Oh the wonderful world of locs, dreads, dreds, free forms, dreadlocks,
starter locs, 2 strand twists, interlocks, sister/brotherlocks and loc
extensions. (Or whatever you like to call your hair) LOL There’s so much
versatility in wearing your hair loc’d, no matter the diameter, the length,
color and density; So don’t fret you have a plethora of styling options to fit
your needs and wants.
Everyone will have something that they don’t like about
their hair. (Hey even I do, and I’m a stylist.) It’s your hair, be proud of it
and love it because you could be bald, although some pull off being bald very
well. Your hair is beautiful and I love it!
Well here’s a list of some of the things I hear from new
clients:
1. My
locs are frizzy.
- Its all in the curl pattern &
texture. Softer less curly hair will be frizzier as locs. While coarse and
overly curly hair will look smooth with no frizz.
2. My
locs are too small
- Make sure when starting locs to
bring in a picture of how you want your locs to resemble. Usually once you
start off locs the size can’t be changed without extensive work being done.
Consultations are a must to get a clear understanding of how your locs will
look once they mature. You can combine locs in a way that you don’t create
“Snake Tongues” and they look uniform down the entire shaft of the loc.
3. My
locs are too big
- See answer above, although there
is a way to make locs smaller with a delicate process that can be performed by
a professional. This particular technique can be done in a way to keep the
bases of locs strong and while giving you a fuller look.
4. I
can’t do this grey.
- Haven’t you heard, “Grey is the
new black”! Time to get with the trend! LOL ok so you have a few grey strands
its okaaaay, just a little wisdom. :-) Buuuuuut if you absolutely can’t do the grey you
have options… COLOR!!! :-)
5. They
don’t look like locs, not loc’d yet.
- Many of my starter loc clients
will say this usually after the 3rd - 4th month after I
have congratulated them on being loc’d. Most have told me that they felt like
their hair didn’t look like locs until around the 9th – 10th
month. Even after I have showed them that their hair is actually loc’d much sooner
than that. Usually what happens is that in their head starter locs don’t look
like locs until they get “hang time” or they are not “frizzy”. This is the classic “My locs don’t look
like his/her locs.” Line…Boooo and you look exactly like someone else and you
are not a twin. Hmmmmm LOL
6. My
head too big for certain styles.
- Now some of you know you got a
big chrome dome on your shoulders, while others are in complete denial. LOL
Luckily for you I’m good at styling with your head size in mind. But so what
your parents blessed you with a large cranium, guess what… That just means you
have BIG BRAINS!!! :-)
7. I
have a big forehead, try to conceal it.
- This one’s funny because I used
to say this. (Ha) Well when you have BIG BRAINS sometimes the forehead has to
accommodate for the extra. So with this small issue embrace it and show it off
proudly. Well if you are not that proud then look for styles that will cover
and conceal. Or for the ladies, you go another route and cut some bangs.
8. My
locs are dry or itchy.
- Are you drinking enough water?
Are you consuming enough fruits and veggies? Healthy hair, skin and nails start
from within. So Drink up and opt for that apple or banana instead of that
doughnut or bagel for breakfast. Moisturizing is imperative for locs; you must
oil your locs weekly. Dry scalp is one culprit of itchiness. Too much oil is
the other: consuming too many fried foods leads to over production of oil in
the body. (Large flakes of dandruff) Keep a small spray bottle of a peppermint,
tea tree & rosemary essential oils blended with carrier oil such as:
Coconut, Apricot, Avocado or etc. You can add a small bit of water to help with
absorption.
9. My
locs are thinning.
- Uh Ohhh, let’s get to the bottom
of why your locs are thinning to begin with.
A) Your previous stylist was over
twisting and styling too tight.
B) You retwist or interlock too often.
A & B: This
causes stress on the hair follicles and weakens them which makes the follicle
close up and stop producing hair.
C) You are aging.
As
you get older heredity sets in. Some people’s hair gets finer (thin) while
others hair gets coarser. Sometimes your hair follicles just naturally close up
and stops producing hair. When this happens there is not very much you can do
to reverse this aging process. There are a few short-term options to making
hair look fuller. Just know that
they are short term and will have to be redone periodically to maintain
fullness.
D) Health, Medications, Drug habits.
Your health plays
a vital part of your hair, skin and nails. Make sure you are doing all you can
to stay healthy by consuming fruits, veggies, nuts and water. When your health
starts to fail, some people take medications that have a list of side effects.
Be certain to read over all side effects and understand the risk of taking
certain medications. As with medications the use of recreational drugs can also
cause havoc on your hair. Color won’t take, hair has film on it, dry, breakage
and brittleness are all effects of using recreational or prescription drugs. So
stay healthy and say no to drugs! (I highly recommend the FARMacy instead of
the Pharmacy.)
10. My locs
are not long enough for any style.
- Contrary to your belief there are
several styles for short locs (Unless you have comb coils on less than an inch
of hair). When you go to a professional loctician they will be able to give you
styles through out your loc journey. I have had clients to wear their hair up
the entire starter loc to teen loc phase. Don’t limit yourself schedule your
appointment today with a local professional loctician in your area for hot/
fierce styles for short locs.
As you see many of your concerns about your locs are really
just all-personal self-conscious thoughts. When you are in the hands of a
professional you will always love your locs, dreads, dreadlocks, dreds, free
forms, starter locs, 2 strand twists, interlocks, sister/brotherlocks and loc
extensions, because they will be healthy, shiny and pliable. So look in the mirror, love what you
see and hire a professional to care for your locs, as they S.imply K.eep Y.our
H.air H.ealthy
