Curls Unleashed!!

This is how my hair looked when I separated my curls (pipe cleaner curls).  I'd left my curls unseparated for 2 weeks and I really liked that look.  I like this look as well.  The curls are still really tight which is good.  I'm not sure how long this style lasts but we shall see.  I've been cleansing my scalp (w/ Organic Root Stimulator Scalp Cleanser) and re-moisturizing as necessary. I've received a lot of compliments and I'm really enjoying my new styles.

There's something that I've noticed since I've been trying new styles with my hair.  People around here are still very ignorant about locs.  I live in central Mississippi where very few women have locs.  Around here, you will see a ton of guys with locs but very few women.  It seems most women think that locs are dirty and nasty.  Though I've received numerous compliments on my hair, most people comment on how neat and clean my hair looks.  Isn't it supposed to be? They say things like "I've never seen anybody with dreads that were that neat. They don't even look dirty."  This has been said even if my hair was fuzzy around the edges.  I just smile and say thank you.  But today, it kinda bothered me that people are so ignorant.  Am I the spokesperson for women with locs in this area? I don't know very many heterosexual women in this area with locs.  There are a lot women with natural hair like short afros and such but not locs.  And the women I DO see with locs are lesbian and not very feminine (there's nothing wrong with that).  I just wish women (cuz they're the ones who usually comment) would educate themselves about natural hair especially locs.  I think this is just an issue in my area because there is tons of information on the internet about natural hair and locs.  I've been getting advice/ideas from youtube so somebody somwhere has to be rocking these styles!  I've noticed that most of the ladies live up north and/or on the East coast.  I guess we Southerners ain't ready for all this naturalness.  LOL!