Sunday 3 January 2010

Get Locks in less than 24hrs

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and are all ready for the New Year. January is the month we all try and recover from the fun we had and lazing we did during the festive season. In some parts of the world, kids are starting their first days in school while other are moving to a class higher than a year before making this one of the most hectic months of the year. We have made resolutions to become better people, parents, friends, parents, employees and bosses.  In the new year and new decade, My dreadlocks will try and help you take care of your "crown" better. We'll help you look more elegant, have less stress being natural and be even more interactive while the page remains easy to navigate.  Happy New Year to all of you and may you all have a prosperous one.

So back to the Quick Locks,

Would you like to move from the lady on the left (short straight hair) to the lady on the right(long beautiful locks) in less than 24hrs?? Amazingly it is possible. I was recently in Nairobi and I was surprised at the number of people with very looong and beautiful locks. The reason for my surprise was not the locks being beautiful, not at all because one of the best locticians I know lives in Nairobi. The reason for my surprise was in less than 2yrs Nairobi had moved from no lock zone to almost everyone is locked and they are all long. My locks are only 23months old and it was only recently that I was able to hold them up in a pony tail. So I decided to investigate how most people in Nairobi moved from short straight hair to very long locks in such a short time.
What happens is, people with long locks cut their locks and sell them. If you decide to lock your hair, you go to the loctician in upmarket salons in Nairobi and buy the locks. As you get your "afro" twisted into locks for the first time, they attach the bought locks to your new ones. The bought locks are natural, i.e. they were growing on someone else's head before they were attached to your hair. They are not synthetic nor are they like the "human hair" weaves you attach to your hair, these means they are not treated in any way.As your new locks grow, they gradually lock with the attached locks.
This method is very fast and hustle free especially when done by a professional. You also don't require too much patience to wait for your locks to grow, (I have been waiting 23months before I could hold my locks in a pony). It only requires about 3months if not less for your hair to lock completely with the attached locks. The method is quite cheap, if you compare it to dread perm that's just as fast. 24hr Locks cost about €60-€80 ($100-$120), according to the living standards in Nairobi that's a lot of money but for a visiting kenyan from the diaspora, it's manageable if you want to hurry your locking.
The only disadvantage would be the use of someone else's hair, and in most cases someone you know nothing about. I think if I had been presented with this option when I wanted to start locking, maybe I would have done it but now I have been with my babies for 23months, I wouldn't exchange them for anything.
What do you guys think? Those that have been locked for a while, if you had to reverse time, would you do it? And those who would like to lock, would you do it if you found a salon that does it?

15 comments:

  1. I currently have synthetic dread extensions, as I had to get my real dreads cut off 6 months ago (Bad hair dresser experience!).
    If there was a hair dresser in Sydney that attached real dread extensions i would be there in a shot!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm...I don't know. I would definitely have to know how the hair is treated or kept sanitary. But the idea seems no different then loc extentions. I've actually read a blog where a woman attach the locs of a family member to her own for length. The pro is she knew the person.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Dreadlocked, I'm very sorry for your bad hair experience...you must be very strong to have been able to forgive the hairdresser. I'm not sure I would. What kind of lock extensions do you have? Would you mind sharing a picture with the rest of us?
    @Kicukalah, it's easier to use a relatives hair than a stranger's. Wish I had a relative with long locks :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cee Happy New Year. good to see you're still going strong.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy New year to you too Shiko. I'm happy to see you back I had even wondered, kwani how lucky were you having such a loooooonnnggg holiday lakini nimesoma comment huko kwako. Thank God block imesonga. As for the 24hr locks, I wrote the post for you and PKW....you had been asking about the quickie locks ama?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Asante sana, Dreadlocks Mamasita. I posted my comment ealier in the year lakini it didn't appear

    I wear synthetic braids and once rocked a sythentic weave in 2002, but I've never won the straight human hair. I wouldn't mind putting on someone's locks if it means I immediately have long locks. I think that's what I'll do when I decide to lock.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your Welcome PKW. May be you could try out the locks during your next visit to Nairobi and tell us how to works for you. I definitely envy, the great variety of hairdressers and hairdos you have over there.....Enjoy to the fullest some of us just dream about it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes quickie locks I would definitely do. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shiko, I knew you would like them.....ukijaribu utwambie

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just stumbled here by chance.
    ..am going on a US govt contact job for two years that requires me to cut my locks...but i didnt realize i could just cut my babies off and keep them!!! Then two years down the road i can just get them back on...wow....good to know!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hallo American,
    wow that's a great idea, I hadn't thought of the 24hr locks being your own that you reuse. All the best during your mission and hope when you get back, we'll be seeing you on My Dreadlocks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. hey, any idea which salons in Nairobi do this? i'm at the 6 week mark and will be going home end of the month and it sounds intriguing-just for some length, i might consider it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The salons only do this for new locks. If you're interested, send me an email and I'll email you the contact details to someone who can do your locks in Nai.

    ReplyDelete
  14. hey cee waddup
    my name is Devanier and i just got put on to ur blog like 3 hours ago lol. but i have been growin my locs for about 6 monthe na, well it will be 6 months on the 16 of this month and i have a few questions. first how do u feel about jamcian mango and lime products. second umm i used gels for a while like the first 5 months but just recently i started usin wax, i dont use that much. i actually use both just more gel then a lil wax on the roots and ends for a better hold. Is this a bad idea. and last question im a athlete and my hair it really thick but soft u know i was wonderin is there anything i can to to make my hair last more than a week and a half?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Devanier,

    First of all, welcome to my blog. As for your questions.
    1. I haven't heard a single complaint about M&L products, so I think it is safe to say they are great products
    2. There is no problem mixing your gel with wax, just beware of the build up.
    3. To tighten the root, I would advise you try interlocking, it holds a while longer than plain gel. (Your hair holding for more than a week after all that sport is amazing. Mine holds for only 2weeks without any sport)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog. Still got unaswered questions? Contact me at dreadlockmamasita@gmail.com or find me on Facebook.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.