THREE BENEFITS OF LOCKING YOUR HAIR

Lady T
Aug 18, 2021
6 min read

Hey all. I am here with yet another informative post about 'The Benefits Of Locking Your Hair'. Now I know that when it comes to making the commitment to Lock our hair, a lot of us are very skeptical for mainly one reason and that is, the versatility. If you are like me and likes to change up on hair styles quite often then, being able to wear your any way you want is quite important.

But also if you are like me, and you struggle with your hair not growing, looking or feeling the way you truly want then Locking your hair is something you may want to consider, but first let me give a little history of the dreadful , dreadlocs!

The History

Although the matter of who should wear locs is constantly up for debate, the style hasn't historically only been worn by people of African descent. Locs have a long history dating back at least as far as ancient Greece, and have been worn by people of various religions and cultures, including Hindus and ancient Israelites.

Regardless, that doesn't mean it's appropriate for people of all cultures to wear locs, particularly without respect to the more recent history of the style. With the trans-Atlantic slave trade in full force during the 1600-1800s, Africans brought to America (and other places around the globe) were unable to perform their normal hair grooming practices, and therefore arrived looking unkempt. After traveling months on ships with no hygiene available, it's unsurprising that their hair appeared matted and locked.

It's said that slave owners referred to the "dreadful" sight of the captives, thus the term "dreadlocks" and its negative association. However, many loc wearers proudly call themselves "dreads," and debate the recorded history of the term dreadlocks. Instead of "dread" being used in a negative way, dreads will instead relay the respectful meaning of the term, along with how it's used in certain parts of the world to denote spirituality.

The Locking Process

Cultivated Locs can be started by coiling, braiding, twisting, or palm-rolling hair. "Locs go through a series of stages—typically five—but the forming process happens during phase two, which is called the buttoning stage," says Hunt. "They can be formed physically with: two-strand twists, interlocking, or the coil method."

Typically, the tighter the natural curl pattern, the faster the hair will lock. People with tightly curled hair may begin their locs with simple palm rolling, while someone with a looser texture may have to braid their hair to begin locs. It takes several months for locs to grow from the baby stage to the more rooted teen stage, by which point they're "established." Locs allow for a range of possibilities in styling, including playing around with color. They can be formed in braids, twists, set on rollers, put into updos, cut into shorter lengths and more. Loc-wearers can be incredibly creative, incorporating hair jewelry and shells into their styles as well.

The most common question about locs tends to be: "Do you have to cut your hair off afterwards?" It's a common belief that locs are too tightly entwined to undo. This is definitely the easier path, although combing the locs out is possible. The unlocking process will take anywhere from hours to days, and if the hair has been in a locked state for a very long time (say, decades), it just may not be possible. Expect a lot of shed hair if you choose to unlock, however, because almost all the hair that normally falls on a daily basis is captured in the locs. You may have years of shed hairs to deal with. If you're unlocking your hair, invest in a dustpan and broom, or a vacuum cleaner.

The Benefits Of Locking Your Hair

Maintenance: Locs are virtually maintenance free. It takes very little to upkeep Locs of any type. The most common types are: Traditional, Sister, and Free form Locs. All of which only requires a shampoo and re-twist every so often for proper care. Locs require less styling to your hair everyday, which means you are not putting products into your hair everyday. With that being said, you will not be required to wash your hair as often as you were prior to Locking your hair.
Versatility: Whether you have traditional Locs, freeform Locs or Sister Locs, each style is pretty versatile. However if you want more of the loose hair look, you may want to consider going the Sister Locs method. This method is a little more versatile than the others because of the size of the Locs are so small, they resemble loose hair.
Promotes Hair Growth: Locs preserve the hairs natural moisture and prevents it from drying out. Dry hair seems to be thinner, weaker, and more susceptible to the elements. Being twisted into it, it helps protect new hair strands from breakage caused by everyday styling.

How to Maintain Your New Locs

The best way to maintain your locs is to make sure they have a strong foundation. the foundation must be strong. Below you will find10 simple steps on how to properly maintain your locs.

Moisturize your los properly. you may find that your locs require less moisture as your loose hair did. Let's not get to testy though. Dry locs, break easily and that is the last thing you want so keep them hydrated with a light leave in moisturizer that will quench your locs thirst or water mixed with a lightweight oil.
Condition your Locs With Care while there has always been some controversy on weather you should use a daily moisturizer or not, it is a risk. Conditioning too much can lead to loosened locs and damage your locs with product build up. A great method for ensuring this does not happen and as an alternative, it is a good idea to use Apple cider Vinegar. This will leave your locs soft, conditioned and free of build up.
Deep Condition Your Locs ** WARNING** this is not for new locs. Deep conditioning your new locs can lead to detangling of your new locs. Once your locs are mature, I recommend deep conditioning every 1-2 weeks.
Don't Over Wash Your Locs While locs are more prone to odors and buildup than loose hair, over-washing can dry out your scalp and lead to flaking, itchiness, breakage, and thinning locks. We recommend once every 1-2 weeks, and don’t wash starter locs until they have some time to mature.
Dry Locs Throughly After Each Wash More often than not, the mildew smell that locs can develop is due to improper drying (picture how your laundry smells if you leave it in the washer for a couple days without drying it!) Use a blow dryer on low heat or let your locs air dry. Don’t tie up your locs, bunch them together, or cover them with anything until they are fully dry.
Keep Your locs Healthy And Happy With Natural Oils Use natural oils to keep your locs and scalp moisturized and healthy. Oils like coconut and olive will protect your locs from getting too dry, and diluted tea tree oil will help clean hair with its antifungal properties. Jamaican black castor oil will keep your scalp moisturized and healthy, able to grow longer, stronger locs.
Don't Over Do It With Oils And Products Locs are made of matted hair and vulnerable to buildup if you go too hard with products of any kind. Use less product than you think you need, and avoid styling products that leave a lot of residue. Stick with lightweight products and oils, and use them sparingly.
Wrap your locs at night with a satin scarf or bonnet Your locs are strong, but they are still susceptible to breakage and damage from friction. Wrapping your locs in silk or satin will protect and prevent breakage during the night.
Don't fiddle with and twist your locs Absentminded, repetitive twisting pulls your hair follicles and can cause the loc to fall out over time. Only twist when you are re-twisting, and be sure to give your hair plenty of time (we recommend several months) in-between re-twisting or interlocking. Don't re-twist or interlock too tight- it shouldn't hurt.
Do Your Research I know this blogpost doesn't answer all your questions about locs, so if you want to dye them, achieve a particular style, trim them, or try a new product on them, do some research online before you begin. The same goes if you're starting locs for the first time! Read up on how to care for starter locs before you begin, and if you'll be working with a loctician, take a look at their work first.

I hope this guide was helpful!

So, If you are like me, and you want to maximize your growth and length, while keeping it simple with the least amount of manipulation as possible, I suggest you Loc Up!