1 YEAR SL BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

 Its my 1 Year SL birthday and I am very proud of myself :o) Of course I am excited, but I am more proud than anything. Having these SL's for a whole year has definitely proven that I can be patient when I am determined about something I really want. If you knew me personally, patience is not what I possess {when it comes to hair} lol. This is a serious accomplishment for me and I am ready for the next stages of going natural. In dedication for my 1st birthday, I'm going to do a simple Q&A for my family, friends & others who have asked me questions since I've been SL'd. 

1. Why did you choose to go natural?

   ~I was tired of relaxing my hair & letting it get in the way of small things in life {"dont touch my hair", wind blowing, sweating, weather etc}. Also there was no consistent growth & I wanted to try various styles that my length could not achieve. {Weaves & wigs were NOT an option}....no shade ladies ;o) 

2. Why sisterlocks?

~I wanted traditional locs at 1st, but after seeing my mother not fully locking I knew my hair would do the same {she had TL's for almost 2 years}. I didnt know about SL's at the time, but when my mom told me about them, I immediately wanted them. The versatility is just....wow lol

3. Why didnt you do the "big chop"/ why did you keep your relaxed ends?

 ~ 2 major reasons: I'm REALLY tender-headed  & I have a big head lol.  Another reason was fear of not being able to style my hair/comb it. My hair is really thick and I knew that I wasnt going to deal with it really well. One of the main things that attracted me to SL's was that I could keep my relaxed ends while transitioning. Being a college student and not being able to afford a stylist every 2 weeks was very discouraging at the time. 

4. How do you wash your hair & how often?

 ~ I still use the braid and bind technique with the spray bottle to disperse my shampoo and I wash every 2 weeks. 

5. What products do you use?

  ~ Honestly? NADA.... except the "getting started" SL shampoo. I see alot of people on their blogs and videos saying that they are using different shampoos long before their 1 year mark. The getting started shampoo works fine for me & I see no reason to switch right now. Also, my hair is really soft & I refuse to risk slippage....LESS IS MORE :o)

6. But your hair is so shiny. You mean to tell me you're not using ANY hair oil?

 ~Nope and 2 Words: Natural Oil......You will be amazed at how much natural oil your scalp will produce when you do not smother your hair with products. If you happen to come across me when my hair is looking a little dreary/dull, it just means I need to wash my hair & POOF, my hair will be so shiny after a washing. Now that I think about it, this is the 1st time in years that my hair has the right amount of shine without it being overly shiny/greasy or not being shiny enough.

7. Wow. How do you sit there for 4 hours when you get a retightening?

 ~It's no different than sitting in a hair salon with clients sitting in front of you. I used to be at my beautician's salon from 4pm to 8pm for a simple relaxer & NO style. The only difference is those 4 hours are dedicated to ME and only ME :o).

8. Are you going to retighten it yourself eventually?

 ~Ummmmm I think not. I do want to take the re-ti class, but I am so lazy when it comes to my hair. I love the shake-and-go thing, and as long as there's a good consultant like mine around, I'll sit in that chair for 4 hours. I rather not take up my entire weekend to finish my hair lol.  Much love to the DIY ladies! 

9.  How long are you going to keep them in?

 ~At this point, I honestly dont think I will be getting rid of my SL's. The versatility is too great and the fact that you can still achieve styles as if you have a relaxer is amazing. Why give that up when you can have healthy hair in the process?

10. Soooo what are the reactions of the opposite sex? Are you worried you wont attract men as much?

~ This is the most hilarious/ironic question of all lol. I have actually received MORE compliments as natural than I did when I was relaxed. I have always believed that if a man cant accept/love you in your natural state {no make up, real hair, basically anything that can be taken off at night} then he doesnt accept/love you at all. You cant always look like a diva/beauty queen 24 hours a day. But it doesnt mean you dont care about your appearance just because you're natural. I definitely wear make-up every now and then, get my eyebrows waxed and I sure do get my nails done, so femininity is not an issue. But I guess it depends on the man. If he wants a "barbie" looking chick, then that's on him. But I also see alot of single women who are relaxed and weaved up, so there is no difference in my eyes. I just dont understand how going natural is associated with being unattractive and single. My boyfriend LOVES my locs and he was with me when my hair was relaxed and silky ladies sooooo......

11. So what do you do when your relaxed ends lose that "crimp" from the braidouts in between washes?
 ~ I just braid and bind them at night. But usually if that "crimp" cannot stay,  that usually means its time to wash my hair again.

12. Since you've started working out, how do you protect your locs?
 ~ Braid and bind...when my hair is damp from sweating, it gives my locs the advantage to have a "fresh looking" braid out when I take them a loose. This is why I prefer to work out in the evenings so I can keep the braids in until they are dry by the next morning.

13, Have you experienced breakage with your relaxed ends since you cannot oil/moisturize them?
 ~Surprisingly, I have not had any breakage whatsoever with my relaxed ends. I guess my hair takes to relaxers well and my ends are still as smooth as they were when I had my last relaxer (november '09). Its crazy because they are still soft and strong. My hair was pretty healthy when I had a relaxer so I am just as surprised as anyone else that I didnt experience breakage while transitioning. 

These questions are not done in a particular order, but this is what I get asked pretty often. Im sure alot of locked sisters get these questions asked all the time, but there aren't many women around me who are natural. So many women have expressed to me that they want to go natural or get SL's, but not ready to take that leap for various reasons. All of that is understandable, but I hope this Q&A helped a little bit. I dont pretend to be an expert, but I have learned alot this past year. I still have a long way to go, but I believe the hardest part is over :o)