Meet Lenora...Natural of the Week

Meet Lenora the LOC STAR!!

I secretly want locs.  In the past, I have gone back and forth about it.  I like sisterlocs and find myself watching Youtube videos about how to style locs.  This interview with Lenora was such a good experience for me.  Be Inspired.....

Lenora can be found on YouTube...

How long have you been natural?

I've been natural since 1999. My bestfriend told me she was going natural and I was like "what does that mean?" sad i know. Anyway she came home from college and had a lil fro and I was like "ooohhh I like". It had never crossed my mind that wearing my hair natural was an option because I'd had a perm since I could remember.... So I just decided to chop all my hair off in 99'. I went back to a perm for about 8 or 9 months since that time but i kept missing my naps so I went back to them.

Did you have any support going natural?

Yes and no. I had support from my close girlfriends but my family was not trying to hear it. LOL But I didn't care I just did what I wanted to do anyway. Now some of those same family members are natural...umm hmmm..

What made you want to loc?

I've always liked locs. Everytime I saw pics of Lauryn Hill I would almost drool over her hair. Having had every natural hair style I could think of and going through the big chop several times I decided to give locs a try. I LOVE them!

What loc process did your loctician use?

I started and maintain my locs myself. I started my locs with two-strand-twists. I did my research to see the size of twists should be because I wanted medium/large size locs and just sat down one day and did it.

Maintenance of the locs...

I wash my locs every week or every other week. I've used various haircare lines but I find that some of the generic brands work just fine. Save your money ladies/gents! Currently I'm using Suave's clarifying shampoo and a regular moisturizing shampoo. 

I use Oyin's Honey-Hemp conditioner about once a month, and I also do Apple-Cider-Vinegar (ACV) rinses. ACV rinses are a great way to get rid of build-up. I keep a spray bottle mixed with water, Infusium, rosemary essential oil, tea tree oil, some vanilla oil for fragrance, vitamin-E oil, and spritz my hair/scalp with it daily. 

I've also tried different loc gels. Taliah Wajheed's Lock It Up! gel works really good, but I've started making my own. I mix aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, almond oil. I got a tip to add honey to the mix to get a better hold so I'm going to try that next time I retwist.

How often do you re-twist? 

I retwist my locs using the palm-rolling method once a month, maybe twice. I wanted my locs to be thicker and I don't like them super-neat so I don't retwist that often. The less stress on my roots the better. In the beginning I retwisted more often and interlocked the locs where my hair was softer/straighter to prevent the stray hairs from joining with other locs. But now that they are fairly mature once a month works good for me.

How do you keep your scalp clean?

Just my regular washes and ACV rinses. I don't put alot of products in my hair so I haven't had a problem with build-up or dandruff.

What is the best thing about being loc'd?

I made one year loc'd in May so I would definitely say the journey is the best part. I used to think it was so cliche' but I really have learned alot about myself during this process. I'm much more patient. Learning what's best for hair/locs (water, less chemicals, natural products) has also inspired me to live a healthier lifestyle. Plus locs are cool! 

What advice do you have for an aspiring LOC STAR!

It's hair..if you twist it up and decide you're not ready..then no worries just wait.

If you are gonna go for it though my best advice is to keep your hands out of your head. Don't over manipulate. Do your research to see which loc style is better for you (traditional, sister/brother/locs, braidlocs, etc) and just watch your hair go through the process. It's pretty cool. Know that there are bumps in the road, there is a "frizzy stage" that cannot be tamed, times when you'll feel like nothing's changing (but trust it is), and times you might miss your other hair (i still miss my fro sometimes). But just enjoy the process, all of it, and DOCUMENT your journey!