A New Relationship?
(My loctician, Chocolata, and My Sister)
Well this is a tough one for me. Along with the move to SoCal comes the challenge of maintaining a long-distance relationship... with my loctician.
I have to admit, I thought about playing the field, stepping out and seeing what was up in SoCal. How could I be so cruel to my first love? You know, a good friend of mine taught me the phrase 'amor de lejos, amor de pendejos.'
Still, I wonder how I could ever start up a new relationship, especially as I would have to start 'dating' on the internet. Think about it, everyone is recommended to go the the sisterlocks website to find a certified sisterloctician. But does the internet every really tell you everything about a person with whom you will have such an important relationship?
If I could be honest, I would say that I want to know:
1. whether the person works from home or in a shop. I have had my hair done in people's homes for years, but this sometimes meant mediating domestic arguments, travelling with my hairdresser to cash a check, rocking a baby to sleep, waiting for the crack smoke to dissipate, and overnighting when the police was chasing a 'suspect' through the backyard. The home/shop issue can sometimes also be a factor for clients with children. Some locticians announce on their profiles that children are not permitted in the shop unless they are being serviced. This kind of information is very helpful when conducting a search for a loctician (and locticians for clients).
2. on average, how long does a retightening take? I know that this is a difficult one to answer, but the variation from one person to another is so vast, that I become very nervous about just picking someone off the net who has a time slot to work on my head. My loctician is amazing and retightens my hair in 3 hrs. I understand (as well as anyone with locks) that the length of time is determined by the number of locks, the amount of new growth, and potentially the number of clients a loctician has had in a day. I am not looking for a definite number of hours, but a working estimate is a guideline that also allows a client to plan accordingly. A visit to a hairdresser doesn't have to be total uncertainty for Black women. C'mon...
3. Does homegirl want to work?! I only received a return call from one of the certified locticians I called... In my messages I always ask if the loctician is accepting new clients. Such information would be helpful on the website, and I presume that the lack of returned calls to my queries was because they were not taking new heads on.
4. shouldn't we, especially during the first years, discuss the direction of my progress? Do we have a similar vision about the future of my hair, how to deal with problem areas, splitting, combining?
5. do you know how to style locks?
6. will you remove lint?!
7. Apart from the practicality of 1-4, the things that I really want to know are, will you walk me to my car if you live/work in the 'hood,' will you be there for me, will you take a genuine interest in the development of my hair, will you be excited about the new growth around my temple, can we talk about LOST, do you love shoes? You cannot know these things from the internet. Any relationship takes time and effort.
So, all of this is to say that I am driving up north today to get my hair retightened by my first and only loctician...
posted by Helga @ 8:57 PM
11 Comments:
wow helga, your locks look great!! they're so tight and perfect! again, i always wonder about folks taht complain about thin hair... too funny!!
I would say 3 hours is typical. I would LOVE to be able to retighten my hair in 3 hours. Yeah, the SL website should treat its list of consultants the same way health insurers treat lists of doctors!! :)
These are some excellent, excellent questions. I don't blame you at all for sticking with what you know.
Some of the drama you mention reminds me of when I was getting braids!
I know exactly how you feel after "breaking up" with my Santa Clara consultant when I moved down south.
If LA is closer, maybe you can meet Paulette the next time you're in town. (She is the only Paulette listed in LA.) Paulette is not only drama-free, but very good. And, it's a quiet environment, so I've been able to study at her home.
i hear you. i am consultant-spoiled myself and would never let just anyone do my hair. i spent more time driving or flying to get to my consultant than the actual retightening time itself. once that become impractical, i learned how to maintain my hair myself and wnet in periodically for check-ups. good luck. there is nothing like your first love.
Brunsli: It is so funny you mention Paulette, she offered me your cancelled appointment, but the time slot doesn't give me enough time to pick up my daughter from school. I am determined to work with Paulette in the future, I adored the photos of her and her daughter from your blog.
Small world!
Sis, you have outlined some very important points. It would be great if the sisterlock webiste would step it up a notch to include some of the points you have made. And, yes, I agree with sunsail, your locks look great. What a big difference from day one.
I love your questions. It takes 5 hours for me after a 6 week period, but I think it's because my hair is thick and I have a few with slippage.
I wish there was an independent website that you could go and rate consultants after you've visited and provide anonymous feedback.
Helga, your hair is looking GREAT and the thickness of it is so noticeable. Your locks look very nice!
Your locks look great! I love your sense of humor in the "relationship" blog. Bless.
Your locks look great! I'm a newby...2 weeks into the journey and loving it! It was nice to see your pics and comments on your thin hair and how you saw an improvement with the sisterlocks. My hair is thin in some areas, so I am looking forward to improvement through this lifestyle. Thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment
<< Home