This Morning

Warning: Rambling Ahead...

This morning, I'm feeling like I should just finger coil my hair and be done with it. I never gave my first set a chance because I didn't think they'd make it it. I'm still worried about the back and am not sure what I'm going to do to keep it presentable and coiled. I can't remember for sure, but I think I went to sleep with a damp head last time. This time I'll make sure that I do my hair in the morning so it's dry by the evening. I'm not going to sit under the dryer or anything...or maybe I will for just a little while. I'm thinking I'll still have smushed hair in the morning and will need to do something about it, particularly the sides and back. I absolutely do not want to soak my hair every day like I tried last time. I may test spritzing on Sunday and see if it helps. Or maybe I can just wet my fingers and twirl the coils to help them get their umph back.

I'm searching on Nappturality while I write this post and it seems like this problem won't last forever...not sure how encouraging this is, but it is what it is.

I also decided that I will make no public proclamations this time. I need to prove to myself that I can stick with it and all of the frustration that comes. I'll document my journey privately and post photos once I make it 3 months. I hated having to retract the start of my journey next time so I'll hold everything until I can prove my tenacity :)

I've been keeping up with MrMustBeNice1's journey on YouTube and his hair is softer and way looser than mine and he's seeing great progress at 3 months. He started off getting his hair retwisted every 2 weeks and although it seems excessive based on what I've read, it seems to have worked well for him. I think he's stretching it out longer now to decrease expenses but I might just follow his lead initially. TBey says that she retwists hers every other week and has been doing that for a while with no detrimental affects. I think some of that depends on your hair. Her hair seems to be a lot thicker than mine and can handle the frequent manipulation. Another key is to do it while your hair is wet.

I'm looking at the set of coils I started and then undid at the beginning of this month and those parts are entirely too big. I know I have a small head but I need to make them smaller. I suppose it's safer to go smaller because I can always combine later but I won't be able to make larger locs smaller.

I'm looking at one lady's album and it looks like she has maybe 7 on the bottom row.

Interlocking to Start Locs

This is a serious contender as well. If I do it myself it might take a while, but I'm considering it.

Here's the best video I've seen so far during my very quick search.



Since my hair is shorter, it won't take quite as long, but I still think I'll be looking at a minimum of 6 hours. I'd be willing to pay someone to help me, but I don't know if I have any interested friends. I'll check a few salons to find out their prices for starting locs with this method. I'm wondering how many of them will do it.

On the Grow

I have 2.5" of hair so I'm still on the path to having 3" by the end of February, which is supposed to be some magic number so I can start my locs but I'm not absolutely sure about that. I'm beginning to think that I may have more success with longer hair. I really want to start my locs sooner rather than later, but I don't want to rush and be unnecessarily frustrated as a result.

I just sent Kim of Kimmaytube a message asking for advice for shorter hair. Clearly my hair is not long enough for protective styling and won't be for a minute. I'm already noticing a few knots here and there and we know that's just the beginning. In addition, my hair texture is nothing like hers. She has far less shrinkage than I do. I think the key to me retaining my length until I loc will be to wear it stretched as much as possible. The question is...at what length will I be able to do that. I feel like once I have enough hair to do that, I'll have enough hair to loc. I don't know what I'll ultimately end up doing but I'm feeling like I really need more hair to loc successfully.

Right now I'm still partial to using some of the techniques that people with straighter hair use, primarily because of the texture of the back of my head. Someone on NP recommended using different techniques for different parts of my hair but I am not interested in that look at all. Braidlocs might still be an option with more length.

Hair Growth Projections:
   End of February - 3"
   End of April - 4"
   End of June - 5" (Mel's Wedding)

   Beginning of October - Homecoming (6.5")

The two events that I'm most concerned about are my soror's wedding in June and Homecoming in October. I am not interested in looking like a work in progress for either of those events.

Twist and Rip?

This looks appealing as well. Supposedly it's a good method for curly hair. When these sites say "curly" I know they aren't thinking of my hair type. I keep seeing around 6 inches for the ideal length to use this method, but I'm not buying it Lol! I don't see any reason why you would need longer hair to do this. Maybe these recommendations are for people who are concerned about length.

The advantage of these methods that people with straighter hair use is that they tangle the hair from the start which gives it a jump start. Locs are just tangled hair. With the methods that most Black people use, they have to wait for the hair to tangle on itself.


Find more videos like this on dreadlocks forums

Here's a description:

The process is fairly simple. Gather the section in your fingers and twirl it. I spin clockwise relative to my face. I don't know if this is relevant. Don't twist it too tight, or when you go to rip it, it will bunch up way too densely to reach the root end of your hair, and you'll end up with a long length of straight hair between the knots and your roots. Instead, twirl lightly. 

Then slide your fingers slowly toward the tip of the bunch, until you feel the end of some hair. Next, split that bunch into two, and pull it apart. The crotch of the separated bunch should slide down to the scalp. Don't pull too hard. You may not be able to see, but you just made a thin layer of tangles. 

Now, without retwisting, grab a little bit of hair from one half of the bundle and pull it into the other half. You only need to retwist every three or four rips, or when the hair gets too bulbous. 

When that time comes, hold the knotted section in your fingers and roll it so it's even. Use this action to push any loose loops up into the bundle of unknotted hair. Then retwist and repeat. Once you get a good layer of knots between your scalp and the ripping, you can pull the hair apart pretty hard. Just don't go pulling your hair out.

Took Them Out

I took the braids out last night. I'm considering using the backcombing method and possibly waiting to gain another inch or so. The hair in the back and around the front edges weren't holding the braids at all. I think if my hair was longer, it might do better, but I don't want to wait a year to start my locs.

So, I started my NP search and came up with just a few people who have actually used this method. Based on what I read, a lot of black people aren't familiar with the technique and think that only white people start their locs this way. There was also some concern about breaking hairs, but I mean...the style is just matted hair. I'm not sure why it would matter if the hairs that are matted are in tact or broken.

Here are some notes I pulled from the NP threads:

Tools

• Find a strong, small-tooth comb (like a metal lice comb)
• I  did use a pet comb that has metal teeth (bought one at petsmart) to do the backcombing.
• The finer steel comb is great because it really gets the hair knotted 

Labor

• Warm up your arm muscles, because you'll be hurting
• It is laborious as all hell. So be prepared to sit for a good day especially if you want them done neat. 

Technique

• It really is as simple as it sounds...comb backwards to tangle and palmroll. The end!
• Once you back comb them you palmroll it til it takes form

This video shows backcombing without palmrolling. This is the only video that I've watched that shows a neat product after just backcombing.



Knottyboy.com has videos that show both, but their backcombing doesn't look as neat.

Products

• You can use aloe vera gel but they will stay. 

Advantages

• Once done they look like instant locks!
• I was able to wash them with in a week
• They took only 4 months to lock.
• Just palm roll and go
• They grew like crazy
• No gel or goop to hold them in place.
• Gives you a head start with the locking process. Especially if you have at least 5-6+ inches to work with. Its sorta like you've eliminated a step by tightening the hair together with itself and it gives ur hair a jump start because it doesn't have to knot together as much because you've already done it by backcombing.

Difference from Other Methods

• I did not recall budding or those tiny balls at the end with the exception of locks around my hair line because they were too short to back comb.
• Regardless, they still had to go through the stages it just made it a lot easier to do.
• When you backcomb them they are meshed not quite tight but they are set in place. As time go by they start to tighten and become denser.
• You still go through the fuzziness and stuff but they are tangled and meshed where as coils and twists are not.
• They will still have to go through the stages of shrinkage, having those little balls at the ends, even meshing and condensing. They appear to look like dreads but they are not locked but locked enough to not unravel. 

Starting Length Recommendations

• Actually if you can start with 4 inches would be ideal because you want to have enough hair for it form a lock.
• You should have at least 3 inches or more because when you tease them back they should have some length to them

Braidlocs

I just redid my entire head with small braids. I didn't plan to. They're smaller than the coils. The parts are probably a mess, but I think they should hold up better. I am very nervous about going to work like this...

Update: Still nervous at work even though I've received a few compliments. I think what bothers me most is being able to see my scalp. I have fine hair but it's dense, so I'm hoping that over time...once my hair grows and I actually have mature locs, it will fill in.

Here are photos:

Started my Locs

Kind of...I think I'm going to redo the back today.

Here's what we have from yesterday. It took me a little over 2 hours:

They look way too big for me. I counted about 96. I was so stressed out over this dern grid, but it is still jacked. Because my hair is actually pretty fine, I think I was afraid to make sections that were smaller. I don't know. I also have a small head so I guess I should take that into consideration as well.

I used aloe vera gel to twist.

The last two rows are going to give me problems. I may end up backcombing them at some point. It was definitely challenging to see. I ended up changing my set up in my bathroom.

This weekend, I'm taking the plunge

I think I'm going to coil my hair today after I run some errands. I just need to review my "plans" to figure out how I'm going to moisturize my hair after I clarify. I'm going to the beauty supply store or Walmart to buy a few spray bottles to store diluted shampoo and whatever else I may need to dilute. I'm also going to pick up a stocking cap. I'm going to try washing with that initially. I know it isn't the optimal solution, but I think it should work.

I see several people used aloe vera juice in spritzes. I may price that at the health food store too.