4c Head - Thinking About Locing

[JudithO]

Y'all.. I can't with this hair.. lol... Why does it take so much darn time? I big chopped in May of 2014, started transitioning Dec of 2013, my lowest layers are about an inch and half from APL so I'm not compalaining about retention for now... but I'm tired of doing this every week honestly.. I just want to loc to dramatically cut down on maintenance time..

+ I see all the beautiful 4C waist length heads of hair and they ALL complain about how much darn time it takes @nyeredzi ... save me.... I think you cut your hair short but how did you cope with it when it was long? I try to wash weekly...

 

[nyeredzi]

Y'all.. I can't with this hair.. lol... Why does it take so much darn time? I big chopped in May of 2014, started transitioning Dec of 2013, my lowest layers are about an inch and half from APL so I'm not compalaining about retention for now... but I'm tired of doing this every week honestly.. I just want to loc to dramatically cut down on maintenance time..

+ I see all the beautiful 4C waist length heads of hair and they ALL complain about how much darn time it takes @nyeredzi ... save me.... I think you cut your hair short but how did you cope with it when it was long? I try to wash weekly...

Girrrl ... I got nothing. Cutting it short didn't really help either. Last time I cut from about 18-20 inches to about 2 or 3. I cut off 90% of my hair and it cut down on time like 20%. And it was ugly, keeping it real. Probably because I didn't get it professionally cut and just hacked it off in a fit of rage 30 minutes before I had to go to work. And I was too scared of barbers to get it corrected. And then growing out the layers, ugh. So I decided no more cutting in fits of anger (that was the third time I'd done it), no matter how low I go, it doesn't help. It's about APL now, and I keep getting the lowest layer cut to try to help the layers grow out a bit.

But I feel you! This post speaks to me! I was reading it on my phone and had to put the phone down and get the lap top to really type up a reply. I've never had locs, so excuse my ignorant opinion, but if you think you'd like them on yourself, do it! I think it would be easier (that's the ignorance part; I don't know, but it seems like it would be) Inevitably, one day, I will get there too. I like them, I just don't want them for myself right now.

Question: what are your hair priorities? Cuz that will determine what you do. Is it having long hair? Manageable hair? Cute hair? Wearing your hair out? Also, how long is it taking you now, so I know what your idea of "long" is? If you tell me your idea of long is 30 minutes, there is nothing I personally have to say to you.

If the world cooperated with us, we'd be able to wear Celie braids and people would think it's cute. That would be the easiest. Or have one of those Himba women hairstyles. But since we can't really do that, I think the closest thing that we can get away with is medium sized twists styled in some kind of way. On my hair, this was the easiest way of maintaining. I didn't truly care for the look, but it had its bonuses. The hair was twisted, so tangled less. It was already in twists when it got time to wash it, so I didn't have to do any presectioning. After washing, each twist was a good size for detangling quickly, max 2 minutes per section (I had about 25 twists). I liked it better on blow dried hair, but of course that was another friggin step. This was them shrunken. Braids are an option too, but I braid more slowly. 2 hours goes to 3.5 for the braids, with the washing, conditioning, detangling, blow drying, and rebraiding. But braids could last through 3 weeks, particularly if I blow dried before braiding.

My hair looks rough these days. I stopped all hair pictures the year I had my baby. Shoot, can somebody come save me too?! I'm waiting on Reniece to prepare herself to start texturizing clients' hair, cuz I told her I am ready!

 

[JudithO]

Girrrl ... I got nothing. Cutting it short didn't really help either. Last time I cut from about 18-20 inches to about 2 or 3. I cut off 90% of my hair and it cut down on time like 20%. And it was ugly, keeping it real. Probably because I didn't get it professionally cut and just hacked it off in a fit of rage 30 minutes before I had to go to work. And I was too scared of barbers to get it corrected. And then growing out the layers, ugh. So I decided no more cutting in fits of anger (that was the third time I'd done it), no matter how low I go, it doesn't help. It's about APL now, and I keep getting the lowest layer cut to try to help the layers grow out a bit.

But I feel you! This post speaks to me! I was reading it on my phone and had to put the phone down and get the lap top to really type up a reply. I've never had locs, so excuse my ignorant opinion, but if you think you'd like them on yourself, do it! I think it would be easier (that's the ignorance part; I don't know, but it seems like it would be) Inevitably, one day, I will get there too. I like them, I just don't want them for myself right now.

Question: what are your hair priorities? Cuz that will determine what you do. Is it having long hair? Manageable hair? Cute hair? Wearing your hair out? Also, how long is it taking you now, so I know what your idea of "long" is? If you tell me your idea of long is 30 minutes, there is nothing I personally have to say to you.

If the world cooperated with us, we'd be able to wear Celie braids and people would think it's cute. That would be the easiest. Or have one of those Himba women hairstyles. But since we can't really do that, I think the closest thing that we can get away with is medium sized twists styled in some kind of way. On my hair, this was the easiest way of maintaining. I didn't truly care for the look, but it had its bonuses. The hair was twisted, so tangled less. It was already in twists when it got time to wash it, so I didn't have to do any presectioning. After washing, each twist was a good size for detangling quickly, max 2 minutes per section (I had about 25 twists). I liked it better on blow dried hair, but of course that was another friggin step. This was them shrunken. Braids are an option too, but I braid more slowly. 2 hours goes to 3.5 for the braids, with the washing, conditioning, detangling, blow drying, and rebraiding. But braids could last through 3 weeks, particularly if I blow dried before braiding.

My hair looks rough these days. I stopped all hair pictures the year I had my baby. Shoot, can somebody come save me too?! I'm waiting on Reniece to prepare herself to start texturizing clients' hair, cuz I told her I am ready!

LOL @nyeredzi - Girl you need to give me more than this... It takes TIME... My most effective routine is prepoo overnight, wash next morning and DC (takes 1.5 hrs), detangle and braid to stretch (another 1.5 - 2 hrs). Next day, unbraid and put in smaller twists with gel for a twistout for this look (another 2 hours).
Next day, untwist (30 minutes) and cary for the week. Repeat cycle every Friday.

Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed my hair permed. I did everything myself including relaxing, and wash days, even when I got to WL was 1.5 hrs total.So I remembe my permed days with fondness. Problem is my husband doesn't care too much for short hair and his fear is if I relax it, I'll get the natural bug again and cut it. He is voting for getting locs cos it'll give me the break I need and I can take them out when I get tired... lol

This is what I look like now...



Honestly, I'm living in these twists for the next couple weeks and if I still can't take it, I'll be visiting the loc-person... lol. Life is too short for all this...

Hair priorities are manageable, and good looking hair. I want long hair too. I don't care for wearing it out.

 

[nyeredzi]

LOL @nyeredzi - Girl you need to give me more than this... It takes TIME... My most effective routine is prepoo overnight, wash next morning and DC (takes 1.5 hrs), detangle and braid to stretch (another 1.5 - 2 hrs). Next day, unbraid and put in smaller twists with gel for a twistout for this look (another 2 hours).
Next day, untwist (30 minutes) and cary for the week. Repeat cycle every Friday.

Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed my hair permed. I did everything myself including relaxing, and wash days, even when I got to WL was 1.5 hrs total.So I remembe my permed days with fondness. Problem is my husband doesn't care too much for short hair and his fear is if I relax it, I'll get the natural bug again and cut it. He is voting for getting locs cos it'll give me the break I need and I can take them out when I get tired... lol

This is what I look like now...

View attachment 325800 View attachment 325801View attachment 325802

Honestly, I'm living in these twists for the next couple weeks and if I still can't take it, I'll be visiting the loc-person... lol. Life is too short for all this...

Hair priorities are manageable, and good looking hair. I want long hair too. I don't care for wearing it out.

So 3 - 3.5 hours for wash and setting up for a style, then another 2+ hours for styling? Yeah, that is too long, You know your hair better than others, is that prepoo and DC necessary every week? I frankly wouldn't do it every week. Maybe DC just once a month. I wouldn't bother with prepoo. Also, I wouldn't two steps, braiding to stretch out and then next day twisting for a twistout. I'd just braid or twist while wet, leave that to dry, and then undo it and wear that braidout or twist out for the rest of the week.

 

[Foxglove]

I feel you. I bit the bullet and started my locs after just over 4 years loose

 

[JudithO]

So 3 - 3.5 hours for wash and setting up for a style, then another 2+ hours for styling? Yeah, that is too long, You know your hair better than others, is that prepoo and DC necessary every week? I frankly wouldn't do it every week. Maybe DC just once a month. I wouldn't bother with prepoo. Also, I wouldn't two steps, braiding to stretch out and then next day twisting for a twistout. I'd just braid or twist while wet, leave that to dry, and then undo it and wear that braidout or twist out for the rest of the week.

I have to prepoo with coconut oil overnight.... My fine hair starts breaking without it.. DC, I can do it every other week instead of every week... My scalp starts flaking if I go longer than 1 week without washing but it will have to learn. About the twist out, if I twist without stretching first, hair is not nearly as defined... There'll be no visible curls.. Believe me I tried.. Like the hair gets more frustrating the longer it gets and it's not even long yet... Smh..

 

[JudithO]

I feel you. I bit the bullet and started my locs after just over 4 years loose

Girl please share pictures... Do you like it? What is your wash day like?

 

[nyeredzi]

I have to prepoo with coconut oil overnight.... My fine hair starts breaking without it.. DC, I can do it every other week instead of every week... My scalp starts flaking if I go longer than 1 week without washing but it will have to learn. About the twist out, if I twist without stretching first, hair is not nearly as defined... There'll be no visible curls.. Believe me I tried.. Like the hair gets more frustrating the longer it gets and it's not even long yet... Smh..

Hmm, okay. Your hair behaves differently from mine. I get the best definition from braiding or twisting on wet hair, letting it dry, and then undoing them. If I retwist on dry hair, that'll stretch it out and give it a softer look, but it will be less defined. Here's a picture with just twists done on wet hair and taken out when dry:
http://public.fotki.com/mwedzi/2008/2008julythroughdecember/may08twistoutdef.html#media
and here's a picture retwisting after dry:
http://public.fotki.com/mwedzi/2008/2008julythroughdecember/july08twistout.html
Seems like our hair behaves differently. My strands are not super fine, either. I mean, they are not thick, but they are not fine either, medium I guess. I also wash weekly, but definitely don't prepoo. If it's just coconut oil helping your hair (it also helps mine), how about applying it throughout the week? Then you might not need a specific pre-poo step. I prefer using oil over water-based leave ins anyway throughout the week, to avoid hair shrinking up and knotting.

 

[Foxglove]

Girl please share pictures... Do you like it? What is your wash day like?

Come hang out over here if you're curious
https://www.longhaircareforum.com/t...thread-sisterlocs-dreads-freeform-etc.739187/

It took me a long time to figure out what type of locks I wanted but in the end I went with sisterlocks because of the look and because of how versatile they are and bc I can fool my mom into thinking that they're braids/mini twists until they mature . Mornings are easy, just spritz, shake, and go. I can still do braid/twist outs and I need very little product (shampoo and spritz and that's it)
While they're babies I have to braid them and band the ends before washing so they don't unravel but once they mature I can wash them loose
They are costly to install but once they're installed they don't cost much to maintain and soon I'm taking the class to learn how to maintain them myself. If cost is a factor you could find somebody that does interlocks and get those

Some pics (sorry about the sizes)

Here you can see my ends are still loose

 

[mstar]

I'm locking my hair too. I was going to do it this weekend, but I ran out of time. I'll do it sometime in May.

I'm not about this haircare life anymore. Spending hours maintaining my hair simply doesn't interest me the way it interests other ladies. Plus, I have always felt that I'd get locs at some point in my life when I matured, and...that time is now. I'm planning to get pregnant in the fall, and I won't have to worry about my hair.

I want mine medium-sized, long, sexy, and semi-wild. My regular hairdresser is a loctician, so I'm all set.

 

[mstar]

Thanks for the link @Foxglove...I'll head over to that thread. Congrats on your decision, and your hair looks nice.

 

[jamaraa]

I say go 'head and loc it....your life will be so much simpler.

 

[Holla4mom]

I feel you! I was so close to locking it in March because I felt there was no way for me to wear my mid-back length 4c hair out because it was just so unmanageable. I also cut it into a style so that if it's not perfectly defined it still has a shape. Well since then, I started the Max Hydration Method and just getting it more moisturized has made it so much more manageable. However,I can't say this technique is not time consuming as well. But it's time well spent for me because after doing the regular clay treatments and actually getting moisture into my hair, I know I can plait it when wet, let it down and have an awesome braid out that can be rebraided in 3 plaits or so and worn until next wash. That's easier than stretching my hair, drying my hair, rebraiding my hair and then having a braid out that looks good for a day.

When I used to get super tired of it, I'd put it in mini twists and let it be, or get a wig