2yrs 3months sisterlocks

Look how much it's grown.

Some locs in the back have doubled in size.

Not sure what (if anything) to do about them.

My new moisture routine is working.

Just rediscovered another moisture source,

water!!!! Hehehe. Drink it, spritz it, rinse, but it's

Another blog post for another day.

Herby African black soap(from Ghana)....

....with aloe vera juice. This is very simple to make. I made a herb infusion. Simply put 2tbs each of the following dried herbs:

parsley

horsetail

nettle

rosemary

sage

thyme

( you can substitute other dried herbs, or use essential oils if preferred)

...and pour 1pt boiling water over it and let it sit for for 2 hours. I put 1 cup of the resulting liquid in a bottle and 1 cup of aloe vera juice in a bottle, took a small chunk of african black soap broke that in pieces and dissolved it in the mix - And you have your herby aloe vera african black soap shampoo. ( I got the aloe vera idea from Chele, author of The Knotty truth cos this is the truth!)
I will use some of the herby liquid to make a hair rinse using aloe vera juice and acv. I might make a spritz of it adding not only aloe vera juice, but essential oils.

DABUR VATIKA OIL:

I make an oily mist with EOs to go on my scalp 1x weekly, but I use vatika oil sometimes. Vatika oil contains: coconut oil,neem oil,brahmi,Amla,bahera,harar,henna,spiked ginger lily,rosemary, lemon oils.

The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

I've seen the question asked repeatedly. What's ACV? How do you use it? Is it safe to use ALL the time?

I have used ACV since I transitioned to natural hair in 2004. It worked wonders on the permed ends and kept my natural hair in top condition. You can use it as a rinse every time you wash your hair if it's say 1xweekly. The benefits of ACV are too numerous to mention here, but I will focus on what it does for the Hair and skin.

Rinsing with ACV will help balance the ph of your hair and remove build-up. Make a rinse by mixing 1/3 cup with 1 quart(1litre) water or 1tsp in 1 cup. The best vinegar to use is organic(especially if you're taking it internally).

To make a herbal rinse you can infuse a herb such as thyme,nettle, marigold, sage in boiling water for 2hrs and use that to dilute the acv. An easier way is to add a few drops of essential oils to increase the conditioning properties. The acids and enzymes in organic ACV kills the bacteria that causes dandruff scalp problems itchyness and hairloss. A good treatment for dandruff is to apply neat vinegar to your scalp, leave on for 1/2 hr and wash out. You can infuse vinegar with herbs that fight dandruff e'g stingin nettle,southernwood, and burdock root. You can also add some drops of tea tree oil to make it even more effective.

For Hairloss, apply 2 tbs full strength acv with a pinch of cayenne pepper to your scalp. Rub it in and leave for 1/2hr before you wash it . Before bed, mix 1tsp acv and 1 capsule royal jelly and pat onto the bald areas.

I personally use diluted vinegar to rinse my face and it really makes my skin so soft.

ACV is useful for controlling body odour, used neat underarm,elimnating the bacteria that cause it. It can knock out the bacteria that causes athletes foot, get rid of age spots, warts, restore bruised skin, soothe stings....you really need to research this if you want to know more. I hope this has helped clear up a few things about using Apple Cider Vinegar.

...and I will deep condition with the-

sisterlock reconstructor conditioner. It's supposed to work wonders so we shall see. Interestingly, my friend Ama uses a shea butter mix on her locs and they are very moisturised and zero build-up. I should have asked her where she got it but I didn't think of it at the time.
Still, my regime should work.....

I'm getting more moisture and dumping the 'no oil' routine

My scalp and locs have been really dry. I mean even my sis told me they looked dry whilst I was in one of the hottest most humid sweaty places in the world(Ghana) and I was drinking water by the gallon. This led me to think perhaps I need to try adding moisture from the outside too. I let things slide a bit, but now I've decided to do something.


Internal:


I'll be taking omega 3s, codliver oil, b complex, barley grass and maybe biotin. I might modify this later.


I'll make an effort to drink more water.(This is hard in the UK).


I'll add aloe vera juice to my diet.


External:


Condition 1x3mths with diluted condish.


Condition with herb teas such as camomile(thanks chele) after every wash.


Continue ACV rinses as and when needed.


Mist my scalp with a mixture of essential oils/jojoba/shea oils in water 1xweekly.


spritz my locs with essential oils/oils/water/honeysuckle water/aloevera juice daily.

*always make sure you do roughly 1 part total oils to 10-15 parts water*


I made a mixture of EOs(lavender, tea tree,peppermint)/jojoba/shea oils in water and put a fine mist of the mix, all over my scalp. I was very suprised when my scalp 'drank' the mixture and it was all absorbed very quickly. What does that mean? I didn't think I needed much by way of oils on my scalp. Also I was practicing the Sls 'no oil' routine. As it is, oiling my scalp, or rather 'misting' with a watery oil mix,will now be part of my routine. The toothbrush you see in the pic is what I used to evenly distribute the oils and massage my scalp. I use it to brush my hairline too. It's a really soft baby toothbrush. I discovered whilst spring cleaning, that I have Vatika oil and Healing herbs with over 20 EOs. So I have more than enough to keep me going for a long while.

My locs are 2 1/2yrs old, they're pretty much settled and can withstand a lot more...in other words if you're a SL newbie, I wouldn't advice you to dump the 'no oil' routine like I've done.

roll/flat twist style in 2 minutes!!

right side

*Left side is the side with the orange flower*

I grabbed 2 bunches of locs and Rolled the front (like a giant flat twist) on either side and pinned it just above the ear with hair pin. This style took 1-2mins to do.

The grey is unrelenting!!!

Styling...and I've got a bright idea!

This is a simple style I wore to church this morning. If you look closely, you'll see that the loc intergration piece is still in. Note the small pinky/orange flower on the side. The few extra locs on the piece(probably 20 or so) balances out my locs , so it doesn't look odd when doing these sort of styles. And the bright idea I've got is... to get another piece in a different colour, say copper/ red or blonde to give me highlights and colour. That way I won't have to colour my hair. The question is should I attempt to make one myself or should I buy another? The thing is the piece is very well made and I have no complaints, except for the colour being a little 'off', but then I had coloured my hair, and that muddied the waters a bit. However, I could save the cash..... just a thought.

loc integeration piece from endless creations

Here's more about the loc piece I mentioned in an earlier post. I did not blog about it before b'cos I wasn't wearing it and I wanted to show pics with it in my hair.

These are pics of my locs with the loc integration hair piece in. This hair piece is made by Gerry of endless creations. They are called gerrylocs.It incorporates your own locs through the piece,without sewing, gluing or any foriegn substance. I got it in order to add fullness to my hair- although I don't wear it all the time, there are times when I just want the fullness, and this allows me to wear my hair all back or parted in the middle. The difference in colour isn't as obvious as it looks in the pics. I know many natural heads act like they going to have chickens if you so much as mention fake hair, but this is the real world and real women have real hair issues. So don't judge others,just be thankful you don't have to deal with hair loss, patches or thinned out hair. I'm glad someone is addressing these issues and giving women who never thought they could wear locs the opportunity to do so, without embarrassment or having to cover up all the time.

So if you could benefit from a loc integration piece, head on over to endless creations, and see what's available. From loc repairs, to extensions, integration pieces,enhancements, additions etc all made to order to suit the individual. And don't worry, it isn't human hair. It's very high quality hair that actually locs alongside your own hair.

family photos

Entrance to my bros house which is now a chinese restaurant in East Legon, Accra.

We went to 'greet' our cousins who had just lost their mum.

Inside my parent's house in Sakaman, Accra.

Driving in extreme heat in Ghana. My driving skills and emotions were tested to the limit! Driving in Accra is a nightmare if you don't have the right temperament.

My cousin and I at a friend's 60th birthday party. My shiny face is a result of dancing and star beer hehehe.

My dear Dad. He is 88yrs old, 89 yrs this year and still going strong.

Me and my mum. She is 83yrs old, and she wanted me to take her out everyday.

Me and Dad

sekondi-Takoradi(Ghana)

I travelled to Sekondi-Takoradi,with my dad and brother. We lived here in the 70s when my dad was the senior director in the western region. This chop-bar where we ate, is called 'super hide-out', and it's in takoradi. Sekondi-Takoradi is a twin city about 160miles from the capital Accra and 60 miles from the famous capecoast. Takoradi is a harbour city and it's really green&leafy with loads of tree lined streets.

The commisioners house, which is on a hill above the house we used to live in.

The house we lived in for 5 yrs. It's right by the sea, over-looking cliffs and the sea at the back
,with tennis courts at the side. You could see the naval ships and tips of submarines when they came in.

Village as you approach the outskirts of Sekondi. I think it's called Esikado, but not sure.

a couple of hair photos....

...from Ghana.
Ama (SLs practitioner)'s hair and mine after she retightened it. We bartered services - I retightened her locs and she did mine-except, I didn't finish hers. I got to a little more then halfway and she finished the rest herself. But she still came all the way to my sister's house(where I was staying) and did my whole head, Bless her!

My SLs moisture treatment & reconstructor conditioner had arrived at last and were waiting for me when I got back. Amongst the ingredients was mineral oil and my heart sank. (you know how I feel about mineral oil and petroleum products.) My hopes were raised when I saw that it was further down the ingredient list. However, so many people have raved over these products that I decided to try the moisture treatment. I spritzed my hair until it was damp, then took 1/2 tsp size, spread it in my palms and spread it on my locs. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was instantly absorbed and my locs felt softer and moisturised. I have now decided to add a tiny bit to my spritz and will use it every other day. I'm reserving the reconstructor for when I wash my hair, and I will report back then.

Off to Ghana!

Hey folks, I'm off to Ghana for 1 month. So I won't be on here for a while, but will be update as soon as I get back.

2yr pics&gerrylock piece

Well, here are a couple of pics. My hair was coloured mahogany 2 wks ago. A semi permanent colour. I'm not so sure about permanent colour. I like the fact that this fades gradually and is less harsh.

And I got a gerrylock hair intergeration piece. But more about that later.

2 years already?!?

Today marks the beginning of my 2nd loc anniversary. I had my install on 24/25 Jan 2008. So here I am 2 years later, I couldn't be happier.Y'all know that technically or dare I say officially, these ain't sisterlocks, b'cos I have DIY-ed since Jan last year(without taking the class). I've used tools other than the SL tools. I've used NL, Yarn, and Flat loc tools. (my main tool now is the flat loc tool, made by a Sls consultant). I've combined some, and started some new locs. I've braided new ones, twisted the ends of some, extended a couple with fake hair, wrapped a couple of weak locs with more fake hair LOL...so I can't say they are 'pure' Sls. Erm.... they are some sort of hybrid, but beautiful nonetheless. I have never used ANY of the SL shampoos or products. Recently I ordered the green tea kit, but due to a mix-up I changed it to just the reconstructor and moisturiser. So those will be the 1st ever SL products I'll be using since I got my locs. However I still refer to my locs as sisterlocks -(or Maybe DIY SLS will be the more appropriate description), seeing they were put in by an official trainee and maintained by a consultant for over 1year. Nevertheless, my DIY SLS are 2 years Old! Pictures will follow soon , hopefully in my next post.

Ara's pipe cleaner curls

1 mth shy of 3yrs, I curled her locs with pipe cleaners.
Took 2 days to dry LOL. This is the 3rd day so they've fallen quite a bit.
Some kids call her the hairy woman! Ha ha ha! They mean she has big hair.

We must do something!!!

The scale of the Haitian disaster is mind boggling. I read that very little relief is getting through and many of the injured who were initially rescued from crushed buildings have died due to lack of food, water,medical supplies and doctors. As if the situation couldn't get any worse, there are rampaging gangs with machetes, raping and pillaging and looting shops. I'm asking all who believe in the God who answers prayer to join in interceding for these people. The situation is desperate,food&water scarce, the stench unbearable. Thank God for all who are giving and those volunteering their skills. Let's pray that things get moving and supplies get to those who most need it. I pray the people themselves realise this is the hand of the enemy, and turn to God, and God, alone who is more than able to rescue. Let us give what we can. I believe various charities are stepping in including churches and christian organisations, and they will need our donations. I pray each one of us is led to give in the right place, not to those seeking to line their pockets off human misery and suffering. Every one can do something, even if it's praying for those trapped in this Nightmare, and those going into danger to help them.

Goodbye Lenrie, till we meet again on that great day...

I've just come back from a friend's funeral. She fought hard and long, lost the battle (unexpectedly), but won the victory. Dear Lenrie is in heaven. I did not see much of her, but those few times we met up, usually at an old school dinner 'do', Anne & I would be on the same table with Asabea (Len's good friend) and Lenrie. Of course, it was Asab who arranged it so we'd sit together, sometimes heckling the poor speaker. (Those fund raising dinners will never be the same without you Lenrie). We had a lot of laughs. I'm not exagerating when I say Lenrie could talk - fast, very fast. Nobody escaped her wit, sharp tongue and humour. How this woman managed to be to stay cheerful, devising ways to help others whilst she herself was in such pain, is a testament to how strong and courageous she was.
There were over 500 people at her funeral today - in the pouring London rain! Everyone who knew her was there. Old Achimotans, old girls&boys from the Cape Coast schools, Old guys from UST, work mates, relatives friends Oh my! I could see the undertakers were overwhelmed. They had to squeeze past us, just to get the coffin by. British funerals consist of 10-20 if they are blessed enough to have folks come.
They gave Lenrie a fitting tribute, and a send-off fit for the Queen that she was. The attire was black&white(signifying victory). Her coffin, drapped in authentic Ashanti kente, and old achimotan colours. The Ashanti funeral dirge was played on a flute, akan songs sang to worship Osagyefo, (the title to address His majesty God the King). Every song was well chosen. One of my favs was, 'it is well with my soul'. She is resting in the arms of the Lord, in perfect peace.
I wasn't able to take any pics, bc of the sheer size of the crowd.