Help! My Sisterlocks Are Overdue For A Retightening

“Stay On Schedule. Don’t Miss Your Retightening!

I’m sure that you’ve heard this (assertive) recommendation at least once before, especially if you’ve recently started your Sisterlocks journey. As a Sisterlocks Consultant, I can tell you with certainty that there is definitely validity to this advice. Maintaining a regular retightening schedule helps to keep the length of your retightening appointment short and ensures that your Sisterlocks are locking consistently. However, when a situation comes up in your life and you cannot stay on schedule with your Sisterlocks you don’t just want to allow your investment hair to suffer. Instead, try these 5 tips to help maintain the integrity of your Sisterlocks when you are overdue for a retightening.

Caring For Sisterlocks That Are Overdue For A Retightening

1. Protect your hair line. The hair that is along your perimeter, especially the hairline and nape, is the finest hair. These areas are particularly prone to thinning and breakage when not consistently maintained. If you have the length, flat twist or braid your Sisterlocks in that area.
    
   
2. Keep your hair in a compression style. Compression styling minimizes frizz, manipulation and encourages the locking process. One of my favorite compression styles for Sisterlocks are braids.
    
3. Separate your roots often. I’m sure you are already separating your Sisterlocks after washing, but with an extended period of time between retightening, you want to separate your Sisterlocks even more. This will help to prevent your Sisterlocks from joining together, which could cause damage at the next retightening if they have to be pulled apart.
RELATED ARTICLE: What to Expect With Sisterlocks and Fine Hair
 
4. Minimize manipulation. I know you want to try all the styles you’ve recently discovered on YouTube or you may want to style your hair to camouflage your fuller roots, but the reality is that too much styling will cause slippage. And too much tension from styling can stress out your roots. Stick to one style a month; or braid and bundle your hair when you wash it, and then let it fully dry before taking it down— voila, a braid out!
    
5. Be careful with water. Water, while normally our friend because it helps with the locking process, but during periods when you have a lot of unmaintained new growth the roots can elongate when wet and cause major slippage. So if you’re accustom to weekly washes, try extending to bi-weekly washes. And if you sweat in your scalp often, be mindful to use compression styling and dry your hair as soon as possible.
    

Using these 5 tips will help to ensure you return to your next retightening with your Sisterlocks still intact. And if you’re already experience slippage or unraveling with your Sisterlocks, secure the endangered loc(s) until you can get a retightening scheduled. You can do this by braiding the loose hairs/Sisterlocks with a few of the Sisterlocks that are next to it. By incorporating the weaker Sisterlock with a few other neighboring locs you will give it some support, which will minimize the likelihood of it breaking off or slipping out completely.

I would highly encourage you to stay on schedule with your Sisterlocks so that you do not cause thinning or experience entire locs breaking off. The integrity of your Sisterlocks is maintained with a consistent retightening schedule and intentional hair care, however if life gets in the way of your regular schedule use these tips to keep it together.