1 Year Loc-Versary

The road seems like I just started yesterday and I can hardly believe it's been a year! I initially started with nine inches of bonafide natural hair that had not been permed in nine years.

Many things transpired thoughout my Exodus...

1. Major bunching due to having a three pattern instead of a pattern four installed on my "S" curl hair type

2. Parting had to be corrected due to the installation of organic parting

3. Three major cuts that totaled 4 inches of hair removal because of the bunching

4. Switched Consultants twice and I'm finally on the road to recovery

Even though I've been through the major pains of Murphy's Law, "everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," I believe my locks are beautiful and I've learned to accept them as they are. The back is completely locked and I've got a few locks in the front that slip every now and then. Since I've taken the re-tightening class I'm able to tighten them up before my washes so this does help with the problem.


Most of all, what better 1 year locversary than to share it with my courageous daughter who also loves her one month old Sisterlocks!! As you can see in this pic her locks are already beginning to puff out and she is enjoying everyday of wearing locks.

Kicking Off My First Year Birthday Week!

What better way to kick off my Sisterlock Birthday week than to spend it with two other beautiful DFW Sisterlockers, Gigi and Diane during a E. Lynn Harris book signing!

The Sister between Gigi and I is Monica "Dr. Moe" Anderson, the author of "When a Sistah's Fed Up," which was recently added to Essence Magazine best seller list. She too was featured during the E. Lynn Harris book signing and I was really impressed with her inviting spirit and the subject matter of the book, sounds like some fun fantasy drama to read during my evening commute from work!

While I'm not a huge fan of E. Lynn Harris, I do believe he is a gifted writer and wanted to add one of his novels to my book collection. I purchased "I Say a Little Prayer" and especially attended the signing in support of the the "GRITS" club members who actually organized the New York trip scheduled for next month. Wow! How time has passed, it's almost here and I can't wait to meet many of the sisters from our Sisterlock community.

My new short look was inspired by Calla's hair style on a model on pages 32 & 33 of the Sisterlock Journal. Calla used the medium orange smooth rods w/mousse and I rolled my locks with Motions foaming wrap lotion on about 30 small gray smooth rods for tighter curls. After they dried (which did not take long) I twisted five rows going back, bobby pinned each row down and fluffed out the curls. I love the look!!!

This Texas heat is already in the high 90's and we've had a couple of 100 degree days...ugh, and summer is not officially here yet, can we ever get a season of Spring before going right in to the Summer HEAT!!! Not in Texas!!! Ok, I said all that to say..I'm sporting shorter do's for now because of the Texas heat and surprisingly I've gotten many compliments from the African American community. I appreciate the compliments because it opens dialogue about "natural hair," and that alone is enough motivation for me to wear my hair up for the entire summer.

Back to E Lynn Harris, I must be upfront in my experience with this author. I purchased my book and got in line to have it signed. When I asked if he would take a picture as over 40 other people did, he said "sure" in an almost rude kind of way.

Now, I'm sure Mr. Harris was tired but you would think that if one is on a book tour they would expect to take pitures, sign books and have small talk with people that are buying their material. Then, as soon the picture was taken he immediately walked right off...not even a "thank you" for supporting my book. Can you believe it? The affair was only two hours and it's disappointing to me how some people handle success, especially when I'm spending my hard earned money!

I've always supported Black Images Bookstore and I've met many other authors that were much more successful, gosh even Terry McMcMillan was friendlier. After that kind of treatment I almost asked for a refund but I decided to take the high road.

I guess you are wondering why I included the picture on my blog?? It's "only" because I took two pictures and this one shows a clearer picture of my hair style. Hummm... looking at that smile on his face almost made me think I was dreaming all of this up!!

My 10 Year Old Baby Got Sisterlocked April 28!

I am so proud of the decision my 10 year old daughter made to get Sisterlocked!! (As if she had no influence). LOL

She has been natural all her life and loves getting her hair braided but hates to get it washed. So I had been dropping little nuggets that if she were to loc her hair we would not have nearly as much drama washing, brushing and combing through her thick 9 inch mane.

So, it all started when I received my first subscription of the Sisterlock Magazine. She read the entire magazine and especially like the story that showed the pictures/testimonial of the young girl that started at age 6. (My book is with a friend so I can't tell you the girls name or page number). That magazine "Set It Off" for us, here we are nearly 6 weeks later and she is locked and loving it. The process took four days and 15 hours and the child already has 2 of the 3 Sisterlock diseases listed in the "Tapestry of Dreams" book, pages 68 & 69:

handsinthe hair itis - hands gravitate uncontrollably toward the locks
whitegirlatoma - the hands drift below the ear area and jerks into a back handed flipping motion

When we went to church yesterday and as soon as she hit the front door every "natural" sister was all over her head showering her with many compliments. She was the center of attention the whole day long, it got so bad I had to give her a reality check because that head was blowing up! LOL. Anyway, for the most part I allowed her to enjoy the thrill of knowing she made an AWESOME decision!


As for Dad, he initially had concerns and asked her what she would do if she did not like it. She told him that she would like it and it was no different from what she had now. She also added that she could wear all kinds of styles like her ponytails and cute headbands. I was in the background going, YESsssssssssss!! (I trained her well) With her addressing the issues on her own he agreed to allow her to do her thing.

I'm sure we'll have more to share as she becomes more exposed to the extended family and friends so stay tuned.

I'm still here, just playing catch up

Hey all my blog buddies,
I appreciate the emails checking in on me and wondering what's up. I'll be posting again soon, been busy training on my new job. Yes, "new job." I was blessed with a Project Management position for a huge corporate company.....with my 11 month old Sisterlocks.


Who say's we can't get a job with Sisterlocks???

Peace and No Hair Grease!
LaChanda

Locks in Nature

Our family went on a five mile nature walk last Sabbath and whew...my muscles are still aching.

Anyway, my daughter and I didn't want all kinds of stuff (creepy crawly things) to get in our hair so we covered up with the famous "do rags."

Well, a couple of passer by'ers wanted to know what was peeking out from under my scarf and while I really didn't want to take it off in fear of things falling in my hair I gave in. They really liked my "style" as they call it and issued many compliments.

I have one question......why do other races of women appreciate our hair more than our own??? Ok, never mind...I already know, but it really makes me wonder how long will it take before we accept ourselves the way we were created.

Sisterlock Gathering

Ain't no stopping us!!! We had a fab-u-lous time as you can tell..... we always do when us lock gals get together!!!

Since the gathering so much has happened and I'm crazy busy with stuff I'll have to fill ya'll in on soon.

So that I don't duplicate too many of Karen's and Maryee's blog posts here are a couple of my pics.

We missed all that could not attend!!!! Karen, thanks so much for hosting at the lovely Guest Home, it was first class.

Love, Peace and Soooooooul!

3ABN - Sisterlocks Intro

We survived 2006 Spring Break after taking ten youth from our church on a trip to 3ABN in Illinois to tape a teen talk show called "Teen Pathways." My husband and I are one of the hosts and we have a 501 3c youth ministry, Maranatha Youth Ministries ........yes, we are constantly on the go! ("I know, our website needs a face lift and updating.) This was my first appearance with my Sisterlocks and the producers were trying to figure out exactly what I had done to my hair. Needless to say, by the time I left they knew all about sisterlocks! Group picture is our youth group on set with the producer, camera crew, audio crew and make-up artist. Pictured left, my son and I on set. (He's looking so cool because this was the first time since turning 13 this year that he could participate on the teen show.) The Lord truly blessed the shows as everyone shared personal touching life experiences.

Back to sisterlocks, when I returned I/we were all exhausted and I needed a hair lift to get my energy going. Gigi originally had me scheduled for next week and she was able to move me to today. I went in and she gave me a wonderful repair session and new do. I was on a high when I left and we took some really cute pictures that my camera lost, ugh, I'll never be able to get those back but for now here is what Mrs. Wonderful did to me!

When Gigi learned that I worked out three times a week and was rinsing my hair after each workout, I got the hands on the hip move...... My sides and front are no where close to being locked so Gigi put me on a new regimen:

For the next three months:

• After each work out, use 50/50 Sea Breeze/distilled water mixture and Creme of Nature scalp cleanser to cleanse my scalp
• Only wash every other week so that my hair concentrates on locking
• Do not even think about rinsing my hair
• Continue braiding & banding my sides and fronts as my back is totally locked

"Ms. Lavender"

I was in Whole Foods one day last week and found this bottle of Lavender Water near the Rose Water and decided to try it. I love it!! The smell of Lavender is so soothing and it makes my locks feel and smell so fresh and clean.

Anyone else ever tried Lavender on their locks?

So, here is my collection of Sisterlock/Locking stuff that I feel so lost without if I'm not in close proximity of them. I carry the stuff around like a bag lady and will fight if anyone even remotely appears to touch it. As if someone is going to take the stuff from me and I'm so guarded over the stuff I'm probably one decision away from being a crack head, but instead I'm a lock head. Hee hee. Ok, my jokes are not as funny as Leighann......I digress.

Here's a list of my stuff and why I use each:

From Left to Right:

1. Sisterlock Aloe shampoo - I use it after I shampoo using my Aveda Hair detoxifier (not shown, but formulated with certified organic aloe—to help maintain hair's natural moisture—while detoxifying.)

2. Sisterlock Journal - My very own first publication hot off the press...I love the jet style format and the wealth of information, every Sisterlocker/Locker should have a subscription....I re-read it everyday.

3. The Sisterlock Tapestry of Dreams written by Dr. Cornwell - I use it to reference all kinds of questions. Don't ask me why I have to carry it...it's kind of comforting like Linus and his blanket.

4. Lavender Spritz

5. My little pink carrying case which holds all of my tools , clips and one pair of scissors, all shown on the table. And I did hear what ya'll said about the scissors...thought I'd let that one pass huh?

While many complimented me on my cutting rampage I did hear those of you that emailed and IM me offline to say "STAY AWAY FROM THE SCISSORS!" Still Waters one of my IM buddies especially got her point across to me and I appreciate her candidness. The truth of the matter is after the second cut I tripped out because I no longer had enough hair to braid my locks and wear my wavy "do" without looking like a porcupine. My caruso curlers are my only saving grace right now so, here's what I am going to do...no more scissors for the next year!

Love and Happiness!

My Buddy "Theresa Green"

My buddy Theresa Green is in town this week on business from the Washington, D.C area.

Many of you may have seen several emails from her as she is also a member of the LockItUp group. We were able to hook up for lunch and catch up on some good ole Sisterlock conversation and delicious soup and salad from Olive Garden located in Addision, TX.

Our Sisterlock birthdays are the same month and I must tell you Theresa has the tiniest Sisterlocks I've ever seen! She has over 500 locks and they are just "stunning." Our year mark will be in May and since her beautiful mane is so thick and full of curly q's she says she does not curl or manipulate them in any form or fashion, she totally prefers free styling.

Theresa asked me to give a "shout out" to the DFW group and hopefully one day she will join us here at one of our gathering. Additionally, she has plans to join us in New York for the get together. (Click on her pic to see a close up of her Sisterlocks.)

Speaking of New York, I begged Leighann to make a show happen while we are in New York.......how bout this....she is scheduled for a comedy show and we'll get to see her in action on that Saturday night. We are going to have a blast!!!!

Theresa, it was great seeing you again and keep pampering your locks...you wear them soooooo well!

Thomasa Got "Locked"

Some of you may remember my buddy, Thomas Henry.. she was at the last DFW Sisterlock Gathering in December.

Well, after we left she was pumped up about getting her locks. She's been natural for five years and ready for the next stage but couldn't decide if she wanted Sisterlocks TM or Braidlocs....

Drum roll please....da da da boom shackle lackle lackle BOOM!!! She decided on Braidlocs and did all of the research on her own. Now, since this is my blog and I try to remain humble, this time I need to brag a little on myself...I did them for her!

Yes, we were up for seven hours on Saturday, February 4th from 6:30 PM to 1:30 AM watching movies, eating popcorn and having good ole girl time. When we were done she loved them!!

Thomasa is a elementary school teacher working on her Masters in Administration to become one of Dallas' community leaders as an outstanding Principal. This life style is well worth it for her and I'll save the rest of her story so she can debut on her own blog...coming soon.

Let's welcome Thomasa to our sisterhood!!

"The South "is" Changing"

Pictured here with my Loc'd Up Starbuck buddies. I met Karen this morning and Ron and I probably overwhelmed her with questions about her locks, but we could not resist...they are so AWESOME.

Ron has been on his loc journey now for about a year and his are coming along well.

Karen is originally from Washington D.C and has had her locks for 17 years. After receiving raving compliments from us she shared a story that when she first moved to Dallas many people avoided her because of her locs thinking she was some kind of rebellious sista. Today and 12 years later she gets asked questions about her locks quite frequently and many. many compliments on her glorious mane..

"The southern part of the USA is finally getting it."

A Queen is Remembered

I started this post by posting about Yolanda Kings locs and after realizing how obsessed I am with watching all of the news coverage about Mrs. Coretta Scott King I realized I am as engrossed as I was when Princess Diana passed. (Also, a great Queen) So, I was compelled to contribute something to Mrs. King.

The King family has contributed greatly in overcoming many struggles for the African American people and I personally would like to thank them. I am deeply sorrowful of the passing of a "Great Queen," Mrs. Coretta Scott King and I pray that the family will soon find peace. I especially, pray for comfort for son Dexter King as he choked back tears and explained that his mother died on his birthday.

Mrs. Coretta Scott King knew and accepted her calling in life…to make a difference in the world by working to change conditions for blacks in the south. I personally believe without Coretta there would have been no Dr. Martin Luther King.

Many forget that after her husband was assassinated in 1968, instead of withdrawing from her young children into her grief, Coretta Scott King stepped out into the forefront to continue her husband’s legacy. She started the day before his funeral, leading the sanitation workers march he had gone to Memphis to support. Mrs. King was devoted to preserving Dr.Kings legacy by committing much of her energy and attention to developing and building the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change as a living memorial to her husband’s life and nonviolent philosophy. What a true Virtuous Woman!!!!!

Last Spring we had the opportunity of taking our children to the Martin Luther King Center on our Spring Break vacation and they were impacted in a major way. When we left the center all four of us had red…watery eyes…. we wept and wept and wept until we could take it no more. I’m sure many of you have visited the center and understand what I’m talking about. As a picker upper we went on a tour of his home and our 10 & 12 year old thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

We often try and use vacations as learning experiences because we never want our children to lose sight of who they are and where “we” have come from. Let’s keep hope alive, we all still have a lot of work to do in contributing to this world especially our troubled youth

Picture of Yolanda King, looks like her early stages of Sisterlocks??? Regardless, she's part of the loc family...represent Yolanda, represent!!!!


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Part Correction & Cut Update

I can honestly say my Sisterlock journey thus far has been quite interesting and I have been feeling the need to cut my hair again and did today!

I started my journey with 8-9 inches of bonafied natural hair and because of my awful bunching problems I'm now down to about 5 inches due to cutting the messy ends off.

The bag on the upper left is the 2 inches of ends that I was not happy with and I think I'm down to the "real" locked hair in most sections of my head.

The top right pic show one of my many locks that are being set up for correcting some of my parts. If you look real close you can see the open loop in the middle of the lock at the root and I'm feeling much better about having straight parts. Once I have at least 1-2 inches of new growth each of my corrected locs will be split and my parts will become more defined.

Although I'm sporting a much shorter do, I'm comfortable with it and learning to embrace all of the issues because Sisterlocks is truly what I want and I know in the end my babies will be "da bomb."

My Caruso Curlers give me the temporary curls I usually wear on a daily basis AND The African bead headband is something I picked up the at the Kwanzaa Festival in Dallas, TX. last December.

The booth I bought it from had several different styles, colors and individual beads that you can put on each of your locs. This time next year I'll be ready for the next level of accessories if.....I can keep the scissors out of my head.

While so many SL'ers can't wait for their's to grow I on the other hand keep cutting mine......I must really be going through the mid-life crisis.

Any one else cut their locs before their First Year Loc-versary?

Natural Convert

Today, I wanted to feature my converted natural buddy from work, you go girl that natural twist is looking so nice on you.

Rhonda was sick of the "Creamy Crack" breaking her hair off and causing all kinds of other health problems so about a year ago she went cold turkey and stop putting the relaxer on her beautiful mane. She cut the perm off inch by inch until she had no more.

Today, her hair is soft and healthy! I love touching it because it has so much elasticity in it. I'm so proud of you so keep on keepin on!!!!

Which Tool Do I Prefer?

I've been chatting with several of my LockItUp pals regarding lock tool preferences and since taking the re-tightening class last month I have retightened twice already. Each time has taken six hours for my entire head and I'm trying to pick up the speed...my goal is three hours. Ha!

Upon enrollment of the SL retightening class I was given a official Sisterlock TM Hook Tool and Clip Tool and since it was difficult to control the hook tool I sought other tool options.

One day while checking out Leighann's blog I saw where she preferred using the Nappy Tool and decided to order the small size. I'm now going to order the medium because some of my locks are starting to swell after seven months. I started using the Nappy Tool with my SL reverse 4 pattern and it is incredibly fast. Just point the tool in the direction of your pattern using the tail end and pull it through the lock. I use the hook tool for those areas where I either have outside of the lock or when I need to grab hair that has come out of the loc then finish the rotation with the Nappy tool. (I need a 8.0 mega pxl camera, the 4.1 gets blurry sometimes)

While I appreciate Dr. Cornwell and her invention I just find it easier (for me) to use the Nappy tool. Make sure you read the fine writing on the Nappy website because I remember reading... once you use the Nappy tool on your hair you are officially considered having Nappy Locks and not Sisterlock TM. I disregard that statement because IMO what makes SL's is the pattern and care of the locks directed by Dr. Cornwell not the tool itself. It's all about what makes you comfortable.

The Nappy Tool does not come with instructions but I called when it arrived and they explained right over the phone. No need to fret.

Here's my take on which tool and the order I prefer to use:

1. Nappy Tool - Love it!!!! All I have to say is Simplicity and Speed

2. Clip Tool - Like it - easy to use but not so easy on my fingers. When I use it for too long the tip of my index finger is tender because of the constant pulling on the lever in order to clip it on the hair to prepare for rotations. That means I have to clip (moving part) the tool on 280+ locs. I use only when I need to tighten a few in certain areas of my head.

3. Hook Tool - Challenging! - Using this tool makes me feel like I need to practice, practice, practice until I get it down pack, which could be years! By the time I finish a couple of locks I have to rest my arms, fingers and shoulders because I'm fighting the lock trying to squeeze that new growth through the lock without having to start all over again.

Which do you prefer? Has anyone, other than Consultant's, mastered the Hook Tool???

Tender Headed?

Ok, so here is my childhood pic with my infamous "Afro Puffs." I want to say I was in the 5th grade in this photo.

There was a recent conversation on the LocktItUp Yahoo group about being tender headed that sparked childhood memories. I'll explain my theory as to why I "am not" tender headed while having this much thick hair.

I can remember..... back in the day, my mom would wash my hair and either style it in afro puffs or I'd get a nice hard press that would only last a couple of days after over exposure to the Baton Rouge, Louisiana humidity or from sweating too much from playing kickball, softball, hide and go seek, red light/green light, running races to see who was the fastest kid on the block and riding bikes as fast as we could back and forth down the street. Ya'll get the picture; I got a little carried away thinking about the times of my wonderful childhood and how our children will probably never understand those days. Mainly, because we as parents are too afraid to let them out of our sight too long because of perverts looking to harm an innocent child. Don't let me get started on my soapbox...that's a whole "nother" blog creation all together. Whew..I digress!

What was my point? Oh yeah, tender headness..... after my mom would wash my hair it would usually take a good hour trying to comb through it after loading my hair up with so much Ultra Sheen hair grease or Royal Crown hair grease. Then, after I was forced into tears from the constant pulling and snatching , my dear loving mother would get so frustrated from my complaining that by the time she was done I'd have the print of the famous "afro comb" on my forehead. Now, I'm not sure what kind of family you all were raised in, but my mom did not 'PLAY." It was her way or the highway and children must obey and keep still even under extreme pain. After years of these weekly appointments I surrendered to the mighty right hand of "mommy dearest" shhhh, lol. And that my friends, is why today I am not tender headed! Anyone out there with heavy handed "Mama's"?

Reflecting back, even then I loved my beautiful thick hair I just wished our parents were educated on how to maintain our African American manes. Enjoying the freedom of coming back home.........

40th Reminising

This past weekend I went through some of my 40th birthday 70's party pictures and found this one with my afro puffs along with my girls costumed in our 70's gear, (Shout out to Angie who was Diana Ross, Ronda came as a Black Panther & Tasha was an ole school party girl, what's up my sistahs!) And guess what? We had a blast without alcohol and other synthetic substances, we called it a "natural high." YES, those puffs are "all my hair." (disregard the ghetto styled bills hanging from me)

The picture made me think back to the time when I spent two to three hours two strand twisting my natural bush only to wear it for two weeks, take it down and start the process all over again... sigh. At the time, I had been natural for nine years, I really loved my hair and especially liked it after I would twist the thick mane. However, I hated the time and effort it would take making it just right and testing all kinds of product to get it under control. Seven months later I was locked!!!!!!

Today, I feel total freedom and the love affair I'm having with my Sisterlocks...Oooooooh the pleasure of getting up and going without any effort or product!! Thank you Dr. Cornwell.

Check back with me tomorrow for the other picture I found from childhood that looks a lot like me in this photo....too funny!

Happy New Year

What a way to start off the 2006 year but to hear that my "Sisterlock" mentor is in town visiting this week. As soon as I got a free moment I rushed over to visit with her and her family, which is also an extension of my family.

It was November of 2004 when I was first introduced to Sisterlocks. Tamari was in town for her Grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary and my husband and I were the MC's. When I saw her head full of Sisterlocks TM it was then that I realized I had to have Sisterlocks TM.

Tamari is a Spanish professor and resides in Rialto, CA, she made her 5th year lock anniversary on December 19th and her locks are so healthy and beautiful. Additionally, since last seeing her, she and her husband have a new addition to their family. They were blessed with a sweet little son a few months ago and she is loving parenthood along with the ease of no hair drama.

Michelle Bryant of Rancho Cucamonga, CA maintains Tamari's hair and while she did take the retightening class she prefers to have her Consultant maintains her SL's. Her schedule consists of washing every 7 -10 days and she either wears braid outs or twist outs styles. You will rarely see her in the free style because she says it gets in the way while teaching. She shared with me that while in the hospital she converted several people to Sisterlocks TM because they would come and visit her in the hospital expecting to see a not so attractive person and to their surprise she looked stunning...even under the worst of circumstances. After all, who looks great while in the hospital, well let me just tell ya....us Sisterlockers and natural gals!

Tamari, thanks for bringing Sisterlocks TM to my life because it's not been the same since. Getting up in the morning without worrying about hair has given me back so much of my morning for me and my family.

And get that blog started when you get back to California!

Holler!

Sisterlock Possible Recruits - Yesssss!

With all the talk about Sisterlocks TM in the company of Tamari's grandmother whom I call "Mama Blackburn" and her Aunt Andrea that they began asking questions. By the time we were finished with them they were both ready for tester locks and a consultation. Both are natural and have not had chemicals for years so they are "ripe for the picking." Ripe for the picking is some good ole Louisiana talk from back in the day, it just means they are ready for the move into lockdom. (Pictured from left to right are Mama Blackburn, Tamari and her Aunt Andrea)

Andrea is a Family Medicine Doctor and she works out so she was concerned about the maintenance and how Sisterlocks would work for her schedule. Ok now, you know we were all over that issue and assured her that Sisterlocks TM would be one of the best decisions she could ever make for her lifestyle. Hopefully our DFW group members will get to meet Mama Blackburn and Andrea at the next gathering February 19th in Allen, TX hosted by Karen.

Come on Mama Blackburn and Andrea, join in on the fun!!!

Time Out for a SL Lunch

Us girls (Karen, Detra, Me & TRA, top left pic) decided to take a nice little lunch today and have some down time by treating ourselves to some good ole PF Chang.

It was a blast, we just could not help ourselves, the minute we sat down we started chatting as if we've known each other for years and years. I felt so at home with them, it's like an extenstion of blood sisters.

Anyway, we talked about family, telecommunication industry (we also have careers in common), gave advice to one another, discussed what we need to do to get ourselves in shape (exercise - ugh!), New York trip plans (Detra's working those reservations), how addicted we are to blogging & reading everyone else's blogs (daily), laughed, joked and of course discussed our favorite subject.... SISTERLOCKS!
Thanks for the enjoyable time today ladies!!!! If lunch can be this much fun, I can only imagine how much fun we'll have taking a bite out of the Big Apple!

I included the pic below because it shows my newly cut locs styled with my brand new Soft Spikes, thanks Detra for sneaking this pic in on me. Of course, the curls are not as tightly curled as I would desire because I ordered the large ones for growth use later on. It would probably look better once I wash and curl immediately afterwards instead of curling on four day old washed hair. At any rate, I like it for now!