This post will talk about the different between Certified vs. Trainee when considering Sisterlocks. The "other" is a extra information but still note worthy to share. When looking for someone to install your locks, you have two main choices, and that is the certified list vs. the trainee list on sisterlock.com. Below I will explain the cons as well as the pros of going with either choice. Note: They are also R-Certified Consultants that are higher than the Certified Consultant, but that just means that they are consultant who can also train individual on how to retighten their own sisterlocks.

Certified Consultant
They are required to take the 4-Day course on how to install & maintain sisterlocks. To become certified, they have to complete a certain amount of install (submit documentation on 3 qualifying clients minus children and relatives) and pay extra fee to hold the certification. Certified Consultants are then register for 2 years and must submit 1 client photo with documentation they have maintained the client for a year. The great thing about "Most" certified consultants is that they take being a sisterlocks consultant very seriously, because they chose to pay the extra fee to become certified, as well as being committed to their works. They also tend to be much faster, as well as being very experience in what they do. Due to the fact that a certified consultants has a lot of experience, the person that will benefit the most from them is someone that has looser curl pattern, because they are able to detect and figure out issues faster and fix any issue that may arise from that particular hair type.

Now just because a consultant is certified, doesn't mean they are always good, or that they are the best option for you. Most certified consultant are likely to be more expensive, and have a long list of client, which makes them harder to get a hold of or have appointment set in the spar of the moment. Also some certified consultant are known for developing some very bad habits as well as being less patience when dealing with new clients.

Pro: Tend to be very fast with lots of experience.
Con: Price per market (can be very expensive). They tend to be difficult to get a hold of. Can become very arrogant and sometime do not follow the sisterlocks guideline.

Trainee (Sisterlocks Practitioner)
They are required to take the 4-Day course on how to install sisterlocks & maintain sisterlocks. Now below I list the common cons, but a lot of trainee can have as much as experience as a Certified Consultant, so just because they are listed as trainees does not mean they don't have any experience nor does it mean they are slow. That is why I always recommend seeing not only a certified consultant but a trainee as well. Look at their works and don't just focus on the certification.

Trainees remain on the register for two years and can either go the route of certification or retake the refresher course to remain active on the registry on sisterlocks.com. After the 2 years have expired,  the trainee is placed in the category of inactive status (removed from site). A lot of trainee come from a hair background (whether is braiding or installing traditional locks), and they tend to follow the lower price end because they want to attract more clients. Just because they a cheaper, doesn't mean they are not good, they too had to complete the same training as the certified consultant.

Pro: Can be an inexpensive way to start sisterlocks. Tend to be eager and very friendly.
Con: Can be very slow and have little experience.

Other: The "other" are former Certified/Trainee Consultant that has experience, but chose NOT to be re-certified or is not current with Sisterlocks.com. I have to list this here because these consultant are still consultant (if they have the Sisterlocks tools etc.), and can still provide "good" sisterlocks service. They sometime are relative cheaper, and have the experience of a certified consultant (the best of both worlds). Normally the "others" base their business solely on word of mouth and can be verified if you call the main home office. You have to be very careful when you go with this option though (since they are fakers out there). Another note you have to consider is if you have an issue with these consultants, you may not get the support you want from the main office, since they are not on listed on the site. If you do decide to go with the "other" option, I would make sure they have the skill sets and the tools to install your sisterlocks correctly.

Whatever you decide, please go with your gut instinct. If something is not right or they refuse to answer your questions, move on to the next consultant on your list (and please make sure you have a list). Sophia did a great post on how to pick a consultant so check it out here.

Updated 10/16/2013: To included additional information from nokidding sisterlocks! =).