I transitioned this time around because it was coming up on the winter and the shampoo and go was not the way to go.  I wore my hair pulled back in a bun the majority of the time.  I did press it, but my hair is so resilient that it turned into a Chaka Khan like afro in a few hours.  That following June, my sister cut it off the relaxed hair.  YES!

My family was very supportive because they have been there and done that.  My father is always scared of hair changes.  I can understand his concerns about the job issue because my mother had to wear wig over her natural when she started her career.  That was then!  My dad even asked me how long do I keep them in or when I would take them out.  I tuned it out because my mother answered him with, “They are locks.  They don’t come out.”  Now my dad is an expert on natural hair and Sisterlocks is his specialty.  If I was to relax my hair now, he would want to know when I would put the locks back.  My co-workers noticed but didn’t care because we were too busy working.  We were just glad that everyone showed up and did their jobs.  Where did I work, right?  A chemical lab.

From the end of 2003 until March 2007, I allowed my hair to grow.  I did everything a good little natural haired girl does.  Which was to buy every single product and try every single style discussed on nappturality.  I had the fotki which followed me up until the Sisterlocks.  I took so many pictures showing texture with this and that product and stretching my hair to show growth.  And my hair grew!  I loved my hair until it was time to no-poo which I was doing every a few times a week.  I was addicted to the texture and once my hair started going from shake and go to some clumps here, some tangles there, to possibly some matting, I had to no-poo again.  I was also a puff diva.  It looked good on me and it was about the only style that my hair could do properly.  I really liked cornrows but I didn’t get them often.

So how did I go from loose natural hair to dreadlocks?  The straw broke the camel’s back when I had my hair was professionally flat ironed because my cousin had hers done.  I was acting like we were in children again.  She would have the new Barbie, then I needed it too.  She had the Prince cd.  I got it too.  When she had her hair high lighted and her hair didn’t fall out, I had it done too.  Cousin see, cousin do isn’t always good for you.  Her hair turned out luxurious and mine did too.  A few days later my hair drew up and the first piece that was straightened was still straight.  Cool, it was nothing, once it was shampooed and conditioned it would be fine.  Months passed and it was still straighter than relaxed hair.  I did everything trying to get it to go back.  It was awful.  When I would wash-n-go I would have to tuck that piece into the rest of the hair and pin it down.  Heat damage is what they call it and I never thought it would happen to me.

Did I stop flat ironing?  Of course not.  I went out and bought a Maxi-Glide. I used it almost twice.  I got half-way through the second time and looked at myself in the mirror, turned the shower on, got in, and shampooed my hair praying I wouldn’t have half straight and half kinky hair.

I had to come up with something.  Cut it all off again?  Relax it?  Keep flat ironing it?  I had done everything I wanted to do with my hair, except locks.  I knew a twists start would not work.  They didn’t hold for just the regular style.  I thought about comb coils, but my hair was already a bunch of coils.  I tried braids too and they didn’t stay long enough. I researched more and found out about Sisterlocks.  In the beginning you’re not supposed to use conditioner, moisturizers, oils and that appealed to me because I was a pj at that time.  The other thing that I liked was I wouldn’t have to wait to shampoo my hair with them.  This was wonderful for me because I could see somebody telling me not to shampoo for forever and to use Seabreeze to clean my scalp.  Plus, they created the full look that I loved with my loose natural hair.  Some women had ones that hung straight down others had locks full of volume.  I figured I would have fluffy ones and if not, I could roller set them for volume. I had them done.

Then, curiosity killed my locks.  I wanted to know exactly what was going on behind my head.  What was this secret technique?  For all I know she could have been using chicken bones and twigs and wrapping my hair around them in some form until it stayed.  I didn’t want to just know or see what was going on, I had to do it.  So, I took the class September 2007 and became a Sisterlock Trainee.  That following February I took the first set out!  How?  I cut the part that had started locking off and used a push pin, the help of a client, and lots of oil.  I had my hair out for about two weeks and the texture was out of this world.  My hair had never felt that good.  Never.  Anyway, I took them out because I knew I could do a better job and wanted them bigger too since I would be maintaining myself and others.  I did the front and a friend of mine did the back.

After a little over two years of being locked, I still have some that unravel from the ends and slip from the roots every time I shampoo.  The ones that have locked were mature after a year.  I’m sure that it would do better if I was going to some one and getting them done on the regular. I’ve started clients and watch their hair lock in a few months.  I have clients that I’ve told to be patient it will lock telling me that now.  I love it.

These are easy for me.  I wake up and if both sides are pretty much down, then my hair is done.  If one side is kindy mushed up from the way I slept I’ll spray some Paul Mitchell Awapuhi moisture mist on it.  If it looks a little skimpy, then I’ll do a bun with one of my hair accessories.  On shampoo day which is about once a week, less or more, I plait my hair up, put rubberbands on the ends and shampoo it with PM clarifling shampoo or Suave or V05 or the Sisterlock shampoo.  Please don’t try this at home unless you want to remove every single piece of oil from your hair.  I use these SLS containing products to intentionally roughen up my cuticles and remove the oil from my hair.  I am very fortunate to have a scalp that doesn’t flake or itch.  Some ladies do much more like use conditioners, color, put a little oil on it.  Ladies do roller setting, braid outs, and updo styles.  I don’t roller set that often, but damp hair and rollers or bantu knots are all I need and the curls last a good while.

Another reason why I like interwoven locks/Sisterlocks is I don’t have to look for products to hold them while they lock.  It doesn’t make me prone to becoming a pj all over again.  Some people use gel or pomades for retwisting the newgrowth.  Some people just separate the newgrowth.  With interwoven locks the newgrowth is held by the pattern and it doesn’t need to be done again for four weeks.  Others can six to eight weeks before needing the roots retightened.  That means I can shampoo when I feel like it.

Somewhere in my natural hair journey came about Tomoka’s Twists.   I started selling them on my blog right before I took the Sisterlock class and then at the class.  The idea came from people using using pipe cleaners to create styles to yarn even shoe laces to make puffs.  People were using whatever was available. I asked my dad about different kinds of wire that would work and my mom gave me some old jewelry to make some.  And I have no idea where those first ones are.  I know my mom, Tomoka, and I had at least one.  They can be used for headbands, puff/ponytail holders.  I’ve seen people use them as body jewelry.  They look cute on a computer monitor too.

If you care to learn more about me, then I’m all over the internet.  Find me by following the links.

The Store & More http://tomokastwists.com

Sisterlock Client Slideshows http://carmennc.blogspot.com

Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tomokas-Twists/102549941811?ref=ts