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MY LOC JOURNEY:
a
thread
a
thread
to start with, i’ve wanted locs for about 3 years before i got my starter locs. i did my “big chop” the year i graduated high school (2016) and wore my afro, then protective styles. i wanted to grow my hair out a bit before starting my locs.
in like september of 2018, i got a silk press that gave me a SHIT ton of heat damage and fucked up my natural hair. so i wore wigs all the way until i locd my hair. as you can see here, they were not good wigs and i was VERY bad at making them lay and shit lmao
i wore wigs so i could get some newgrowth before i started my locs. in march of 2019, i decided to get my starter locs. this is what my hair looked like THE DAY BEFORE i got them. as you can see, i had a lot of heat damage. that’s not my natural curl pattern
on march 22, 2019 i started my locs. i went to a professional loctitian shop in atlanta bc i did not trust myself. these are two strand twists with diamond parts. you can start your locs off in a LOT of ways but i decided twists
here’s some things:
- even tho my hair had obvious heat damage, it did NOT affect my loc’ing process bc my hair is textured enough to still loc with itself. if you have 4c or otherwise tight coily hair, *YOU CAN STILL START YOUR LOCS EVEN IF YOU HAVE HEAT DAMAGE.*
- even tho my hair had obvious heat damage, it did NOT affect my loc’ing process bc my hair is textured enough to still loc with itself. if you have 4c or otherwise tight coily hair, *YOU CAN STILL START YOUR LOCS EVEN IF YOU HAVE HEAT DAMAGE.*
the thing about it tho is that you have to be VERY careful to not untwist or unravel your hair in your baby loc stage. i didn’t wash my hair for 3-4 weeks bc it was delicate and i had to make sure they didn’t uncoil. but do *NOT* go longer than a month without washing your hair!!
i cannot stress this enough, you need to put love and care into your locs at ANY stage. if you don’t have the texture for locs DON’T GET THEM! the longest you should go without washing your locs is when you are at the BEGINNING STAGE and NO LONGER THAN A MONTH
on may 24, 2019 i got my first retwist. now, remember that i started my locs with two-strand twists, but then i switched to INTERLOCKING method, which i will explain below!
INTERLOCKING method, which i will explain below!
essentially, with interlocking you use a crochet needle and thread your locs in between each other so they interlock. now, this is great starter loc method or retwist method for the summer or if you’re really active!
when you have beginning locs, it’s super easy to sweat them out or unravel them, and you DEFINITELY cannot swim in them. but with interlocks you actually can be more active and be in water (with caution!!) i interned at a summer camp that summer which is why i got interlocks
like i said, i interned at a summer camp for 2019. now, my camp was located in western massachusetts, which means there were no niggas. so i didn’t get a retwist for the entire summer 
this was a mistake! don’t do that
(this is what my locs looked like wet)
this was a mistake! don’t do that (this is what my locs looked like wet)
this is what my locs looked like after going 4 months without a retwist! this is longest i’ve ever went. as you can see, i basically have a mini afro under locs 
for some ppl they may like this look, but it’s not for me personally!
for some ppl they may like this look, but it’s not for me personally!
in september i finallygot my interloc retwist. this is a great photo to show you what interlocking looks like at the root. also, compare the texture of my hair from my starter locs in march (right) to my locs in sept (left). you can see that my hair is FINALLY loc’d together!!
to sum up beginner loc phase:
-wait 3-4 weeks to wash ur hair the first time
-use MINIMAL products to prevent buildup in the beginning stages (no oils or heavy moisturizers at all, just leave-in conditioner)
-recommended rewist every 6 weeks
-interlock method for active folks
-wait 3-4 weeks to wash ur hair the first time
-use MINIMAL products to prevent buildup in the beginning stages (no oils or heavy moisturizers at all, just leave-in conditioner)
-recommended rewist every 6 weeks
-interlock method for active folks
in this next part, i’ll get into what products i currently use, my wash routine, what my retwist process looks like now, and how bleach and dye has impacted my locs!
okay, i’m finally gonna finish this thread!
first, let’s get into my wash routine.
first, let’s get into my wash routine.
i wash my hair every two weeks. my hair is fully loc’d together with no worry of it separating or unraveling. if i have a fresh retwist however, i usually wait 3 weeks in between the retwist and my first wash. i always get my hair washed by my loctitian when i go in for a retwist
if you’re just starting off of your texture makes it super easy to unravel, you should wait longer in between wash days. but i cannot stress enough, IF YOUR HAIR HAS TO BE FILTHY TO LOC TOGETHER, LOCS ARE NOT FOR YOU! your hair should not be gross and unwashed!
cannot stress enough, IF YOUR HAIR HAS TO BE FILTHY TO LOC TOGETHER, LOCS ARE NOT FOR YOU! your hair should not be gross and unwashed!
so, i am actually in the midst of switching my shampoo and conditioner to something with more color protectant, but i will show you the products for *UNDYED/UNBLEACHED* locs that i use.
this is the shampoo and conditioner that i use(d). like i said, i am currently switching products but i still use this on my boyfriend’s locs as well. it keeps the locs soft and moisturized while also helping with buildup.
in the shower, i massage the shampoo into the locs and scalp for 2-3 cycles. it is super important that you massage the shampoo INTO the locs to wash away buildup! there is no point in just lathering it on top of your locs. you want to make sure you give them a deep shampoo
after im done shampooing, i massage the conditioner in (making sure i get *in* my locs) and leave it in for 15-30 minutes with a shower cap on. i wash out the conditioner and then move on to moisturizing. some ppl use leave-in conditioner and you absolutely can! i just don’t
there are a LOT of different ways to moisturize your hair, so don’t let me be the end-all be-all. but here’s i do it!
firstly, i do NOT use any heavy moisturizers, gels, or creams. locs are VERY susceptible to buildup and i want to avoid buildup as much as possible (so you do!)
firstly, i do NOT use any heavy moisturizers, gels, or creams. locs are VERY susceptible to buildup and i want to avoid buildup as much as possible (so you do!)
while my hair is still damp or wet, i massage oil into my locs. now, there of course a shit ton of products you can buy. but a lot of the ppl with locs that i know personally make their own oils. my loctitian makes her own oils and i buy them from her.
i dampen and oil my hair every wash day and then one day in between wash days, so every week. that’s all the product *i personally use*, but some people use more and some ppl use less! it depends on your hair and what works best for you.
now, as much as i try to avoid buildup, sometimes it happens. there’s a lot of different ways to treat buildup in locs but for my personally i use apple cider vinegar soaks. i do it before i start washing my hair and it’s helped me a lot in the past
that is essentially my entire routine! i don’t be using a lot of products on my hair, but i cannot stress enough that this is a personal choice and works best for my hair. i am not a professional hairstylist, and you should find out what works best for your locs :)
