Year 3 Sista-lockaversary

July 28th, 2016 has marked 3 years with my Sisterlocks. It's Anniversary time! It's a pretty big deal, considering I've been anxiously awaiting the milestone of maturity since install July 2012. I'm posting now, well, because I feel energized to do so with the official welcoming to summer kick-off.
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Stats:

• Standard/Large in Back Sisterlocks
• 300+ installed over 23 hours by Certified Locktician
• Install over 2 days July 27/28th 2012
• Self Maintenance  

Journey Milestones:

• Install was wonderful through month 1
• Year 1 sucked, big time. I did not enjoy the transformation process from baby locks through teenager
• Year 2 it got better, but meh
• Year 3-loving it and like the outcome better than my BL

I Did It My Way:

month 5-hated it

• DIY all the way baby, well after the initial install that is. No one has been in my head (again) since initial install. I love being in control of my journey and my own outcomes. My locks may not look like perfect uniform ropes initially. However, as they mature they continue to develop uniformity. I have always embraced the individuality of the locking process and seeing the evolution of the lock matrix inside and out. 
• In the beginning I was NOT adamant about banding. It was crucial for me to feel the soap/product flow through my hair and into the sink and the rational of banding is counter to that process. As a result, my large SLs started off bunchy in places along the shaft where I have looser texture.

• TIGHTENINGS I pretty much stay with my 2.5 inch hair pin or the blue plastic sewing needle. I bought the nappy locks tool-but it's not user friendly for my hands. Plus, it's always getting lost. I've tried a couple of tools; but, I continue to come back to my hair pin.  Also, I never tighten all at once, only as needed. Once I feel a full rotation worth of new growth,  I get to tightening. I enjoy it and it calms me.

• BUNCHING  I learned that if you start with long hair you WILL have bunching period. It doesn't matter what kind of lock installation installed. The only way to avoid bunching is to start with short hair from 1-2 inches and grow out controlling each rotation etc from install. With long hair, it's going to shrink, draw up, lengthen-movement is inevitable. Banding helps control that process, especially while the hair is wet and in dynamic motion. In my case, I banded just enough to keep my hair from unraveling the first month..then by the end of month 2 it was I was done with THAT! My locs started thickening up and I wanted to ensure the soap, dirt and debris was getting out, not trapped in, to each his own.

Imperfectly Perfect

• My center part was never truly center to my head. I noticed then, and I notice now. Oh well. I know my loctician put her heart into my head and I've not let that stop me from parting any way I like. It's a bit off center-but whatever. Locks are imperfectly perfect and perfection was not my goal. 
• Yeh, the bunching thing-by twisting and torquing a la Sophia, I was able to work out a lot of bunching. A few I cut, others I just let be and they resolved on their own. It's as if the matrix sends directives throughout the length of the lock as to what diameter to expand or contract towards. It's magical. At three years, the small amount of bunching I have is now is NOTHING compared to the bunching I had with my BLs, it's been very manageable and negligible enough that it doesn't interfere with tool tightenings.
• Some SLs in the back have an inconsistently large base.  I didn't want to tamper with this journey and I let it go. They are this size of a string or straw.

Will I keep them? Yes, for now. I've learned there are no absolutes in life. It's more important for me to stay flexible and open to where life leads me than to control everything.  I'm willing to keep this set through my mid 50's. I'm not willing to take down locks again, that took 4 mos with my BLs and it was emotionally and physically draining. I am willing to let my hair grow out, then cut to a desired TWA length.

I enjoy maintaining my own hair and if I can't I won't enjoy locking anymore. I don't envision enjoying a lock journey that someone else maintains. If health complications should arise as 'Arthur' attempts to slide into the matrix of my life, I will cut them.