Well... my retightenings ARE very uncomfortable but it depends on how "thick" and puffy my roots are going into the reti. I have noticed that if I had a lot of growth/thickening during the time frame between reti's then its a little more painful, in addition, since going natural I just have a TENDER scalp (lol), Another thing I have noticed is if I fail to keep my partings "separated" then it will be more painful as I feel like some hairs are snapping in an attempt to keep those stray hairs from growing across locs (I hope I said that right)--LOL...so yea, I have experienced some discomfort, but it NEVER lasts for days. I usually just take an advil or something before I go and then spray my scalp with seabreeze after the reti. I do like for my rotations to go all the way to the scalp and I love the way my hair looks after reti so I don't want anything to change, but I have experienced the "pain" of reti's and IMHO for me it's more about the width of the tool than my Consultants use of the tool.

Jai

Thanks for sharing your point. I had one person describe the pain as being extremely painful to the point where she going to give up her sisterlocks. I had another one stated that she be in pain for days. I don't understand that kind of pain. I'm not super tender head but I don't have a hard head either. I do notice my discomfort is less when my consultant retightens on wet hair, but I choose not to have it done on wet hair because my sisterlocks look so much neater that way. Now I wonder if sisterlocks should not be recommend to people who are very tender headed. FYI I also found other sisterlocks wearer who was able to overcome the real painful episode by doing their own hair.

This was an excellent post. I didn't know that water could alleviate a painful retightening. My consultant was very rough on my scalp, and I had a sore scalp for a couple days. The actual retightening was also very painful. Since I retighten my own hair now, I don't experience pain at all.

I suggest that ladies learn to retighten their own hair, as you suggested. If you have a rough consultant, you will feel the difference when you retighten your own hair.

Thanks Terez! I instantly though of you for my last bullet point, since you did mention that the pain stop when you started retightening your own hair. I think we all manage pain with our hair a lot better as a DIYer

I thought you couldn't do a reti on wet hair because of how elastic your hair becomes when its wet, it lends to breakage and not looking neat afterwards. I am tender-headed and my reti's are painful but nothing some water and witch hazel AFTER doesn't fix.

I think your suggest to tell the consultant not to do the last rotation is best and can apply to everyone in reti pain, lol.

My consultant use to retighten my hair after she washes it with no issue. I read a lot of consultant would wash and retighten their client hair while it is wet, so I don't know if retightening on wet hair leads to breakage at all.

I do know that you are told NOT to style your locks while your hair is dripping wet (ex. braids or rollers). That is due to your hair expanding while wet, and contract when it dry (hence the possibility of breakage). You can also introduce unpleasant smell/mildew, since the hair takes longer to dry. That is the only time I read that wet hair leads to breakages, and since sisterlocks are normally loose while getting a retighten done, I don't see that being a problem.

I do love the suggestion of the water and witch hazel after a retighten done, which should help with the soreness. I also agree that retightening on wet hair is not as neat as retighten on dry hair, which is why I started washing my own hair and arriving at my consultant place with clean and dry hair. But I did find that the pain or tenderness was much easier to deal with when my hair was wet.

I just tried a consultant that would kill my hair if I stayed with her. Hands were beyond rough and my locks in the front are fragile at times.

:( Sorry to hear about that Sophia. Glad you found someone that was a little more gentler with your locks.