Whether your Sisterlocks are newly established or more settled, this post and this video are just for you. It will take you through a full wash day sequence covering braiding and banding, shampooing plus braid and band takedown and drying.
I’ll outline the steps here.
Braiding and banding
If your Sisterlocks are newly-established or at risk of slippage or not yet locked, your consult will probably have told you to braid and band your Sisterlocks every time you wash them.
Braiding and banding means braiding or plaiting together small bunches of your Sisterlocks and then securing the ends of each braid or plait with a small elastic band (or you could use cloth ties or cloth hair bands, if you have very fragile ends).
Take a small number of Sisterlocks and divide the small section into 3 (in the video I put around 4 Sisterlocks into each section of 3. Then braid (or plait) them down to the almost the end. Do it loosely and don’t pull too tightly from the scalp.
I no longer braid and band but when I did, I found it easier to shampoo and rinse when the braid was loose. It also meant that I didn’t have to rinse my Sisterlocks for too long after shampooing because the looser braids allowed for the shampoo to be rinsed out more easily.
Next, fold over the end of the braid and wrap the elastic band around it. I also find that there was no need to put the elastic band on too tightly because when washing Sisterlocks, they ‘swell’ slightly and if the elastic bands are on the ends too tightly, they will be difficult to unwind and can cause knots and/or breakage to the ends of the Sisterlocks.
Braid and band all of your Sisterlocks and then you’re ready for the next step.
Tip: if you can find light-coloured bands, it will make it easier to quickly spot them in your Sisterlocks when getting ready to take the bands out.
Shampooing
I add a small amount of shampoo to a spray bottle and then I add around triple the amount of water, give it a good shake and then spray the shampoo mixture directly onto my scalp and work it in.
Diluting the shampoo makes it a thinner, easier liquid to work with and it can more easily be washed out, compared to using thick, gluggy shampoo straight out of the shampoo bottle.
Once all the scalp has been sprayed, it’s time to carefully massage the shampoo all over and squeeze gently into the Sisterlocks. Then it’s time to rinse.
Repeat the spraying and massaging in – if your Sisterlocks need an extra clean.
Then rinse thoroughly.
Wrap with a black towel, to avoid fluff and lint being added to your Sisterlocks.
Taking down the braiding and banding
After leaving the Sisterlocks wrapped in the towel for 5 minutes or so, take one of the braids and carefully find and pull one section of the elastic band. Then unwind that elastic band from the end of the Sisterlocks.
Next start to gently undo the braiding, and work your way right up to the root. Repeat this until all the braids have been undone. I find that doing this while the Sisterlocks are still damp is easier than when they are dry.
Work through each braid gently and don’t tug. I had a horrible experience once when I was running late for an appointment and was taking out the braids in hurry. The ends of a clump of Sisterlocks became knotted together and I ended up running down the high street with my knotted Sisterlocks, rushing to get to my appointment. I learnt my lesson after that!
That’s it!
You’ve now finished the wash day and can either let your Sisterlocks air dry or use your preferred way of drying your Sisterlocks, such as a towel or a T-shirt.
I hope you found this post useful – and if you’d like to see all of this in action, please go to this link to see the video on YouTube.
