The question most posed to me throughout social media is:

What are the pros and cons of sisterlocks?
Here's the answer:

Cons
Initial Cost
More than one person will say: if you can't afford them don't get them, even if you use your tax return to pay the initial installation costs. I slightly disagree. Make sure you can afford the installation (500+), first year of retighenings ($80+ each), and possibly an official retightening class ($250) and you can make it until you are able to self-maintain. Now if you can't afford that hefty additional cost of the retightening class, consider working hard to learn the interlocking method via all the resources on blogs and Youtube. (Add a significant markup to all the aforementioned prices if you are in the NYC area, I am told the New York prices are considerably higher for some random reason.)

Many of my most drastic close calls with losing my locks were during seasons where my budget did not allow for going to a consultant regularly. These close calls ended when 1. I found a skilled AND affordable consultant and 2. I learned the DIY interlocking method for those times in-between.

The first year or two are the most expensive, when you become self-sufficient, it is much cheaper than other hair styles. Even cheaper than the fro when you realize that all you really need is a good shampoo and no other products to maintain your hair.

A photo posted by Samantha Sophia (@raisingself) on
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Consultants/Locticians
Finding a great consultant that educates you while supporting your journey is hella hard. The sisterlock business model is super secretive and the secrecy seems to be breeding inconsistency and poor customer service. I made a ton of mistakes early on when there were few DIY resources because my consultants seemed to be more concerned with making me dependent upon them than instructing me on how to maintain the strength and health of my locs.

Before you commit to sisterlocks, find a consultant with a strong reputation for service and client support.

Hair Loss
This may not be true for everyone, but I experienced more than my fair share of loc loss during my sisterlock journey, mostly due to:

I wrote a detailed post about hair loss here.

Please note: Waiting too long in-between retightenings is not good for your hair. At one point (before I knew how to self maintain) after giving birth and while I was working on my own business, I waited 5 months to retighten. Many of my locs were very thin and ready to break off. This is because I did not have the time resource, financial resource and consultant resource (I was looking for a new one) and my locs paid the price.
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Pros
Versatility/Appearance
All locs have some degree of versatility, but none compare to sisterlocks because of their size. Sisterlocks tend to make the thinnest of loose hair seem fuller. On top of this, the styling possibilities are endless, you can use heat (flit iron/curl) and do even the fanciest up-do. You could style as much or as little as you would like.

Freedom
Rainy day worries are a thing of the past. Moisture is my best friend. I wash and go with the best of them now. Retighenings are every 4-6 weeks and I can go literally this entire time without doing a single thing to my hair.

Natural/Holistic Living Friendly
Sisterlocks don't enjoy to many products, they look best when clean, with minimal products. Not only am I relaxer free, I am free from the curl defining product addiction. I use quality natural and organic products and  keep my hair clean/healthy.

A photo posted by Samantha Sophia (@raisingself) on

While there may be other pros and cons, these are the ones I've experienced and most consistently encounter across others with sisterlocks. I love my hair despite the cons and I can't imagine another hairstyle now that I have sisterlocks.

Please let me know if I missed any other pros or cons.