Every once in a while I go through this “I want locs!” phase, but I can never stick with it. I just love the versatility of free-flowing hair. Then I was really introduced to the option of “sister locs” by Jocelyn of CurlyNuGrowth.com. I love her hair and watching her hair go through the process has really tempted me to loc it up. Check out Jocelyn and her lovely locs below!
Name: Jocelyn or Jojo
Age: In my early twenties, lol
What do you do? I work in Information Technology by day and I own and operate my webdesign company, Innovative Webdesigns, by night.
Mane’s Name: I actually don’t have a name for my hair, lol… maybe I should get one.
Mane’s Age: Almost 3 ½ years! Yay!
Did you Big Chop or transition? I did both. I transitioned for a few months and then spontaneously took some scissors and tried to cut off the relaxed ends one night. However, my younger sister and I did a poor job and my hair was really uneven after the scissor attack. I went to the Salon and they had to even it out; resulting in a 1inch TWA.
Why did you decide to go natural? I was posed a question that changed my whole mindset. “Why do you put a relaxer in your hair”? That seemingly simple question led me to look into what a relaxer was and what it did to the hair. What I discovered completely shocked me! After that, I never put another relaxer in my hair.
When did you loc your hair? My Sisterlocks were installed in October 2010.
Why did you decide to loc your hair? Honestly, I was tired of the time-consuming routine and hoards of products I had to buy to maintain my loose natural hair; so it was either a Big Chop or Loc my hair.
Why did you choose sisterlocs? What are the advantages vs. disadvantages? Who would you recommend sisterlocs to? I got Sisterlocks for several reasons but the most important reason is because they fit me and my lifestyle. I love Sisterlocks because of their versatility, uniformity, and low-maintenance. I don’t see any disadvantages to having Sisterlocks because they’re just like having loose natural hair except I don’t have to use a lot of products and everyday I can get up and go. The most common “problem” people have with Sisterlocks is the cost, but for me the cost fits in my budget and is a cost savings since I don’t have to buy loads of products or spend too much time on my hair. I highly recommend Sisterlocks to everyone, they even have Brotherlocks, but again you have to decision if they fit your lifestyle.
What is the starting process like? Because Sisterlocks are a patented hair-locking system, you have to go to a trained person, Sisterlock Consultant, to have Sisterlocks installed. After you find a Consultant, you have an appointment to install the test Sisterlocks and determine which hair-locking pattern to use. After about 3-4 weeks with the test Sisterlocks, you are scheduled for the full-installation and upon leaving that appointment you’ll have Sisterlocks. Pretty much immediately after the installation, you can shampoo and style them as you please; whereas with Traditional locs you’d have to wait for them to mature.
How long did it take for your hair to actually loc? I have had my Sisterlocks for a little over a year and a half and they’re still not all loc’d. The loc’ing process is different for everyone and every hair texture. I can imagine that it’ll probably be another year, at least, before I can say my hair is fully loc’d.
Tell us about your plans to learn how to start and care for sisterlocs! Having had my Sisterlocks for almost 2 years and documenting my entire journey on my YouTube Channel (CurlyNuGrowth) and made the decision to become a Sisterlocks Consultant. I will be taking my training the end of this year and start accept clients early next year! I also have a hair products line, Loc & Key Hair Care, that will be launching soon. The products will primarily focus on Locs but of course can be used in loose natural hair.
Biggest obstacle/challenge with your hair? My hair is pretty well-behaved for the most part, lol. If I had to pick something, I’d say my scalp now being overly-sensitive since going natural has been my biggest challenge. My head is tender for at least 2 days after my Sisterlocks retightening and I could never do cornrows on my loose natural hair because they felt too tight.
Favorite thing about your hair? I love everything about my hair! One of my favorite characteristics of my hair is the curls! I can wrap my hair around my finger and it’ll stay curled in place.
What has been your go-to style? With my Sisterlocks, my go to style is a Geisha Bun or a curly set! When I had loose natural hair, I was infamous for a twist out!
Must-have products and accessories: I couldn’t live without Witch Hazel and my Sisterlocks Shampoo!
Hair goals? My overall goal is to have healthy hair. I don’t have a particular length to reach or anything right now. When I first started my natural hair journey, my goal was to grow a huge afro and after 5 years or so get locs. Needless to say, I quickly realized maintaining months, let alone years, of loose natural hair is very time consuming and I had locs within 22 months, LOL.
And now, a couple questions about your recent dye job!
What made you want to dye your hair?
I colored my hair because I wanted a change with my hair. Normally, I use temporary hair spray to color my locs and that was satisfactory for the most part, but then I decided I wanted to stand out, permanently.
How did you pick a color?
Actually, my boyfriend gave me the idea to color my hair purple. At first I thought he was joking, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. Then when I went to the beauty supply store, there were two shades of purple and I took a Twitter poll of which one I should get.
How the process is different for locs?
There are several ways to color your hair and I chose to get hi-lites, which means only a few sections of my hair are colored. Coloring locs is no different than coloring loose natural hair, and with any type of natural hair you have to use more color than “normal” so at least 2 bottles of color is needed.
One thing you’ve learned about your hair: After going natural, I learned that my hair had 3 different textures. I never knew this when I had a relaxer.
One thing you’ve learned about yourself: Going natural gave me an organic confidence. I set my own standard of beauty and owned it, which is something I think society has stripped most people of.
Spread some knowledge: Embrace yourself for who you are and accept how you made. Don’t try to “have hair like her” or “wish your curls did that”, embrace your nu growth!
You can check out Jocelyn on her blog CurlyNuGrowth.com & make sure you follow her on Twitter: @CurlyNuGrowth
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