Loc Q & A

This post was inspired by a question I received this week. Here it is…

Hi, I started my loc journey two months and I wonder: everytime I get my locs retwisted, my loctician uses the comb to retwist my hair. I’m wondering if that’s okay, or should she be hand-twisting my hair instead. I prefer it that way. And can any budding begin in two months? I start to bud. I can tell when I retwist my hair, but its not showing yet.

In order for the loc’ing process to work,  a loctician will check for any unraveling between washes, retwist those coils that did, and wait for the budding to start. At some point, you will need to leave the coils alone and allow them to loc. If your loctician is retwisting those that unraveled, yes, she will use a comb to twist them again. If they are starting to bud—and they can at two months—she or he will be looking at the new growth. If your length was really short when you started out, using the end of the comb may be the only way to go. Once you have sufficient length to palm roll the new growth, then she or he will. If at that point, your loctician is still using a comb, then there is cause for concern.

You didn’t mention how many times you went to the loctician during your first two months. You know that at some point you will need to let your hair be. Comb coils start your locs, then the transformation begins. According to the book,  Nice Dreads: Hair Care Basics and Inspiration for Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Locking Their Hair by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner there are four stages to locs: the comb coils, sprouts and budding, teens or the loc’ing stage and finally mature locs. You can get to the second stage after month one, and if your hair locs easily, you will begin to see stage three. Between stages 2 and 3, your twists are fuzzy, puffy, and no longer as shiny as when you first got them. This is the point where some loc’ers get scared and take them out (or at least wonder when their hair is going to look like mature locs). Hang in there and know that this is just part of the process and the fruit of the nappy root will finally occur: new locs that will begin their journey.

As another loctician I know puts it, you will want to step up your game in other areas until this phase is over. Ideas for the “fuzzy” phase: silky scarves tied around the base and accessorize like crazy.

What’s a good oil to use?

I have been using coconut oil ever since I wrote about it a few posts ago. This oil is heavier, but it seems to be the only oil that really sinks in and moisturizes my locs and not just sit on top of them. Use what’s best for you. Olive oil is also good. Shea butter also works well. As far as natural oils, there’s a ton of them out there. See our post The top oils for locs for more information.

My locs are long. What can I do to cover them up in the shower between washes?

I found this store online—Natural Beauty—that sells shower caps especially for loc wearers. When a regular shower cap won’t do any more, these offer more room for longer locs.

A tip for mature loc’ers: Your best moisture tip is what you do at night. Tie your locs up with a silky scarf. You can apply oil beforehand. You will wake up with locs as soft as when you retired the night before. If you skip the scarf, your locs will become dull, dry, brittle and feel like straws in the morning. You will create stress points for weak spots and/or breakage. Use a silky scarf or a Loc Soc. No matter how tired you are, tie it up!

Gail Mitchell,
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine