Do It Yourself, or NOT!

It's been almost four years with my locs, and I have been contemplating learning how to re-tighten my own hair. The only problem is, I HAVE NO PATIENCE! I don't even like sitting in the chair when someone else is doing my hair, how will I survive the task of doing it myself?. I'm beseeching all of you who maintains your own locs to provide me with more information.

Does it take a long time?

Is the technique difficult to master?

Do you still maintain appointments with your loctician?

Any input is greatly appreciated. :)

knowledge is power

By the time I was finally ready to lock my hair, I had been 8 months w/o a relaxer. I still had a lot of perm on my ends. Me, not knowing any different began to research dreadlocks, thinking that was the only locking technique out there. In my findings, every answer I received was the same, cut all you hair off and start from scratch. I'm thinking to myself "these people are crazy as hell". So I continued to look and look and look and look....until, I found someone who was willing to lock my hair w/o me having to cut it. Little did I know, I was in for a ride. I went to an African braiding shop where I thought I was going to be "locked up". The process they used was palm rolling w/ lock gel. This went on for about 8 months, hair never locked, every time I would shampoo my hair, more locks came unraveled. One day during a training session for my job, I saw the light...literally. A woman in the rest room with light golden brown sisterlocks. I was amazed by how neat each lock was, and on top of that, it was absolutely beautiful. The first question I asked was "can I touch them", they were very soft and light. She provided me w/ the phone number of her consultant and the sisterlocks website, 3 weeks later (Jan 2005)....I WAS SISTERLOCKED!!!!!! (1st pic is of me the day before my sisterlocks were done, 2nd pic is 2 weeks after)

The decision

I woke up one day and fell in love w/ myself. We say we love ourselves, but do you remember the moment you fell in love w/ yourself. For me it was February 2004 in Philadelphia, PA @ about 2:00 in the AM, sitting in a braid shop on south street. Even though I had "kinky" hair added in to give me the look of nappy twist, that moment when i saw myself...that way... did something to me. From that point I realized I never wanted to chemically treat my hair again. I wanted me in the most natural state. Thus, the journey began.