How to Take Care of Your Locs

Locking your hair is a journey. It requires much patience. The experience is different for each person. Some people’s hair, usually thick hair, may loc faster than others. The essential thing is to take good care of your hair and nurture your locs and the growth will happen.

Most people think that locs do not need the same level of maintenance as other natural hairstyles. Contrary to that, locs require a lot of commitment and care, from daily care, styling and re-twisting to maintain their appearance.

The following are tips on how to take proper care of your locs

Clean your locs regularly

Locs are not like normal hair. They cannot be brushed or combed hence they easily trap dirt, build up, lint and odors. Using products that are not readily absorbed into your scalp causes build up. Therefore, instead of using ‘heavy’ products such as gels, opt for natural oils which are not only easy to clean out but they also stimulate the growth of your locs.

Washing locs with the proper shampoo also helps in keeping them tight. Use locs shampoo that has essential oils to leave your scalp moisturized. Use residue free shampoos. Residues cause dryness and itchiness to your scalp.

After washing your locs, dry them entirely by squeezing water out of them with your hands then wrapping them with a clean, dry towel. Leave them covered for about 10 minutes then dry them with a hair dryer if necessary. You can also leave them uncovered to air dry. Wet locs have an unpleasant odor.

Moisturize your scalp

Natural oils massaged to the scalp regularly keep it moisturized and promote hair growth. Moisturizing also prevents hair breakages. Use leave-in conditioners for moisturizing your locs.

Avoid very thick formulas as they may be difficult to rinse out of your locs. Instead, you may opt for leave-in sprays which do not leave any build up in your locs. Lightweight oils or leave-in sprays which are readily absorbed into the locs and do not cause product build up at the base of your locs. These oils include jojoba, hempseed and grape seed oils.

Apply these oils at the ends and the mid-shaft to ensure that they are well distributed at the roots of each strand. Locs break at the root if they are not properly moisturized. This usually happens when they grow long and heavy.

Avoid re-twisting your locs so often

You will need to retighten at the root once in a while as your hair grows. Re-twisting your locs a lot of times would lead to over manipulation of your hair. This causes your hair to thin at the root which may lead to breakages.

Consider styling your locs into different creative styles to keep it looking neat to prolong periods between re-twisting. If your locs are becoming loose, you can apply a small amount of wax starting from the root going downwards.

Protect your locs at night

Sleeping on a satin cap or a satin pillowcase at night helps retain moisture in your scalp. It also prevents excess friction and rubbing hence reducing hair breakage. Avoid moisture resistant fabrics such as cotton as they will cause your locs to dry and frizz.

Adopt a healthy hair routine and be consistent with it

Massage your scalp regularly. It is not only relaxing, but it also stimulates your hair growth helping you achieve gorgeous locs. Getting a hot oil treatment massage on your scalp once in a while will help in preventing dandruff. Oils used are coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil. Apply the treatment in circular motions on your scalp and leave it there overnight.

Use steamers regularly for your locs. They allow proper penetration of your moisturizing products into your hair leaving it well hydrated. You can go for hooded steamers which cover your entire head for the best results.

It is crucial to seek services of a good locs expert, especially at the early stages when your hair is growing rapidly. They should advise you on the best products to use on your locs.