Loc care is about maintaining healthy hair maintenance practices. We often say, “Locs are low maintenance not no maintenance.” This means that although there is lower day to day maintenance, locs still require some maintenance. Developing a good hair care regimen is the first step to establishing healthy locs. We help you learn the best products and hair care regimen you should develop to have healthy, strong locs.
1. Check your locs
Watching your hair as it grows is the most important hair care practice. Monitoring your locs is more than checking for growth. You should also look at the scalp and the condition of individual locs. Check your locs for inconsistencies in diameter like thinning, color, and buildup. Also notice differences in density. For example, you may notice that the majority of your loc is thick and opaque or thin and transparent in a few spots. These transparent spots may be potential areas of breakage in the future. These weak spots may need a loc repair. It is important to check your locs to see potential problems and seek help.
2. Protect your hair
Preventing damage is the first line of defense for achieving strong, healthy hair. Locs need the same protection as other natural hairstyles. We recommend using silk pillowcases, bonnets, or head coverings. These products help maintain moisture and prevent dryness. They also help keep length and prevent breakage.
You should also protect your hair from dirt and dust in environment. It is important to cover your hair when cleaning or other activities that may generate dirt and dust. Keeping your hair clean and free from dust and dirt helps maintains healthy locs.
3. Eat Healthy
Adopting a healthy diet is a hair care step that you should not overlook. Hair is an indicator of health. Among many factors, poor nutrition can contribute to breakage. There are many debates online about which foods are healthy. In general, we recommend a diet rich in minerals and vitamins. We know that a healthy nutrient dense diet will improve the appearance and health of your locs.
4. Less is More
What goes in sometimes cannot go out. This is especially true for locs. It is best to select a few products that work well for your hair. Trying too many hair products may leave residue or product buildup. Before trying a new product examine the ingredients. Certain ingredients are more likely to leave buildup like mineral oil, petroleum, waxes, and high molecular weight silicones (like dimethicone and amodimethicone). These ingredients do not dissolve in water and are difficult to rinse off in the shower. The less products you use for your locs, the better.
5. Moisturize your hair
In addition to protecting your hair, maintaining moisturized hair is key to healthy locs. Drinking water and applying oil to your hair are two hair care practices that promote moisturize. Make sure that you check the ingredients of the products in your hair care routine to avoid buildup. Perform a daily check of your hair and how it feels to the touch. Be careful to not mistake the texture you feel with dryness. Curly hair has a texture with grooves and bumps. Dry hair feels straw-like and brittle when squeezed. Apply moisture to your hair as needed rather than every day.
6. Set a regular schedule to shampoo your hair
Set a regular schedule to shampoo your hair. Have a regular shampoo schedule according to your hair and lifestyle needs. This helps you maintain regular cleaning to prevent buildup and excess oils on the scalp. Good hair requires a clean scalp. Wash locs often enough to not have buildup but not too much to avoid stripping the oils from the hair. You must also dry your locs. Locs need drying on the inside of the loc to avoid mildew. If your lifestyle does not accommodate for thorough drying, you may have to wash your hair less often. Setting a regular schedule to shampoo your hair is a good hair care practice for everyone with locs. Regular shampooing allows you to maintain a clean scalp and fresh locs.
7. Be careful about your hairstylist
All hairstylists do not provide quality haircare. Hire hairstylists that care about the health of your hair. A good hairstylist will provide you with tips and feedback about your hair. Like a doctor, your hairstylist can see the health of your hair and offer suggestions about haircare. If your stylist cannot answer your questions or does not help you with your hair, find another stylist. A haircare professional must be an expert that can help. An expert in styling may not be an expert in care. Before becoming a client, pay attention to stylists to make sure that they practice good haircare and professionalism. Only put your hair in the hands of a professional.
8. Know Your Limits
Everyone has their own unique set of genetics that contribute to their hair. Although we all have our loc crushes, it is important to embrace your natural hair journey. Love your hair! If your hair is fine, accept that your locs will look different than someone else with thicker hair. Do not have loc envy. This journey is about embracing and learning to love your hair in its natural state as it locks. During your loc journey, your hair may change. Locs may not thrive due to certain scalp conditions, genetics, or other issues. Keeping locs despite underlying problems can result in loc breakage or traction alopecia.
The dream of most people starting their loc journey is to have long hair. With longer hair there are new concerns. Some people loc wearers develop neck and back issues as a result of the weight of their hair. Others may not want the extra maintenance required for longer hair. As a result, some people may decide to cut their hair.
We are pro-locs at Loc Genius. We are also pro-health and natural hair. All natural hair is beautiful. Locs are one style of many natural hairstyles. We are not judgmental how anyone decides to style their hair. We encourage you to choose a look that makes you feel confident and that is healthy for you. If your hairstylist or doctor suggest that your locs are causing issues, do not give up hope. There are many alternative styles worth trying. Develop the hair care practice of knowing your hair and its limits to get the loc look or a natural look that makes sense for you.