Customer Reviews

Hairlocking: Everything You Need to Know: African Dread & Nubian Lucks

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After years of wearing afros, braids, twists, weaves on and off for years...I'd decided that enough was enough and I was ready to lock my hair. I've read and purchased almost every book available on the topic of natural hair, from Tulani Kinard's "NO LYE" to "LET'S TALK HAIR" and "FOR COLORED GIRLS..." I was always intrigued by this book by Nekhena Evans but was put off by some of the negative reviews it received. Well let me tell you that those reviews are pretty accurate! I finally got to see a copy of the book at my locktician's salon and let me tell you ladies, it is simply not worth the price if you are looking for information on how to lock your hair! A more accurate title for this book would have been: COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT LOCKED HAIR, because that's all it is. Each chapter refutes myths about locked hair and the people who wear them. It contains very few pictures and the ones it does contain are small, grainy and black & white. It poses questions such as "Do people with locks wash their hair?"; "Should I use wax to help form my locks"; "Is hair essentially dead matter?", and more of the same info that most of us already know. If you are a person that has researched the style and want useful information on the pros and cons of different methods for forming locks, styling exisiting locks, proper care & maintenance, photos of locked styles, correcting problems with developing locks, coloring locks, etc...you WILL NOT FIND THE ANSWERS HERE!!! This book is very short and can be read in less than a half hour. Some of the information is quasi-spiritual and shady on the facts. Honestly, I expected much more from the author since she has been a locktician for so long.

The book spends too much time discussing, and refuting the stereotypes, and misconceptions relating to the locking process. It did not discuss the practical knowledge of how to start in enough depth. Additionally, the book assumes that anyone interested in locking has "typical" African American tightly coiled hair. Consequently it doesn't discuss how long it would take any different than typical hair to lock. This is a good book for anyone who has zero to little knowledge of locks and is exploring that alternative. For people who have already made the decision to lock, and just want practical information, Pamela Ferrell's book Lets Talk Hair, is a much better investment.

If you are looking for help working your way through a new loc journey, (what to use, how to do it etc.) this book is not for you. If your doing research on the history of loc'd hair, with lots of personal convictions - this book is for you. If you have made the decision to loc your hair, you probably already have your own convictions - you don't need to buy them from a stranger. . I was so disappointed that with this book, I actually tossed it in the trash - something I almost never do.

I am thinking of locking my hair and this was in no way a helpful book. It has very little actual information about how to lock your hair and how to care for it. On the bright side, I did learn some things I didn't know before: my coiled hair gives me an 'extra facility of telecommunication ability and power' because it works like an antennae and locks are 'receivers and transmitters of divine emanations'. How nice.

(Why aren't the reviews of the out-of-print edition included here?)

The title of this book is very deceiving. The title says everything you need to know about african, dread and nubian locks. when in reality. it give very little information about the about. it gives mostly her personal beliefs nothing really concrete. I'm a african american Female who's made the decision to go natural for the the past year and half. and wanted to read something to help me make the decision of whether to do locks. this book was of no help to me. this is my personal evaluation. so if you are reading this and in my situation don't bother buying this book. it was of no help.

This book provided very little factual infoprmation. It seems that the author just wanted a medium to express her personal spiritual views. If you are trying to research locks, it would be best to seek out another source.

In this book, the author discusses the origins of locks, "dreadlocks vs locks", and the myths associated with locked hair. Excellent encouragement for people who have locks or anyone who is just thinking about it. This book encourages acceptance of African "coiled" hair, and shows that beauty does not only have to be Eurocentric. I agree with the author's statements that once African-Americans lock their hair, they "fall in love with it." To me, this means that a person with locked hair has accepted their natural hair and all of it's quirks and knows that beauty comes in all hair textures. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a "how-to" book.

16 years ago when I was 24 I decided I wanted locks but didn't know where to begin. My journey was a spiritual and cultural one...this book was wonderful for me and I wrote the Author and she personally called me back a couple weeks later apologizing for the delay because she had been touring the country doing her book signing.

I think for anyone thinking about getting locks and not having any idea where to start, what the process is, what changes your hair will go through this is a good book. It doesn't tell you about the exact process but it does debunk the myths and also gives you background. Quite honestly, now days with the so many so called lockticians you'll find many methods so I would say seek the advice of the author directly or speak to your local locktician for further detail. But back when this book first came out when many people didn't have locks and didn't understand the difference between dreadlocks and locks...(Yes, there is a difference) this book did much to get to the root of the myths, the true reason beyond the style when locks were still to most more than just that...another hair style. Before it was fashionable.

If you are looking for technique and haven't really cared or weren't aware of the myths...this book isn't for you. If you are trying to get some starting points and are getting locks for a more cultural/spiritual purposes I would say this is a nice opener. Like an Intro to locks. The hair products also were wonderful as well as the Hair locking convention which she speaks of in the book.

The book was okay, it took a couple of weeks to get to me and by that time I was not interested in it anymore

Nekhena Evans is paramount in her ability to communicate her message about not just hair locking, but also the historical, spiritual, and personal meanings as well. This book is a must if you are of African descent. This encourages me to drive on with my aid to increase black awareness in hair by developing AfricanHairCare.com