After a number of years I grew tired of having to braid and unbraid just to rebraid it all up again. My hair was getting longer but it was still so "nappy!" I decided to put a relaxer in my hair for about 5 minutes just to "loosen the curl". I didn't want a completely straight look but I didn't want my "naps" either! I applied the relaxer myself and also added little gold highlights in the front.

From this picture, my hair looks healthy and radiant, but in truth it wasn't. If you turned my head around, you would have seen so much breakage near the top/back of my head. I only had 1 inch hair there! Not attractive. I was able to hide most of it with the longer hair on the top of my head, but it still wasn't as healthy as it should have been. On top of the fact that to get the curls defined the way I wanted them to be, I had to put gobs of gel in it so my hair wasn't touchable, just crispy feeling!

I'm embarrassed to tell the last part of my story! This past spring I went to a hair salon to get braids again...I don't know why I do these things to myself! I saw this sister with beautiful, straight long hair and I figured if the hairstylist could make her hair do that, then she could definitely make my hair do that! So I ended up getting a "FULL" relaxer! The problem was my whole head was already relaxed, it just wasn't completely straight. Well, the hairstylist put her relaxer ON TOP of my old relaxer! Her opinion was, "if it ain't straight, it ain't relaxed!"

The damage wasn't apparent quite yet. I had shoulder-length straight hair which bounced and flowed! I was happy! (for awhile) But then, I wanted to braid my hair again. Well, I braided it but when I went to take out my braids, I realized my fragile, overprocessed hair could NOT take the stress of the braids. Needless to say, I broke off about 4 inches of hair! And you remember the damaged area in the back of my head? Well, I kissed all those 1 inch hairs goodbye! I hardly had any hair back there at all now! This was about 2 months ago! (September 2001)

That is when I had my "awakening!" I know all the natural sisters know what I'm talking about. I had decided that more than a decade of fighting with my hair got me nowhere! Why am I doing this to myself? I love to work out, I love the outdoors and getting dirty. ( I live in Vermont) I love to camp and mountain bike and be close to nature. But yet, time and time again I choose to go against my own "nature" and try to be something I'm not. I don't want a hairstyle that is high-maintenance. I want hair that says, "I'm proud to be me!"

Then I came across the SisterLocks website and after extensive research on the process, I have decided to get them done! These particular locs seem to be made for me! I will soon be able to run and sweat and just LIVE! I'm so excited!

I met a consultant in Boston named Martine. She is a beautiful woman with some slammin' Sisterlocs! She looked at my hair and said even though my hair is a soft texture, it can be Sisterloc'd! YAY!! I made an appointment for November! Well, the question is what do I do with 4 inches of natural, new growth with relaxed ends until I get my Sisterlocs!

Well, I'm happy to say I have just braided my own hair! After I wash my hair, I put a little olive oil in it and when it is still wet, I part the front of my hair in sections and I just put little braids in the front and sides. When it dries, it still holds together and I curl the relaxed area with a curling iron. I don't braid my whole head because the back of my hair is so damaged from all the abuse, I have to just pull it back in a bun. The picture below shows how it looks. I can't believe how many compliments I get from people on these little braids! A lot more than I received when I wore my hair relaxed or braided with extensions! Its funny but we sometimes don't see our own natural beauty when it clearly shines to other people!

Well, thank you for coming along with me on my journey to my "self awakening!" I am now two days away until my Sisterlocs! Please check back! I will post once I get home then I will be posting my progress quarterly with pictures! I know how much other websites had helped me and I want to be an inspiration to all women out there!



Much love, Yvonne 11/8/02