Locking Hair: Getting Started

Amina recently asked for advice on starting to loc hair. I therefore turned to hair genius Laquita (She does it all braids, twists and locs...check out her blog!). She is also the fantastic writer behind the clutch magazine natural hair articles. Here are a few tips from her




1. The 'normal' routine you would apply to free hair, applies to locs. For example if you normally wash, condition and moisturise, then there is no need to change the routine because hair in locs is still just hair.




2. How you start the locs and the products you use are both important. If you use a gel type product, it could have an effect on the scalp perhaps causing itchiness or flaking. Laquita has used Organic Root Stimulator styling gel to start off her brother's locs (started as comb coils). She picked this gel as it rinses out well. As for moisturing the hair, she says ' I doubt that he (her brother) uses anything to moisturize aside from water - you know how the guys do.' lol!




3. Laquita suggests if using two products like a locing gel and oil, perhaps try switching to a single pomade for both moisturising and retightening. She recommends something like TayButta, a loc twisting pomade and moisturiser which works well with no build up.




4. You can also start locs without any product if your hair can do this. You would simply wash and retighten the locs when necessary. You can use water with a little essential oil for moisture.




Thank you Laquita for responsing so fast! I have often seen people have trouble starting locs so if you have been there, done that, let us know what worked for you.




My personal story - I have no interest in loc'ing my hair but it has an interest in wanting to get loc'ed. I no longer twist my hair because the hair actually starts to loc on its own when I do. I think it is about having kinks in hair that makes the process easy, step 4 would definitely be what I would choose if I was locking.




** Why loc and not lock? I don't know someone somewhere dropped the k and I have just followed the leader. If you notice, I use them interchangeably, I'm confused lol.




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