing again. Till next time!

nervous about my first post

I want to blog about my locs journey because I want to chronicle each stage for my own benefit as well as, if I gain the courage, for others who are starting out and are looking for trends in the experience. I'm nervous because I'm really shy and even though this is much easier for me than YouTube, I'm still apprehensive about being out there. However, it's day 25 and so I'm very behind and I better get started.
I got my baby locs installed on 7/14 by none other than Mr. Damian Walter. It was love at first sight, with the locs, and I'm continuing to love them through what I'm hoping is the ugly stage. Tell me it doesn't get uglier! I have an appointment for my first retwist on Sunday and cannot way to get my hair shampooed. That's really been the hardest thing the last 3.5 weeks. By day one of week two, I started seeing brown specks on my hair. Dandruff? Dry scalp? Debris? I was desperate for a shampoo but my loctician was clear about keeping the shampoo and water at bay until he saw me again and being obedient me, I spent hours on YouTube and blogs looking for alternative solutions. My first attempt at solving the dirty scalp issue was Sea Breeze and q-tips. I did not like the smell but I felt better since I could see that my efforts resulted in fewer to no specks. However, the next day, they were back in full effect. I decided to try water. I alternated between q-tips and cotton rounds, dampened or soaked depending on how maniacal I was feeling at the moment and dabbed away the dirt. I only did my crown area as the sides and back were not an issue. As I was generous with the water, I got my roots fairly wet and decided it was best to blow dry on cool. That done, I felt even more relief than the previous night. But alas, by the end of next day, I felt like I was back to square one with the scalp situation. After more research, I decided to go with Tea Tree Oil with water on q-tips. I was less liberal with the water and managed to keep my roots dry and get my scalp feeling amazing. Yeah, Tea Tree Oil! After this particular scalp treatment, I felt like I could leave my scalp alone for a few days. My scalp was in good shape but I still noticed stuff on my hair. This was discouraging to me until I read this:

10.Dreads do collect dust. I think it collects about the same amount as loose hair. But the difference is with loose hair, you can comb and brush the dust out several times, every day. With dreads, you cannot. So, I’ve been shaking my dreads to get rid of some of the accumulated dust. The best way to do this is to point your head towards the ground and shake your hands through your dreads.

from oceangrins . Thank you! Now I know what's going on and knowing is half the battle. I am able to get my baby locs to look presentable (enough for me) and not walk around in shame because of the collecting dust/lint etc. just by doing the shake over my sink when I get ready in the morning. A daily shake and a Tea Tree Oil + Water q-tip scalp cleanse every 3 days has gotten me through the 2nd half of my first month of my loc journey. That and some fun accessories from Claires & Target. Alright, so enough about all that. Time for some pics. Ultimately, I'm loving this journey and I trust it will only get better!

Starring left, one of my favorite protective styles during "creamy crack" days. J/k. Just wanted to use that term but I don't want to sound anti-perm. I'd do it again without hesitation. I'm just currently in a locs phase! In the center, fresh from the salon after some highlights and curls. On the right, a pic shortly before I decided I was tired of the perm. I had gotten it as long as it seemed it would go (mid bra strap), cut it into a couple of different bobs, done a few different highlights... what next? I wanted braids! During the perm, when I was doing "right" by my hair, I decided I had to stay away from braids. So with 2013 came the inspiration to grow out my perm and have fun with some braidz!

First up: Kinky twists. Could this be why I started thinking locs were in my future?

After the kinky twists had served their term as my reintroduction into braids, I had the opportunity to deal with the reality of transitioning. I tried bantu knots - pic on the left, then I trimmed it and straightened it - pic on the right. I was impressing myself with all the DIY-ing but while I was committed to giving my hair 2 weeks of breathing time between braid terms, I was slowly realizing that I didn't have the patience for it.

Loved, loved, loved this look. I'll go ahead and plug the salon that handled this for me in 5 hours with their own hair! Shalom Hair Braiding, Silver Spring, MD... I'm guessing they don't mind the press :) During this set, my desire for locs deepened. To me, dreadlocks represented a permanent set of braids that I could maintain easier than my natural hair... Time will tell:D

After removing this set (pic on left), I was frustrated with the two textures - carpet topped with silk threads. So, I thought, cut off the silk threads... and there my friends, is how I blindly walked into my self imposed Big Chop. My hair was straight when I did the chop so all seemed manageable... then I shampooed and my carpet's true color's were unveiled. Mamma mia - let the kinky curly drama begin!

I won't bother describing this much... I had another do scheduled two weeks out so I waited by begging and pleading with my coils as the collage suggests. I was a good sport about it but I wasn't having fun. I made the best of it but I was longing for a happier place. Knowing how much effort and creativity was involved with maintaining a TWA after having permed hair for the better part of 20 years, I knew it was locs sooner than later for me. I also rediscovered that hair loss is a big risk with braids and so I wasn't going to keep doing that.

Anyway, my sister hooked me up with this freebie. It was so much fun albeit confusing for those who thought I was on a natural hair journey :) While I looked as cute as ever, my scalp was tortured. OMG, weaves can be itchy. Was aiming for 6-8 weeks but only lasted 5!

Post weave: Okay, it would be wrong of me not to show that I have learned to manage my kinky curly coils and can actually make them look relatively presentable with minimal effort. Progress is law, init? :P

And now... drum roll! Soon after removal of the weave, I scheduled a couple of appointments with local locticians in an effort to find "the one" for me. Neither stylist impressed me and in conversation with a friend, I discovered that Damian Walter, who I had been following on YouTube all year and who I considered a yard stick for locticians was in the DMV once a month! I thought, OMG!! Scheduled that appointment right away and got my starters two looooong weeks later. Woot, woot! 1st (from left to right) - comb coils from a local salon with product that was flaking while I was in the salon - ew. 2nd - 2 strand twists from a decent salon but just not the look/spacing I wanted. 3rd - my beautiful babies, installed on 7-14!