Hey Yall!
1. How long have you been on your loc journey?
1 Week
2. What made you decide to embark on a loc journey?
I think locs are absolutely beautiful and just oh so practical for my lifestyle!
I had locs before, back in college and they grew effortlessly from about 1inch to my shoulders – the longest my hair ever grew and I wasn’t even taking care of them properly
. Throughout my life, I have tried every style in the book from curly perms, relaxers (bone straight & texlaxed), extension braids, weaves, wigs, locs and loose natural hair and I’ve realized that my hair thrives in “protective styles” and not just any protective style, but styles where I can easily wash my scalp/hair and maintain a nice style at the same time. In my opinion LOCS are the
ultimate protective style because they are a built-in beautiful style (like extension braids but better) – no detangling & excessive styling needed. Also, every style done on loose hair can be replicated on locs so styling choices are not limited. And attaining length is effortless!
My loose natural hair was beautiful but unfortunately my loose fragile strands required a LOT of maintenance and care and since my scalp requires frequent (1-2x per week) washes, the maintenance became even more daunting. I discovered the Maximum Hydration Method (MHM) last Fall and although I
still consider it one of the best regimens for loose natural hair it was still more maintenance than I am personally willing to do 1-2x a week. Now it is such a relief to experience a REAL wash & go without all of the extra steps that loose natural hair requires.
But if I am going to be
completely honest, at first I was not interested in going back to locs at this time and was on a mission to figure out the best regimen for my loose natural hair. I spent so much money over the years and tweaked my regimen a million times only to end up in the same boat (frustrated & worn out)
. I wanted longer healthier natural hair and initially thought that it would be nothing but a cop out to go and loc my hair – that I was somehow giving up and giving in to the notion that nappy hair cannot grow without them - but then I realized that other people’s hair thrives when worn loose and that does not make them better, just different. And that it is perfectly OK to acknowledge that my hair thrives most when in a loc’d state– that it is not a bad thing or something to be ashamed of, just different. It may not be the ONLY way for me to grow longer healthier hair but it is the most practical. I also see the unique beauty of locs and feel so at peace with my decision now.
3. How long do you plan to stay loc'd?
I plan to stay loc’d as long as possible. If my locs get too long/heavy I will cut them to a more manageable length and if my hair starts thinning drastically due to age/health problems, I will cut them off & rock a low TWA – either way, low maintenance
4. What type of locs do you have? Sisterlocs, Traditional, Cultivated, Freeform?
Traditional.
A few years ago I tried Sisterlocs for 6 months and though they were so full and beautiful they were too high maintenance for me (the cost to pay someone to retighten for me and the time it took for me to retighten so many tiny locs on my own). I also tried Loc Extensions but they were not done correctly (way too thick) and did not look like real locs (way too shiny LOL). Traditional locs are what I had years ago in college and are the best fit for me. I may Semi-Freeform occasionally in the future for fullness.
5. What process did you use to start your locs?
Two-Stand Twists done by ME! It took 3 attempts because I wanted them to be perfect in terms of the part sizes (not too thin or too thick for my texture/density). They were still too big after the first 2 times, but just the right size this last time. I did all 3 sets over a 2 week period - It took a long time because I have never been too good at parting straight lines
but I wanted to get it right and it was worth it since I won’t have to ever part loose hair again
6. How do you maintain your locs?
Palm rolling – I love the cylindrical look of palm rolled locs and how easy & fast it is. I am scared that interlocking might make my locs too thin and it is more time consuming than I would like, but I will consider it in the future.
7. What, if any, products do you use on your locs?
I will have to update once I experiment with more products, but I’ve been using the things left in my stash that would be suitable for new locs ….
Cleanser
Bobeam Shampoo Bars
Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Daily Moisture
Water
So far so good but I will be trying different things for variety/options.
I have yet to re-twist (it has only been a week
) but I plan on only using things that will not cause buildup. I will be experimenting and posting my results.
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