Why this Sisterlock ™ Blog was created.

Hello,

My name is Taiysha and I am writing this journal for one reason and one reason alone - because we are one, we may not realize it all the time, but nonetheless, we are one.

I recently got Sisterlocks installed and I was taken aback with how many women were attracted to my hair. Not because they necessarily liked my hair in particular, but because they saw a sense of freedom, a way out, and they wanted in.

I would hear all sorts of comments like , "I want to get "freedom" Sisterlocks ™ but I am afraid", to "Oh, you have that good hair, you probably didn't even need to lock your hair - my hair probably wouldn't even look right with that". Now even though I was a victim of the first reason myself, the second excuse would always get me a little upset. Okay, It would get me "a lot of upset". Shoot, I felt like my hair is just the same and If they only knew my issues with hair, they probably would be floored or say, "hey, she ain't no different - she go through the same madness we go through. So in hopes of offer some encouragement to young girls and women struggling with this world's definition of beauty, I am telling my tale of my painful journey before sisterlocks™.

Ah! The formal years: The baby pictures

An illustration.

Here I wanted to show how my mommy would style my hair. Wow, I had it made in the shade. I was around five or six and it was my birthday in this picture. I kept trying to go to this place in my mind but I don't fully remember. But, I know we were at my grandmother's house, and I was probably cheesing so hard because of that big fat bank roll in my right hand. Cause at 6 years old, I was a true tomboy, so I know I was not paying attention to the pretty dress and satin ribbons in my hair. It was about the money man and it was all mine!

Above is a photo of my mother and I. Notice my hair, no grease no water- now that is the real deal Holyfield.

Okay, Locks - But not exactly

Okay, this part hits closer to home because it is the most recent phase. I just fell out of this stage and hopefully for good. Now after the FRO, I got locks. I wanted to have a maintenance free alternative and I thought locks were the way to go. The only thing I did not realize was that locks required maintenance, just not everyday. Especially the kind I wanted - the small kind. The kind that I could style in many different hair styles. Now, I thought locks were all the same, so I just got double strand twist and let the new growth locks. I did not know how you had to maintain them. So I didn't and boy did that catch up with me.

I placed the photo above not to empasize the beautiful photography of Rameek Rasul, which by the way can seen at: http://www.modelmayhem.com/83289 , but I wanted you to check the lump that is in the back of my head. My hair kept growing and I did not do anything to maintain it. No separation of the locks- nothing. So my hair eventually patch together in the middle and soon became inseparable. This totally defeated the intent of locking small in order to style my hair in various ways.



I also picked up a bad habit of slapping gel to the front of my hair and then using a toothbrush to create additional baby hair. Man, that was so easy and effective at the time.  I inserted the picture above for special effect. smile.

Now, even though I did not have a perm anymore and was technically natural, or so I believed at the time, that gel prohibited me from getting use to my roots being free. So in essence, I kept the concept of the bone strait look without a perm. I would insert a picture of the gel, but I had received so many complements this crap that I in no way wish to indirectly give any advertisement for the use of this chemical. Shoot, young children may actually try this at home and this is not about that. I have inserted the picture above so you can see better the 2 hair styles in one I used to sport.

Well anyway, essentially I was still not all the way natural. No swimming yet. Nothing that had to do with water to much. I did workout and was able to stand in the rain for about 3 minutes, but not longer than that because my gel would begin to melt and that pasting slime could get gel all over my clothes. Oh, FYI, I used the dark gel not the clear one. So you could imagine my concern.

Now this photo I put in as exhibit A. Because I had the locks growing in bulk, my hair began to get really heavy. Look at the back - that was all new growth that had not been separated. This is the first time I felt I had a lot of hair, I mean for real. And when I washed it it was 3 times heavier. Check out the scarf. If I did not touch up the baby hair locks on the top of my head - the scarf was the only alternative. Also check out the pre-imposed baby hair I would create everyday. And checkout the slick back bone strait look look in the front. That is where I would slap the gel on every morning. So in essence, I had two hair styles at one time. The straight and nappy look all wrapped up in one. Oh and I can't forget, I used to add highlights to my hair with natural hair extensions. There was so much going on with my hair at this point, I think I had no other choice but to drop the 50 pound gorilla. It was not worth it. Man, I used to cry at night. i was torn in my thought process. I had not fully embraced my natural side. I had one foot in the beauty supply stores and hair salons and one foot out.





Above is a photograph of what my locks looked like from the back.
I had these locks for about 7 - 9 years. I cut it off Nov of 2008 after I got tired of crying myself to sleep. I did it on Nov 5, 2008 exactly, when President Obama was being nominated for the democratic party. The atmosphere was electrifying. I kept hearing," change , we need change, and yes we can. It was like everyone was saying it and it gave me strength for my own situation. I felt like I needed change and yes I can do anything also. For real , that's how deep I let this non-sense effect me. I know it may sound all to much but at the time it was all to true for me.

Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Dag! You guys are going to make me leave it all on the floor. I was trying to end it in the preceeding paragraph , but i can see you want the raw details as to how i cut my lock? Okay, the process i used was pretty strait forward, I took a pair of large scissors and dug right into my hair lump from the side of my head along the side of my ear. I made an effort to save as much hair as possible, so any hair that I had gelled and that was not natted together I kept. It took me about 45 minutes to complete the process. I would stop, look at my hair in amazement and then cut another piece. It was something I would not wish on anyone. Seeing all that energy and pain all lumped up in my hair. And some people might say, how did it get to that. So now with this journal, I hope it makes some sense.

You know, I feel like a person that lets their weight get out of control. You know when they say that famous cliche', "I just don't know what happened, I just let myself go." I always say to myself, that's baloney, you knew what happened , you where there, you just haven't dealt with your poor eating habits and now it's having a negative impact on your health. Well that's the deal with me, I knew what happened, I was there, I just didn't want to face my pain of self hatred. I knew I needed to get re-educated about who i am and what my people really contributed to man-kind in order to feel proud about being an African. I knew what had to be addressed. I just let things get out of hand. So, now I guess, I am taking responsibility and dealing with this issue. And yes, my head did feel 20 pounds lighter after the big chop. Alright, you have it! Now can we move on?

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Moving on: Why I chose Sisterlocks™

Now after i chopped my hair, I wanted to have a way to wear it natural with out all of the upkeep. That was the main reason why i went the Sisterlock ™ route. I personally, found this system to be the only hair care management system that gave me most out of what i wanted: no chemicals, the freedom to wake up and go with style, the freedom to go swimming and to workout really hard without worry about my puffy transformations. Now, honestly speaking, I really think the power is in the puff ,aka, the original afro. The afro with the hair un-plated and that stands up commanding the attention befitting for royalty. So, if I had it my way, I would just go good old fashioned 70's fro, use my black fist pick for styling, and call it a day. But at this time, I have to much on my plate as is, so, as of Novermber 13, 2008, I have worn Sisterlock™. I really love the low maintenance aspect of it and I can't wait for my length and thickness to return. Man, when my locks finally lock, I am going to jump in every swimming pool in Georgia.

I don't think one can grasp how entrapped one is until they are no longer entrapped. I mean, the things that bond you become normal after a while and you don't think it is that much of a problem. I did not even no the extend of the damage that needs to be repaired until I went totally natural. That's why I am so grateful to be at this point of my life.

One final note, I have to admit that the sisters who have come before me and broadcasted their testimonies on the internet, really got me through. Seeing all those beautiful pictures of sisters and reading their stories about their triumphs and struggles, really helped me to build up my courage. But the most important message I walked away with was that i was not alone, It made me see that, when it comes down to it, we are all going through the same tribulations and victories and we are all one. My only hope is that this journal can make a positive impression on someone who really needs to be lifted the way I did. So, here is my frame of mind for 2009: I am naturally beautiful and that is enough. Say it, and it is so!

We are free sisters, let us fly to extraordinary heights.