Saturday, October 27, 2007

Tightening and the Hoop La Ha

Sigh...so, Aya, Helga and myself took the retightening class back in September. It was a beautiful day in California, I cleaned my apartment, hid all of my papers behind the sofa under the rug AND prepared a nice lunch for the students and the instructor. I EVEN went out and purchased Pelligrino (love this carbonated water) to serve as a delightful accompaniment to my roasted whole chicken which was to be used with the mixed salad greens (with a nice selection of herb seasonings tossed in) to create a wonderful roasted chicken mixed green salad! I'm not EVEN going to mention the salad dressing...I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...
I love my hair and sisterlocks but I really LOVE my savings account...after paying for the class, paying for the Tightening Kit (you receive hair products plus the 2 tools) I felt as if I was being forced into purchasing something I did not need; a necessity to a business to push product. I would've preferred the tools only and NOT the hair products. I don't like stock-piling hair products in my bathroom they take up too much space. I have products I use for my hair and love them to death...
Anyway, the classs went very well. It was fun and engaging. The entire writing down notes is crazy. Why can't I have an instruction booklet that tells me how to tighten my hair? This same instruction booklet should show how to start a new lock if you happen to take down a lock because the lock got tighten into another lock. I'd be damned if I'm going to cut my hair...I've taken the locks down to perserve the 10 strands that inadvertantly tightened into the lock next, under or on top of it. Note to future tighteners: Be careful when tightening, locking two locks together aint no joke! Continuing with my comment: It seems to me that within the amount of money that has been allocated and paid one should receive MORE (I mean information) for their investment.
It took me two weeks to tighten my entire head. Mind you I was working a little at a time. I would tighten a few rows in the morning before work. Tighten a few rows in the evening during a boring show, tighten a few rows before going out with friends...etc. I did allocate an entire day (Sunday it was) to finishing tightening my hair! That was a hair-raising experience...
I lost the goofy clip tool to my sofa! Let me comment on this ergonomically challenged tool: STUPID-RIDICULOUS TOOL!! I don't understand why a tool has to be so small, have a hook that is open and catches on hair while going pulling through the rotations, the spring mechanism is hard to open (which causes the skin on the index finger to peel back - ok that's dramatic - but writing: "ya finger gets sore" is so bland). The tip is sharp which hurts the scalp and the weight of the tool - too light! This is suppose to be the "popular" tool for tightening one's hair....it needs re-tooling...I have a list of suggestions:
  1. The spring mechanism should open and close easily.
  2. The hook should close into the spring mechanism to prevent snagging on hairs while working through the rotation
  3. The tips should be dull and rounded
  4. More weight should be added to the tool so it feels like a tool versus styrofoam used for packing a box for mailing. (this is my comparison of the weight)
  5. More user friendly

OK...so I was frustrated with the tool...

Clip Tool and the Sofa...

So, when I lost my clip tool to the sofa...I panicked. I couldn't find that goofy tool for nothing! Then it occurred to me...I have a metal needle I use for yarn sewing! I pulled out the needle it was a nice metal weight. When it would fall from my hand, I could hear it hit the floor....YES! I threaded my lock through the needle and worked my rotations...IT WAS WONDERFUL! The yarn needle has a dull rounded tip, the eye of the needle was long/wide enough to thread my locks and I didn't experience any snagging of hairs while working through the rotations! Plus, I realized this needle costs me WAY less to purchase if I happen to lose it to the sofa. There were two negatives: (1) Needle could be shorter (I should stop by Michaels and see if the needle comes in a shorter length) (2) REALLY need to be careful to prevent catching other locks into the needle. Same as the Sisterlock Tool - this is just the cautionary standard.

Sisterlocks or Needle Locks?

I have SISTERLOCKS...will always have SISTERLOCKS! The tools "recommended" by Sisterlocks may not become my "tools of choice" because of reasons stated above. Damn it - I spent my SISTERLOCKS money and aint no one EVER, never EVER gonna tell me what I don't have!

Do I like tightening my own hair?

It takes some time but I like the freedom...I guess. I can control how tight (rotations) I use per lock and I can tighten at anytime. I'm one of those lock clients who prefer tightening every eight weeks. I enjoy the new growth look...I feel rasta :::lol:::

I'm still annoyed about the "kit" cost and "What you Get for the Money!"

I JUST wanted the tools...sigh...It seems I've said this before -oh, well!

Lexus Prefect

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are too funny!!! LOL!!! I Love this post!!! When I initially was told by my consultant about the retightening class I was excited, b/c someone would be teaching me how to do my own locks and supplying the tools. When I found out the cost I was a little more apprehensive.

For some reason I thought you would receive the tool(s) and at the very least an instruction booklet... This disappoints me a bit.. My consultant even said she didn't like one of the tools cause it seemed more complicated. I think she uses the smaller one.

Thanks for posting this cause I really want to learn to do my own hair but if I can learn without the Sisterlock tool and still be in good shape I'm happy. Thankfully I have a consultant I can ask any questions to and I'm pretty sure my next retightening will be interesting.

P.S. Did you ever find the tool?

Aya said...

Hey Sistah!!! Did you ever find your clip tool??? You are tooo crazy. You mean you used a yarn needle??? How did it turn out? BTW, the bunnies are doing great. Grrr is using his litter tray consistently for urine. I'll have to work on the pellets next.

Lexus Prefect said...

Meikmeika & Aya:
NEVER found the clip tool (which is the small one. I was thinking about it the other night, I have a sofa where the lining underneath is stapled tight so it didn't roll out the bottom of the couch...Glad you enjoyed the post - it came from my heart :-)lol

Meikmeika - Oh, the (2) tools were included in the price of the "tightening kit" plus a 5x7 mirror, hair clips and butterfly clips, plus all the hair products...I didn't want the hair products would've preferred tools only. By the way - there was a booklet...no instuctions, just cute pictures, arrows pointing up/down/left/right no instructions written how to start a new lock and a few other things.

Nevertheless,that darning needle - really darning needle was used this morning to tighten up a few areas on my head...love it! I'm seriously considering ordering the nappy tool it makes sense in its construction just like my darning needle!

Aya - You can't tell the difference from the sisterlock tool and the darning needle. Brenda (Get Caught in the Act)was right.

Lexus

SeZ said...

Now that was a post! I read the whole thing smiling and now I never want to take the class or use the tool either LOL. How long does it take to retighten your hair now?

Unknown said...

Just a little tip. You can get plastic yarn needles for a few cents and tose can be cut to size with a sturdy pair of shears (cover your eyes). You can file the cut edges smooth with a nail file.

Unknown said...

Sorry "tose" should read "those"