Why did I choose to lock my hair?

How can I control my life when I can't control my hair? ~Author Unknown

I have been natural for about ten years. My hair has had plenty of time to grow to the length that I maintained during my relaxer days. Yet I was unable to grow my hair past the shoulders. I started off with braids, then switch to twists and finally settled on an Afro. Also within the last three years I started using natural products on my hair. I was putting in the time and money and not seeing the results that I wanted. I don’t my doing this if I get results.

I always admired women and men with long maintained locks. I never thought that I could pull off the look. So, I just admired them from afar. This year after taking 45 minutes to comb my hair and another 45 minutes to wash and condition it with out trying to style it, I decided that it was time for a change.

I asked myself “What did I want / expect from my hair?” Although I am not my hair, it is my crowning glory and can be an outward representation of what I am on the inside. These are some of the things I am looking for:

• Length – I want my length back, need I say more!
• Movement – I want my hair to move with me; to be an extension of me, not just an accessory.
• I want to see my scalp again. The afro, though lovely, does not make it easy for someone to massage your scalp. Which is something I find to be very sensual.
• Styling Options: I want to easily be able to move from curls to a pony to a straight look.
• Play in the water: I want to be able go swimming or go on water rides without worrying about what my hair will look like afterwards. I want to walk in the rain during the summer months like I did when I was a child.

When I started looking for options that will meet my needs / hair goals, locks kept coming up. So I started looking into different locking techniques. Again, although I liked the look of traditional locks they just different seem right for me. A friend of mine had mentioned a few years back that I should try sisterlocks. Not knowing anything about them and thinking that they where the same size as traditional locks, I wasn’t interested. This time around I added sisterlocks to my search for hair options. I was floored by what I discovered. I loved the look and decided that these were the locks for me. My reasons for locking are:

• I grew tired of combing my hair - I would have these pretty little coils then I would have to comb them out and by the time they returned it would be time to wash and comb them out again.
• Length - I love the aesthetic of long hair on me. Locks seem to be the best natural way for me to get length.
• Styling Options - I like the fact that I still have "control" over my hair. I can still style my hair in a manner similar to styling loose natural hair.
• Works for an Active Lifestyle - I have a physically active lifestyle, which includes water activities.
• Scalp massages - Any time, any place that I want them; with the added benefit of not messing up my hair.
• Movement – I love it when my hair moves with me when I dance.

Why Sisterlocks?

• Styling Options: The idea of small locks that can be pulled back in ponytail, worn straight, or curled really appealed to me.
• Beautify Parts - Well defined parts also appealed to me. Something about the perfect little lines running up and down my scalp sent chills up my spine. My scalp is supper sensitive and is definitely one of my pleasure / pain centers.
• Size Matters - The smaller locks seem to be able to mimic your natural curl pattern. I have small tight coils that I felt would be well suited for small locks.

I don’t consider myself a high maintenance kind of woman and my morning make-up routine is down to 5 minutes. My hair is dense and thick. Locking will give me a fighting chance to obtain my hair goals while keeping my hair under control (say control freak) and manageable (busy bee). I am tired of fighting with my hair. Locking seems like a nice compromise that with allow my hair to do what it wants and will allow me to still have some control.