Feb 2017 left & May 2018 right. 

It has been over two years locd for me. I had fun writing the first article, so I think I want to keep writing yearly recaps. These past 12 months have been a good journey for personal and hair growth. So, now it is on to my reflections since I last wrote this.

1. On building habits…

There have been things I have struggled with doing, but have finally made them into a habit. For example, wrapping my hair before bed has previously been a struggle, but now I do it 90% of the time. I think it is mostly due to the fact that as my hair has grown, I don’t like it in my face when I am sleeping. Whatever the reason, wrapping it has the added benefit of keeping fluffs from my sheets out of my hair.

I have added some good personal habits to my life too. I unfortunately had never been much a flosser (and my cavities are a testament to that), but I finally have been consistent with it this year. It took a really sore toothache to whip me into shape, but hey, better late than never.

2. Some things haven’t changed…

I still struggle with not having my hands in hair, and it would be helpful if I would take more of my own advice. I would also like to go less time between interlocking my hair. Right now it’s on more of a “rolling basis;” that is, I kind of just interlock whichever pieces have new growth. However, I would like to go back to locing every two months. I think that would help keeping my hands out of my hair as well. 

On the personal front, I would like add in some mindful meditation as a part of my day. I really enjoy UCLA’s guided meditation podcasts, but I just need to add it into my daily routine.

3. Future ideas…

While I am pretty comfortable with my hair as it is now, I still am curious to know by how much it’s growing. Thus, this year I am ready to bring out my inner scientist and do some measurements! I’d like to know not only how much it is growing, but also how much I lose from the ends. Stay tuned for some loc science ventures.

I also have some exercise based ventures on the horizon. I would describe myself as a low energy individual, in so much that I don’t “have the energy” to add exercise to my routine. However, I have read about how exercise can boost your energy, so I want to try and add it 2-3 times a week to my morning routine and see how my energy levels react.

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So there you have it, that’s what going on in the hair-life journey now that I am two years locd. Like I said, I am pretty happy with the past 12 months. I still love having locs, I’ve got a new job, and am still striving to add more positive habits to my life. I am excited for what the next 12 months have in store!