I made it!

Well, yesterday was my 1 yr locday! I made it peeps. I don't know I thought it would be magical or something, but it wasnt.:) I guess that is what happens when you read too many loc blogs and stalk too many loc albums. Perhaps it is just the fact that I toughed it out for 1 whole yr. Its like if I can do that, I can do anything.:o) At any rate, I am happy that my locs are officially 1 and I can now look forward to what lies ahead. Its like the months leading to a yr are in the blind, but now I feel like the months after this yr mark are going to be eyes wide open, ya know. My routine hasn't changed much from the beginning. I think the only thing that I do differently now is that I only twist between every 4 to 8 weeks, and I do use an ACV rinse, and CONDITIONER faithfully. In the beginning, I would wash every 2 weeks and retwist when I washed. I stayed away from conditioner because "hairboards said" to stay away in the beginning. I really realized that my hair is my hair and I know what my hair likes. My hair loves conditioner, and guess what still does even in the loced state. Ok, so let me give a recap of the last yr in locs:

`I started my locs Jan 28 2007
~I combined my locs in September 2007
~In December 2007 I separated 2 of my combined locs( they were HUGE)
~I have maintained my locs my palmrolling. I tried latching, but it just wasnt for me
~I began styling my locs as of day 1. Rolled em w/ perm rollers and have been doing it every since
~ Prior to locing my hair, I dyed my hair a red color, but have not done so since. I have never really been a "color" person, but I wanted to do something new w/ the birth of my locs. :o)
~At month 4, my locs ceased unraveling during my wash
~I was 99.9 % totally loced by 7 months
~In Jan 2008 I combined 4 more thin locs and allowed them to remain as 2 heads
~I busted up a loc in the back that was really really long,(longer than all other locs) but not totally loced and wrapped the remaining hairs around 3 adjacent locs
~My locs love conditioner
~My scalp loves to be oiled (always has and I think will continue)
~I use a creme base product to retwist my locs sometimes
~I use Nature's Blessing to retwist a lot(unless I am out)
~I wash when I want and as rough as I want. My scalp loves a good beat down :o)
~I retwist once every month or 2 (4-8wks)
~My hubby loooooooves ooh la la la to massage my scalp. (When I was a permie, he NEVA did that! I wonder if its because I gave him that you betta NOT mess up my hair look) lol
~My sons think it is so righteous that their mom is loced. They send their friends to me to wash and retwist their hair.. :o)
~I don't cover my hair at night. I just sleep on a pillow that has an old slip over it as a pillowcase. :O) ha ha ha Hey it works for ME!
~I stopped reading a whole lot of hair boards about waht to do and what not to do. In all honesty it made the process a little more than it needed to be..... nuff said
~I stoppped buying every single thing I read about locs and what was good for em. What works for you may not work for me. I am happy with the products that I have found to work for me and thats it. Just another way to get me spend UNNECESSARY money!
~ My staple products are as follows:
*White Rain regular shampoo (its clear JUST like suave clarifying)
* Suave coconut shampoo
*Suave coconut conditioner
*Apple cider vinegar (even though the white does just as good)
*Isoplus molding creme
*Natures Blessing hair pomade (when I have it)
~I used to use these products, but just decided it was too much of a hassle trying to keep up w/ the "hair joneses"
* rosemary e/o
* castor oil
*aloe vera juice
* any and all Jamaican Mango product.
~Now in all honesty, I will go back to the castor oil and the aloe vera juice when the weather warms up. I used that in a water bottle in the summer and my hair loved it, so I guess they could be put into seasonal rotation. :o) The rosemary is ok. I spent too much $ to just throw it away, so I guess I'll go back to it eventually????? One thing about it, my hair will grow at its own pace. I have never had a problem w/ growth, so I dont even know WHY I was trippin about it growing w/ locs...... Any hoo, thats that. I love my locs and think they fit me/personality more so than ANYthing I have EVER dont to my hair. Do I feel more spiritual? No,Do I feel more empowered, sorta. Its a commitment, and its not something that you will gain overnight...I am proud of my accomplishments thus far cause I know it took some perservering just to get to this point. So with that, I shall loc on....Hope that you have a GREAT Tuesday!
Grace and Peace,
~Fe~