January 2006 Journal

Greetings HillaryLynn!  I'm so excited.  Let's skip the small talk and get started.  How old are your dreadlocks to date?
let's see if i can still do math... uh, my locks are 7 years old.  i started them in february of 1999, one month after my wedding.

Looking at your original black and white photo, it's amazing to see how long your dreadlocks have grown since 1999.  How long are they now?
My hair ranges from about 16 to 19 inches long
 
Wow...I guess black women can have long hair :-) You know, although I've read your profile over and over, I forget how you started them.  Remind me of what method you used to start your dreadlocks.
i started my hair with twists... using nature's blessing and redken water wax which is a water soluble pomade recommended to me by my loctician.  after the first time... i maintained them myself.

When they were begun, did you use finger or comb parts?  I ask because people with comb-partings tend to maintain nice, even, box-like seperation of their dreadlocks a lot easier than those who do "freeform"-style finger partings.  Have your parted sections maintained their integrity or have they changed over the years?
the first time my hair was twisted it was with comb parts which looked great but i washed my hair and i decided that i could do what the loctician did myself.  so it was my own personal stubbornness and cheapness that won out.  i have never been one to go to a salon so i chose to live with however my hair turned out.  my hair is very natural looking in my opinion, not to say that perfect parts imply fake hair but... ya know what i mean?

Now peeping your newest pic has me noticing a couple of things...the first being color.  What was your original hair color and how have you achieved so much natural sun-bleaching?
this is my natural hair color.  i have always had these highlights.

Ok the other thing I peeped was the overall size of your dreadlocks.  Some people freak out about uniformity and having cylindrical dreadlocks whereas others love to let them grow as they see fit.  Yours seem to be of varying sizes/widths in different areas.  Did they start off being different sizes or is it something that happened over time?  Do they fatten up as they get older or do they thin out?
for the most part my hair is pretty uniform.  but there are some places that my hair has swelled as they have gotten older.  during some of my poor maintenance moments i have snatched some locks apart which resulted in thinner and weakened bases which isn't good. i'm not one to overly concern myself with perfect locks.

Hmm...now that I think about it, is there a such thing as having "perfect" dreadlocks?  Do you think it's possible to achieve perfectly cylindrical
dreadlocks...dreadlocks that look and behave more like braids or is "imperfection" dreadlocks perfection?
perfect is whatever works for you [as the wearer]. i'm sure the cylindrical lock is acheivable with careful and constant manicuring.  but that's not really my concern.

What for you counts as a "good" hair day?
every day i wake up without missing a lock is a good day! LOL!

What's a "bad" hair day?
when i don't make the time to wash it like i need too, especially since i work in the heat and dust of a bakery which coats my hair with sweat and flour!

How do you handle "bad" hair days?
the daily bun/ponytail some times with a bandanna.

Looking back, how does your maintenance routine differ today from say...two years ago?  Do you shampoo more or less often for example?
i've started to wash more often which seems counter-intuitive.  i think it's bcuz i am more conscious of my hair being dirty and the heat fuzzing up the roots. i still use the castille soap and natural products on my hair.

I've heard a lot of people with longer dreadlocks complaining of how long it takes to dry them.  Do your dreadlocks have a lot of standing water after you shampoo and if so, how do you deal with it?
i try to wring them out really well in the tub and them wrap up in a towel.  generally it takes about a day to dry.  i finally invested in one of those soft bonnet hair dryers.

I also read somewhere that standing water in dreadlocks (not allowing them to dry properly) can lead to odor or mildew.  Be honest, have you ever faced any issues regarding standing water or trouble removing airborne odors such as smoke from your hair?  How did you get rid of it?
i try to rinse it out if it's convenient.  otherwise i may do the perfume thing or even lysol.

What does hubby think of wifey's dreadlocks?  I know he's always appreciated them but is it true, do men love longer hair?
he loves my long locks but i have to say he also loved my short hair.

Tell me about HillaryLynn before dreadlocks...before natural hair.  If you had to do a personal critique of HillaryLynnRelaxer, what would it be?  What was she like back then?  Did she carry herself differently?
hillarylynn relaxer hated going to the salon, hated waiting for appointments, so she wasn't great with maintenance.  and once my hair was done... i had to keep it straight by all means necessary so i would bust out the hot comb and hot rollers and really dry out.

What do you miss most about having relaxed hair?
nothing!

And now...what would be the critique of HillaryLynnDreadlocks?  Is she any different that the lady with the chemically treated hair?   If so, how?  If not, has dreadlocks change you, your personality, your outlook in any way?
i really love natural hair in every form.  i have no inclination to ever go back to relaxed hair.  i also look forward to the transformation of hillary once she cuts her locks.

As far as employment, do you think dreadlocks pose as a stumbling block to getting hired?  Why or why not?
it hasn't been a problem as i own my own business now.  but i have had locks for 7 yrs and used to work in a very conservative field: engineering and didn't really have a problem.  no more than living in a suburban environment -- "Can i touch your hair?" "what do you call that hairstyle?"

Let's delve a little deeper into this employment thing.  Do you think dreadheads who have more "freeform" or organic looking dreadlocks face greater obstacles on the job...or getting a job for that matter than those who have "salon" dreadlocks?
yes... not bcuz there are anything wrong with them.  but they are definitely seen as unkempt.  it definitely depends on the workplace they are going into.

What would your advice be to someone considering growing dreadlocks but who is weary about how they will affect their employment options?
my advice would be do it anyway bcuz if you are handling your responsibilities there is no reason for conflict at the job.  if you are concerned you won't get a job with locks...maybe you should wait until you have a job before starting the process.  my attitude is more of a "just let them say something!"

How would you deal with dreadlocks discrimination in the work place?
it's hard for me to say... i don't take well to any form of discrimination.  and i would find it difficult to work in a place that would tolerate that attitude.
 
If you could grow dreadlocks all over again, what would you do differently?
i don't think i would do anything different.

If you could sum up your dreadlocks experience in one word, what would it be?
life-changing

What's true about HillaryLynn in 2006?
Hillarylynn has come into her own this year.  i own a successful coffeeshop bakery in Bedford Stuyvesant called "Bread Stuy."  i am the baker. i work with my husband on a daily basis.  i live in a great neighborhood with great friends.

Editor's Note:  Bread Stuy "Fine Coffees & Cakes" is located at 403 Lewis Avenue - Brooklyn, New York 11233 - (718) - 771 - 0633