In today's video I'll be showing you the method I use to twist my locs/dreadlocks into protective Havana/Senegalese/Rope twists that allows them to last for up to 2 months at a time if necessary.
Fist and foremost, like I make sure to mention in the video, these twists will last up to two months if your lifestyle consists of low to moderate (strenuous) activity. If you are more active e.g. exercise, physically demanding job, etc. Your twists may not last as long.
What I forgot to mention in the video is that the method of twisting isn't the only factor that contributes to long lasting protective style. I also make sure to:
Cover my locs at night - by now you know the #1 tip is never go to bed with out your locs wrapped/covered up
Oil my scalp - maintaining a schedule of oiling my scalp (and hair) helps in keeping flakiness at bay
Hydrate my hair with hydrating sprays - as you see in the video I will either use a mix of conditioner and water, or a hydrating hair mist like the Naturalicious Heavenly Hydration Grapeseed Hair Mist I show you in the video.
As with loose natural hair sometimes locs can suffer healthwise due to overmanipulation, particularly if your hair is fine, thin, or tends to be dry. Protective loc twists will allow you to:
Let your hair rest and recover from frequent styling and retwisting (which can lead to breakage and thinning edges)
Be versatile with styling with less risk of damaging your hair
Save time. If you have a busy schedule, disability, chronic or sporadic illness that may leave you unable to function, protective loc twists are a useful way to maintain your locs when it gets challenging, and your hair is the last thing you want to worry about.
Get dope ass twist out results at the end
For some people it may be unfathomable to keep their hair in a style for more than 2 weeks. Das ok! Everything ain't for ehrybody. But sometimes your hair reaches a point that leaving it alone for the most part is necessary. If it ever does, you know where to find this post!
Loc Twists styled into a Loc Turban. Click the pic for a turorial.
Comment below if you have tips to make loc twists last!
We must remind ourselves that we know ourselves best, and as such we are fully capable of making the best decisions for ourselves. When the Universe supports us, and everything falls into place for us to move forward in our best interests, while it is normal to experience doubt, it certainly isn't necessary to act on or entertain that doubt.
I'm someone who truly believes that sometimes saying yes to something/or someone means you're saying No to yourself. In this vein, I'm also of the belief that sometimes giving the benefit of the doubt is of no benefit to the giver.
Someone is probably reading this and thinking how selfish this sounds.
What would the world be without second chances? Forgiveness? People who give the benefit of the doubt?
Your point may be valid.
As a woman though, I'm very conscious of the immense pressure I once felt to put others' needs before mine, and not offend or upset others. This is a pressure that I continue to experience, though it shrinks the older and wiser I become. My point here is that these social graces we extend sometimes are not truly of our own choosing, but due to culture, social norms, gender roles, familial obligations, and the pressure we feel to make certain decisions because of these things.
When I speak about reconsidering "the benefit of the doubt", I'm not talking about people or situations that deserve a second chance.
I'm talking about instances where we expend a significant amount of time, energy and effort trying to make a decision about a situation or relationship that is just plain bad for us, or no longer good for us. It is precisely because we've cared, loved, and invested time, that we do not make this decision easily nor lightly. It is because of this care and love, and the joy and happiness that we may have once experienced, that when it's no longer good, it's really bad.
And sometimes it's just bad because it is.
Sometimes people change - their values, wants and needs change. Sometimes the way people express these things cause real harm - both visible and invisible. Some of us stick around hoping that time will resolve or dissolve the differences. All the while incurring the cost of this empty hope.
What ends up happening is that in the "Benefit of the Doubt" equation, the giver is left to manage the doubt, which is inevitably to the benefit of the person or situation that we'd removed ourselves from once before. Managing the doubt may then leave us grappling with questions of self-worth, bruises to our self-esteem, and may even go as far as to affect our mental, physical or spiritual health.
Sometimes we do get away. We get away but don't necessarily stop loving or caring or imagining what a life would be like with this person, or reminiscing about how great it felt when we had lovely experiences.
And though we move on, sometimes we forget what that particular hurt felt like. What it did to us. How our flame was almost extinguished. How we almost lost ourselves for good. How unrecognizable we were when we finally looked in the mirror to see what that time had done to us.
The point of all this is to remind you that that the pain has a purpose.
None of this is easy. We make mistakes, relapse, and return to the familiar. When we do, each time the pain gets worse, and the lesson we're supposed to learn gets tougher as it nudges us to trust the decision we made the first time.
If for no other reason, let the pain remind you that you did the right thing. It is ultimately a test of whether you trust yourself enough to stand by your decision. You knew what was best for you then, and you do now.
I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday in the company of family & loved ones - everything else is really just a bonus!
And speaking of bonus... We've got a sale going on! Yes... 20% off everything in store on Etsy. And if you sign up for our mailing list, you'll receive info on extra savings that are applicable during the sale!
E-mails are sent about once a month, and more frequently for special events, markets, and sales. We don't spam and we don't share your information with third parties. Your privacy is in good hands ;-)
I also wanted to let you know that we offer delivery/pickup options within the NYC- Metro area. This is perfect for anyone who needs to fulfill a last minute gift idea for the holidays, but our delivery option is available all year round! That's right! Use this form to place your order and arrange your delivery.
At the moment we have selected a few convenient locations throughout Manhattan where you may pick up purchases. If you'd like to arrange for direct delivery within Manhattan, and for locations outside Manhattan you may still use the form to order, and contact us at lanomrah@gmail.com. Our delivery service is available for a small fee, which varies by location:
Direct Delivery - we'll contact you via e-mail to confirm Manhattan delivery, or by phone for NYC-Metro locations outside Manhattan.
Don't forget it's Small Business Saturday! #Shoplocal & #shopsmall to stimulate your local economy, and to support small businesses in your community. Small businesses are vital to local economies - they provide jobs, keep dollars circulating within the community, and small business owners really do care. In my experience working with and for small businesses, I've found that small businesses and their owners are keenly aware of the need to give back to the community, and are eager to do so whether with time, money or whatever else is needed.
Here are just a few of my fave small businesses you can support today, and every day:
Online:
Madison Street Beauty - a make-up addict's heaven. Highly pigmented mineral eye shadows come in pods. Affordable prices. Currently running a sale for up to 90% off *squeals*
Smell Good Spa - Check out the variety of products offered for men, women, and the entire family. I've got my eye on the signature scents sampler to help me pinpoint my signature scent. Itiel has got pre-cyber Monday & Cyber Monday deals going on. Check it out!
Chez Lucienne - 308 Lenox Ave. Pro-tip: Chez Lucienne offers 50% off food on their late night menu selections on Fridays and Saturdays midnight - 2 am. My fave is the Poulet roti a'lail. Must taste!
Elsie's Caribbean Cafe - 2291 7th Ave (btwn 134th & 135th Street). Best rotis in Manhattan, and great bang for the buck.
Keston Duke Photography - esteemed and very well published hair & beauty photographer. He makes sure to work with small businesses, entrepreneurs, actors etc to tailor reasonable packages that work for you.
Make My Cake - 121 St. Nicholas Ave. & 2380 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. I got my mother's 50th Birthday cake from here. It was a hit! not to mention I really enjoy their cupcakes :-) *hangs head in shame over this obscene sweet tooth*
Khamit Kinks Salon - This natural hair salon is actually in Brooklyn, NY. I've been going here for almost 10 years, and I've done a few photo shoots for KK. You guys know that I am down to 1-2 salon visits a year.... if I go at all, but I cannot sing Khamit's Kinks praises enough. Anu Prestonia, the owner, is a pioneer in the natural hair care industry, and an inspiration and role model to many. The staff is very knowledgeable, not to mention warm and welcoming.
These are just a few of my picks! Share your favorite online or local small business in the comments section below! We'd love to know what your faves are doing.
This post is literally over a year in the making. I've wanted to post this before & after for a while but I really didn't want to have to go through a typed tutorial of how to achieve these curls. As luck would have it, in the world of Loc styles if you wait long enough the style tutorial is sure to pop up on Chescalocs Youtube eventually. . . and it surely did. She's pretty thorough in the area of showing how diverse locs can be.
These pics are from March 2012, before I cut my hair. Coincidentally there is also an unfortunate story attached to the "After" pic about how I almost lost my life hours after snapping that picture. It's a less traumatic story to recount now, but still jarring in that it brought the fragility of life into sudden perspective.
I've previously shared the story on my NSFW tumblr. I'll repost here at some other time.
Every Wednesday/Thursday I go to the park & do circuit training with an awesome workout partner that I met through a Facebook fitness group for women only called From Good to Baaaddd. It's a safe space and supportive community with women at all levels and at different points in their fitness journey. No men allowed because we post pics and speak about lots of health concerns specific to women. This group gave me the motivation to get up, take control of my life and take fitness seriously.
If you're interested in joining shoot me a message. But anyways, this week my workout partner couldn't make it so I had to get my juices flowing and create a workout for myself. Below is the result. Feel free to download & add it to your regimen and let me know how it goes. Also feel free to adjust for your level of fitness, just remember to go hard!
This picture is circa April/May 2004. I was headed to senior prom. *Man I clean up nice* I won't reveal my age but just note I couldn't even vote yet.
A month or two earlier I stood in my bathroom after a day of school, looked into the mirror, and in one fell swoop used an old ass pair of fabric scissors to "big chop" my hair.
Really though, it could've been more or less months but I think the experience was a subconscious trauma to my psyche, and my mind has made some details around the event all a blur.
It was a big chop alright. It was a big hot mess, and it's up there as one of the best and worst decisions I have ever made in life.
