Locs 101 | Shampoo primer
For those beginning their loc journey, washing starter locs can be a tricky process. Many locticians recommend wearing a nylon cap or hair net when washing the hair in the beginning. After several months, your locs will be tight and secure enough to clean them with few problems. Each person has to look at the needs of their own locs when determining how often to wash them.
- Type and texture: Softer, thinner hair will need to be washed more often than coarser and thicker hair.
- Oilness of the scalp: Oily scalps can become nasty if not washed often. Those with oily scalps should do so more often.
- What season: Longer locks can and should be washed more often in the warmer months, and less often in the winter months. In the spring and summer, you can wash your locs and go outside and they’ll be completely dry.
- Sedentary or Active: Very active individuals will find it necessary to wash their locs more often.
Choosing a Shampoo
You should choose products created for locs if you can. When choosing the type of shampoo, consider the type and texture. Softer, finer hair can use a shampoo bar. Others may find a liquid shampoo works best for them, like a castile soap or a mild, clear and residue free shampoo.
Finally, how to wash them
- Begin by separating the hair for a good cleansing. Start by dividing the hair into quarters, and place a rubber band at the end of each quarter to make it easier to wash and control the hair.
- Clean the scalp first, then work shampoo down through your locs to the ends.
- Once finished, rinse and repeat.
- Squeeze the excess water and wrap them with a lint-free towel.
The type of conditioner you use should match your hair type and condition. Try a leave in conditioning spray or using a standard conditioner before your shampoo. Consider a hot oil treatment, if locs are really dry.
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Locs 101 | Achieve your maximum growth potential
How many times have you seen a long, lush, flowing head full of locs and wished they were yours? You’ve read some articles here and there. You eat right. You embark on a long journey to find that “cure-all-and-be-all” product to no avail. What’s a sister or brother to do to get her locs to cascade down her or his back?
The key is simple: natural products, healthy eating and lots of water.
Go Natural: You’ve done it with getting locs. Now go natural with the products you use on them. Try to stay clear of products with petroleum and mineral oil. They may seem to moisturize, but they just sit on your locs and attract dirt and buildup. Also try to stay away from, sodium lauryl sulfate, phosphates and other lab-created ingredients. Beeswax—although natural—may help locs stay in place, but is hard to wash out and also attracts buildup.
Look for natural essences. Seek products with powerful essential oils such as rosemary, aloe vera, citrus fruits, jojoba and sage. Extracts aren’t as strong—the essential oils in the ingredient list are best. These stimulate the scalp and increase blood flow to locs.
Eat for your hair. Your hair is protein and it needs a protein-rich diet for strength. Food rich in B vitamins, like fish, is full of proteins and essential fatty acids and natural oils that will nourish your hair from the inside out.
Drink plenty of water. You’ve heard the drill: 8-10 glasses of water a day. Water flushes the body of toxins and impurities that can inhibit hair growth. Water also carries the nutrients you need throughout your body.
Keep your locs moisturized. Hot oil treatments, frequent shampoos, and tying your locs up at night with a silky scarf (with a light oil applied) keeps your locs supple and soft.
Don’t get discouraged. Black hair grows an average of ½ inch per month. With locs, you retain most of the hair you shed. With proper care, nutrition and maintanance, your locs will do nothing but flourish.
Note: The advice supplied here is a general guide for healthy hair. Each individual is unique. Seek a dermatologist for what’s best for your individual hair type.back to top | home | blog
Locs 101 | Pony X-Stress
Ponytails.
It’s the go-to style for those bad hair days. In our pre-loc days, we probably pinned a fake one on. Or we defended a less than healthy one with ends so dry and frazzled that they cried out to be trimmed.
Now your rocking loc’d hair and have enough length to get a rubberband or an accessory to pull it back.
But beware!
The same stress that affected you when your hair was relaxed still affect locs (and even more so because locs are heavier). Ponytails put an enormous amount of stress on your hairline. Imagine that the ponytail is a handle placed on the back of the head. If you used the handle, you would pull at your hairline. Two forces are working together to add to the stress: The tension created just by the ponytail hanging (and thus pulling at the hairline) and the tension from a tight rubberband pulling back each loc individually into a sleek and tortured style. Done often enough, this tension can gradually cause hair loss at the front and temples called traction alopecia. In short you will see a receding hairline.
The best way to wear a pony tail is not often. A better way is to place the covered rubberband or accessory at the nape of the neck with it being looser at the crown of the hair to avoid pulling. Another way is to gather your hair at the crown of the head and start a bushy ponytail there. Don’t pull too tightly.
Another way is to do this casual updo: gather the hair to begin a ponytail just slightly below the crown of the hair, pull the hair through, bend the ponytail and tuck the ends back into the rubberband at the base. This is a less structured bun that looks (and feels) great on a hot summer day.
Note: The advice supplied here is a general guide for healthy hair. Each individual is unique. Seek a dermatologist for what’s best for your individual hair type.