22 Months

On the 18th of this month I celebrated 22 months of being SL'd. Additionally on the same day I had Lasik surgery. Although my vision is still a bit blurry I've been off for the week and starting to become a bit stir crazy, so why not blog. Adding to that fact, the snow came again this morning and its bitterly cold outside.

I love my locks and I have no thoughts of cutting them off but as I flip through magazines I do find myself staring at the new short crop cuts thinking WOW that style is FIAH!!!! Then I find myself looking at some loose natural styles and thinking wow the versatility with the curls popping and the options to straighten it, I miss the options. I know we have options with SL's, but in truth and honesty we have more options than traditional locks certainly, but not the options of a loose natural. Yes I wear my curls and ponytails with a bang or just a full ponytail and that's all great, but don't you miss the true styling???? One thing I am noticing more and more is that on commercials any African American woman is normally a loose natural and every now and again you see a sister with locks (SL's, traditionals etc). I appreciate that we are making waves in Hollywood---but we have yet to become that phenom!!

Now I'm a bit lazy with doing anything with my hair unless I'm in the mood and that comes far and few in between. As I type this I have perm rods in my hair because I have plans to go out tomorrow and I don't feel like being bothered tomorrow. I do appreciate that my curls are lasting a bit longer, but that has nothing to do with my current regimen. The density of my hair has certainly changed and allowed the curls to last much longer.

Can you believe in 22 months, my locks are still not 100% locked??? Especially in the front half of my head it isn't sealed on the ends probably because I manipulate that area the most, but come on really!!! It doesn't bother me at all as I plan to color my hair in the next month or so. With that said lets just go over where my locks are:

Where I am:

• My locks are not fully locked


• I no longer separate after washing (never really did)


• One side is longer than the other and seems to grow faster (right)


• I have this one long lock in the middle of my head that hangs the longest in the back


• I shampoo with a liquid black soap and my scalp feels extra clean and smells clean


• I air dry


• I only use Carol's Daughter Tui Oil maybe once a week


• I sleep 40% of the time with a loc soc and other 60% with my hair out on a satin pillowcase


• I wash weekly


• I don't really get compliments anymore - just more of your hair is growing alot


• I no longer worry about length, I'm just letting it do its thing


• I retighten for myself faithfully every 4 weeks, mostly because I don't like the feel or how my edges look


• I try to take pictures daily, but moreso to figure out what looks works and what don't


• I wear my locks up the majority of the time, its just easy and the ends seem to hold a curl.


• My roots aren't taking a color, I have no plans to lift it again.


• I like the two-tone look


• I love my locks, it suits me and my personality! DIFFERENT

Just to add a photo because thats what we all come for -- here is one from May last year so that 14 months.