It's My 11 Month Locaversary!! (I almost forgot)

I think they're coming along nicely! I can't believe it's almost been a year already :)

HELP!

Ok, so when doing locs on your own; at home with no loctician, how do you keep them from looking dull and keep them shining? My hair isn't fully-locked yet so I'm thinking that may be a part of the reason I'm having issues but also, I oil my scalp and hair after I wash it. It looks fine right after but after I've slept on it looks a bit dull. I guess I should share that I'm semi free-forming and not really re-twisting with clips or re-twisting often.

Anyone have any suggestions for condition methods or locking in moisture?

Effective Shampooing: These Basics Make A Difference

I stumbled across a great shampooing tutorial. Though shampooing sounds simple, I realized I was ineffectively washing my hair. Here is a video that explain the basics. Even though the woman in the video has sisterlocks and and BSL hair, she provides tips we all can use.

Effective Shampooing Tips/Tutorial

The link to her channel is: http://www.youtube.com/user/thecozmo#p/u/6/sNulUhtebDA

Products I Use

Lately I've been using:

Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo(there is a Tea Tree Triple Treat Conditioner also)

Giovanni 50-50 Balanced Hydrating-Calming Conditioner(there is a shampoo to match this also)

Urban Nature "Tua" Hair & Body Butter(this is what they use to re-twist my hair at Urban Nature Salon, I also use it for my scalp in between re-twists)

Side Notes: 

• Giovanni hair products are known for being natural and cruelty-free, and they are quite inexpensive on Amazon.com)
• Tua means soothing in Swahili
• The Tua Urban Nature Hair & Body Butter is made up of: Shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil,essential oils of lavender, rosewood, vanilla, and patchouli, vitamin E.

10 Month Loc-aversary!!!!(and a confession)

The last time I got my hair re-twisted I was actually mad because I left my hair products at school and the lady who did my hair used a bunch of "bad" products in my hair, but I wanted that re-twist so badly lol. Also, some shrinkage has been occurring, but they are still growing nevertheless. So the actual date of my 10 months was March 16th, but hey, we're observing it today ;) Anyway, here are are a few recent pics of my locs!

A Book For The Newly Locked!

Hairlocking: Everything You Need To Know by Nekhena Evans

This book is very informative, it actually sits on the book stand in the natural hair place I go to. I read it when I was under the dryer! This book goes through the stages of growth and the importance of "the crown", it's very informative, I recommend new loc'ers to read it!

Re-twist Freaks

So, a lot of people say they want to get locs or dreads, but then when they do get them they are obsessed with them "being neat", and in order to achieve this neatness they go back to the salon almost weekly. If the salon you are going to is allowing you to come back so often, know that they are setting you up and it is less about knowledge and achieving healthy hair for them, and really about the money.

The constant re-twist is like a perm for locked folks. We need to get out of the habit of seeing our own kinky hair as bad hair or something that needs to be tamed, or hidden. Since I am in school right now, I can't sympathize with people with office jobs who say it is unprofessional for them to go too long without a re-twist. However,  when I had an internship with a 9-5 schedule, in an office, in between re-twists I would wear a black head wrap with my professional attire and nothing was unprofessional about it.

I would like to say that this post is not meant to offend anyone, but just to open people's eyes to why we have certain habits and belief,s and to think about where they come from, and why they are perpetuated even when we decide to wear natural hair. I am no expert, nor am I perfect. This is just food for thought.