Exotic loc styles

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Here’s another style gallery full of loc versatility for you. Mohawk locs. Color. Updos. Shine. With the holidays around the corner, these styles are sure to rock the party. Just a pre-holiday card from Loc’d Life.

African princess
Loc jewelry and color is what sets this style apart. A “huetiful” array of metals accentuate the color.

Fifties glamour
Locs can go retro too. This short style is pinned toward the back at the crown for a spiky, yet glamourous look.

Blonde bombshell
Nothing turns heads faster than blonde locs. Get ready for glow time with this simple look.

Pomp and circumstance
A variation of this pompadour style can be achieved by twisting long locs into one flat twist towards the front, wrapping the twist around the front and crown and securing the ends by tucking them into bands around the base and sides. A great style for those  in-between salon visits.

Curly undo
It’s amazing what curls and a few pins can do. This curly scluplted look stands out in the crowd.

Red rose ‘hawk
Hair is twisted into sections towards the center and pinned up into an flower accessory in the front, pinned in the middle, left to hang loose towards the back, with a braid at the nape.

Structured ‘hawk
Locs are flat-twisted towards the center, secured with a rubber band, then rolled backwards and secured, section by section.

Short and versatile
Short locs are twisted upwards and pinned up towards the crown in this stunner.

Loc ‘Hawk
Locs are flat-twisted upwards towards the center in this loc hawk. Small rubberbands hold the resulting style together. Notice the beautiful color variations.

The Library
This style was so nice we had to feature it twice. This can be achieved by flat twisting locs to the side with the front hanging loose and off to the side for drama. aduru salon

By the way, last week’s post forgot to have an active link for Laurence Pommells work. Here it is again and happy shopping. Accessorize these looks with his jewelry! dragonfaiyakreations.com

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine
http://www.locdlife.com

P.S. Don’t forget to get volumes 1 and 2 of the printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285
Bonus: 25% off until October 31.

Loc artistry

Jewelry artist Laurence Pommells’s Dragon Faiya Kreations are as beautiful and as engaging as locs are.

Loc’d Life talked with the artist behind these and other beautiful creations at dragonfaiyakreations.com. And, yes, he wears locs. For 10 years, Pommells has been designing wire jewelry. When asked what inspires him he says that life does.

“Life inspires my creations,” says Pommells. “I am also a martial artist. My pieces have changed. They have a personality and flair, and each piece asks for them. There’s color… blue stones…deep rich royal blue against white metal…I like to highlight one thing about a person and accentuate every thing going on.”

Pommells also wears locs and has for 7 years. “At first, I didn’t like locs. Then I made the switch to being afrocentric to being Afrikan-Centered, and it became very much a cultural identifier for me.”

Pommells says that locs are as unique as each person who wears them. “Locs look different on everybody. Personally, I’m not a color person. I see bright colors, and they look cool. It’s just not something I would do for myself. Don’t just wear locs because its afrocentric. Some don’t realize the cultural undertaking. At the end of the day, always be you. I wake up everyday, and just pray. Love yourself, and you’ll love everything about you.”

When asked about his regimen, Pommells keeps it simple. “ I rinse my hair with water everyday, and get my hair done every 6 weeks. I wrap my hair up at night. I oil my scalp every two days, with nothing super heavy. You can use lemon to clean hair and beer to clean your hair. I eat a lot of carrots for their b7 and vitamin A [helps protect and produce the oils that sustain your scalp]. I also use Jamaican black castor oil, adding more keratin. I work out in the morning and drink tea and water everyday. I’m fighting hereditary male pattern baldness and stress, and black castor oil restores hair. Diet and eating says a whole lot about you. I enjoy making joy. Jewelry releases that stress.”

Pommells also makes loc ties.

In Chicago, you can see his creations next Saturday at the Chicago Lakeside Festival at the newly-built exit at 87^th and Lake Shore Drive from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. go to chicagolakesidefest.com for more information.

 ‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine
http://www.locdlife.com

P.S. Don’t forget to get volume 1 and 2 of the printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285

Loc updo gala!

Welcome to a post full of wonderful updos for that special occasion or a quick change. Who said that locs weren’t versatile? Here’s four ways to show just how versatile they are…

Sleek updo
This updo is at home at the office and at that gala reception. A side swept “bang” is wrapped around the crown and tucked under, culminating into a regal look.

Even more regal
Locs are parted on the side and are rolled and tucked under in this retro style. Style by Adell’s Naturals.

Enjoy the updo party! Salons: share your work with Loc’d Life. Send your submissions to info@locdlife.com We can also feature your salon as part of the Loc Salon Tour.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine
http://www.locdlife.com

P.S. Don’t forget to get volumes 1 & 2 of the printed edition of Loc’d Life at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285

Steam for locs!

Courtesy Dr. Kari Williams, Mahogany Hair Revolution Salon

The Huetiful Steamer is a great way to keep your locs moisturized, which is probably one of the biggest problems that loc wearers have.

There are two things to focus on when maintaining the health of your locs:

1. Hydration

2. Moisture

HYDRATION. Dry locs need hydration. The human body is 70% water; a healthy strand of hair is 10% water. No water or hydration will result in brittle, dry locs. The end result of hair that isn’t properly hydrated is that it can break off or lack the luster or shine that you desire.

MOISTURE. Secondly, you have to ensure that you’ve restored the proper amount of oil to your hair. The scalp naturally secretes oil. The challenge with locs is that it is often difficult for those oils secreted from the sebaceous glands to travel down the hair shaft and over hair.

To steam moisturize locs, apply oil to locs (like coconut oil). Pin up locs. Sit under the Huetiful steamer until locs are moisturized. How does it work? Steam lifts the cuticles of each hair strand and allows conditioners to deeply penetrate, resulting in soft, supple locs.

The steamer is a bit pricey, $116.95, but it’s the cost of some loc maintenance appointments. Available at http://huetiful.myshopify.com.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

Secrets of the loc stitch

Courtesy Adaru Salon.

Need to tighten up your new growth and there’s no salon appointment in the near future? Here’s another way to groom your locs to their very best. This is best done on wet hair.

1. Get a latchook (like one used in hair weaving or sold at hobby shops).
2. On towel-dried hair, take one loc and hold it upwards.
3. Apply twist and lock gel on the new growth and along the loc shaft.
4. Separate your part so there are clear partings from the surrounding locs.
5. Insert the latchook into the loose opening created by the new growth, and latch on to and pull the same loc through the opening.
6. Repeat steps 2 and 4—but from another direction. Do not go through the same opening twice. This will result in a Y shape and a gap in your locs.
7. Continue until all new growth is stitched.

Attached is a video that shows the process, courtesy of Dynamic Runner. She uses a North, South, East and West approach. She also wraps the loc around the latchook prior to pulling it through, which also works.

A loc and twist gel to try: Fabulocs Loc Binding Butter. It infuses shine and works with resistant, hard to lock hair. Available through mail order at www.fabulocs.com.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

P.S. Don’t forget to get volumes 1 and 2 of the printed edition by ordering your copy at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285.

Loc product review

Just before this writing, I shampooed and conditioned with Jamaican Mango and Lime Tingle Shampoo and Protein Conditioner. Overall it was a pleasant experience.

My locs have grown quite a bit, so I used quite a bit of the Tingle Shampoo. It lathered pretty well at the roots and I worked it downwards towards the ends. True to its name, it did tingle, and it felt good. I lathered three times to really cleanse my hair of product buildup throughout the week.

I then used the Protein Conditioner. I followed their directions by applying it to my locs from root to ends and left it on for about 3-5 minutes. I put on a shower cap to allow my body heat to help the conditioner to penetrate. I rinsed out the conditioner and could feel softness return to my locs.

Will I use this shampoo and conditioner again? Yes. Jamaican Mango and Lime cleansed and softened my dry locs. That’s the bottom line.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

P.S. Don’t forget to get vols. 1 and 2 of our printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285

Loc salon tour

In the first of a series on the country’s leading loc salons, we feature Jahzin’s House of Locks in Brooklyn, NY.

JAHZIN HOUSE OF LOCKS opened in April 2006.

Jahzin Goodluck Werq

Today, Jahzin Goodluck Werq’s salon hosts a variety of services for natural hair. Her specialty is locs.

Jahzin started her career at the age of 13 by braiding and twisting her friends hair on her parents Brooklyn, NY porch. At 17, she was offered the opportunity to work in a natural hair salon also in Brooklyn. By age 20, she decided to pursue her dream of opening a natural hair salon. She wanted a place “where customers are welcomed to relax in a ‘spa-like’ environment.” Jahzin House of Locks seems to fit the bill.

As a Rastafarian woman, Jahzin wants to change how others view locs, and to show how versatile they are. Her creations include updos, and twisted locs. Says Ms. Werq, “Locks was always a natural art I wanted to master in this lifetime.” From the look of these styles, her mastery is well on its way.

Jahzin House of Locks is located at:

Jahzin House of Locks™
5009 Beverly Road
Brooklyn NY 11203
(tel) 1-347-689-8839
http://jahzinhouseoflocks.com 

Email: jahzinwork@hotmail.com
Jahzinhouseoflocks@hotmail.com
Jahzinhouseoflocks@gmail.com

Salons: If you’d like to be featured, send your pictures and your story to info@locdlife.com. For best coverage, send hi res photos of your salon interiors, and your styles and a picture of yourself, the owner.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

Don’t forget to get vols. 1 and 2 of our printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285.

More locs Q&A

Hope that you are enjoying your September. Here’s a letter that came in my inbox that I’m happy to answer…

I am in the Washington, DC area. I have had my consult about locking my natural hair. It is time, but I do not like the shrinkage of my natural hair (Still working on that part of my acceptance of my love affair of natural hair). However I discovered your online family and have been reading non-stop. I am doing research on the Yarn/genie locs phenomenon. I want to loc my hair and then add the genie locs on to help it along. My request for help comes in looking for someone in the DC/MD/VA area that specializes in the 2 processes.

Is it a good idea, or not? I am hungry for knowledge. If I don’t get help soon, I will either cut it all off or go back to the dreaded “creamy”. I won’t even say the rest of the word. That is an absolute LAST resort.

Genie Locs are a great way to let your hair rest and grow and to try locs out at the length you desire. They are truly instant locs. Loose hair is palm rolled and wrapped with yarn. The other process involves braiding the hair with yarn. Moisturizing is important to keep your hair at optimal health. These are temporary, however, but the result is a head full of length that look and feel like natural locs. In my research, one loctician recommended genie locs for that in-between period of when comb coils go through that “messy” stage right before your natural hair starts to lock.

I found two hair braiders in your area that can do the yarn braids: Obsession by Maria in Silver Spring, MD (240-413-4593) and Bamba’s Hair Braiding in Richmond, VA (804-745-2062). Check out each for what you’re looking for in genie locs. It’s a start, and I will continue to look out for more. Good luck on your natural hair and loc  journey.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

P.S. Don’t forget to get volumes 1 and 2 of our printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285.

Loc and natural heaven

Paula Chrishon’s passion is natural hair.

Her store, Tendrils and Curls in Houston (2501 1/2 S. Shepherd Drive,#1, Houston, TX 77019), speaks volumes about her passion. The upscale boutique caters to natural hair by selling products exclusively for the needs those who have embraced their natural textures. The store is also online as an e-boutique selling all of the products available in store (www.tendrilsandcurls.com).

“We have 45 brands of hair products,” says Paula. “We have products for loc’d hair as well. We have people who are veterans and customers who just decided to go natural. I have a large client base who wears locs. What they’re looking for is someone who is able to guide them to what they are looking for—to help them meet their unique needs.”

The store does no services—just consultations. “We’re basically an upscale natural beauty supply store.”

While Paula wears her hair curly, she wore locs for 11 years before taking them down. “Two-and-a-half years ago I decided that it was time to make a change, so I cut and unraveled them. One day, I was about to get them retwisted, when a lady came in with a head full of  huge loose hair.” That’s what inspired Paula to go curly. It took her seven days to unravel her locs. “It took 7 days, one hour a piece for the length you’re trying to save. I was happy when I finished though!”

When asked what is the biggest thing that locs need, she said that the scalp is where to start. “You need to get a good product that addresses buildup and itchy scalp. If things are not getting better, don’t hesitate to see a dermatologist. When I had locs I had  a second bout of alopecia. Don’t ignore the signs. Pay attention to your hair and scalp, keeping it oiled, wash it regularly, and be gentle to your hair—even a deep conditioning  will help.”

As far as product no-nos, she says that beeswax is still a big one. “I still have people who come in looking for beeswax. Products that are really waxy are way too heavy for hair. Locs need moisturizers, like natural loc butters—lighter, loc twist butters. Products that are too heavy and waxy you should stay away from.”

Her shop’s biggest sellers: Honey Lock Love Loc Starter by My Honey Child, Zuresh Loc and Twist butter, Zuresh Clarify me Shampoo, and for an itchy scalp, Rebirth, a hair tonic which gives hair what it yearns for. There’s also Sofia’s Herbal Mixture by My Honey Child, as a leave-in for itchy scalps.

Paula has a Ph.D. in psychology and has dealt with the issues of people of color. Hair is one and more than one would think. Hair is tied to self worth and how women view themselves.

She is following in her mother’s footsteps, who also owned a beauty supply. “I went after other passions and always knew I wanted to come back. I wanted to meet the needs of those who wear natural hair and open a place where people could talk about their unique concerns as well.”

Five Friendly Tips for Persons with Locs:

• Consult an expert/loctician for a realistic regimen that works for you; what are your goals? Length? Modern styles? Just neat enough for work?
• Don’t retwist too often; retwisting every four to six weeks is a good routine.
• Headties/scarves are your locs’ good friends; Tendrils and Curls recommends Loc Socs.
• Wash hair regularly; but pay attention to your scalp’s needs; if your scalp becomes incessantly itchy, it may be time for a wash. (Tendrils and Curls recommends Zuresh’s Clarify Me shampoo, which is also safe for chemically treated hair because of its pH balancing formula).
• Keep scalp oiled, but not to the point of extreme oiliness. (Tendrils and Curls offers a variety of scalp friendly products and twist/loc products.)

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

P.S. Don’t forget to get volumes 1 and 2 of our printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285

Locs color play

Loc’d Life’s email found a beautiful submission in its inbox recently—the work of Janice Brown of Tarbaby Hair Design.

Born in Jamaica, Brown started styling hair at nine years old, and has been in the natural hair business for the past 25 years. Trained in all hair textures, Brown specializes in the art of freestyle cornrow design. Her work has been featured on television, stage, and video, and Brown has styled hair from Philadelphia and New York and Florida, to California, Hawaii, London, and Japan. Her work has graced the pages of Essence magazine, Braids & Beauty and other international hair magazines.

Take a look at her colorful work here and you’ll see why. In style #1, see this updo with yellow and green locs throwing this updo a funky twist. In style #2, green and yellow locs peek playfully from the edges of this variation style. In style #3 colorful spirals emerge, cascading in this asymmetrical updo.

For more on this locstar, check out her salon, Tarbaby Hair Design, in Brooklyn, New York. Appointments may be hard to get, but definitely worth the wait! Look for more on this loc star at Loc’d Life. If you’re a salon with great photos of your work, send them on to info@locdlife.com.

‘Till next time,
Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine
www.locdlife.com

P.S. Don’t forget if you haven’t already done so to get volume 1 and 2 of our printed edition at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/399285.