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Question about locs

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Chameleonchick

Chameleonchick

Well-Known Member
What is the best way to start locs? I only know of two ways. Starting with a two strand twist and then palm rolling. I have seriously been thinking about this a lot lately because I am getting to the point where I no longer enjoy doing my hair. I love to wash it but not style it anymore. Also, has anyone started the locs themselves?
 
I know people with them .most started by twists. Beautiful. You can also style locs soooooooooo beautifuly !!!i met à professionnal locs.styler and.saw pics of.What she did ....to die for.
 
I start locks with braids and maintain them by interlocking. If you go to youtube and search "braidlocks/locs" you'll find info and tutorials demo'ing this method.
 
there are a lot of different ways to start locs. finger twists, comb coils, two strand twists, braids, and even the towel rub method. I even had some people offer to start my locs by way of synthetic box braids. they wanted to latch the new growth as it came in. they thought this was the only way to loc my hair, due to the texture. they were wrong. :look: if you leave hair alone and let it do, (washing, without detanglng) it will loc that way too. some people lock this way, and then seperate the tangles to make them a little smaller.

there are a lot of different ways to maintain them too. palm roll, twist (at the roots), and latching are the few that I'm familiar with. freeforming is just letting it be and letting it loc how it locs.

i think that the most important things to consider when choosing a method to loc your hair is how often you want to wash in relation to your hair texture. DO NOT LET THE MYTH THAT YOU CAN'T WASH YOUR HAIR FOR X AMOUNT OF DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS AFTER STARTING YOUR LOCS, GET YOU. There are many loctitians that will throw that at you. It's not true. and it's UNHYGIENIC. Your scalp is skin. YOu wash your body on a regular basis, or else it gets nasty and stuff because it generates oils and bacterias and things on itself that needs to be washed away. no amount of covering your skin (some loctitians will tell you this, to keep your hair "covered" so it won't get dirty, so you won't have to wash it. :nono: ) will keep you from having to bathe. I mean, we wear clothes. we spend the majority of our time covered up, unless we are nudists. Yet we still need to bathe somewhere around ever day.

Your scalp is skin too. You don't want your scalp to get nasty. If your scalp is nasty, then your locs will be nasty. Your scalp is your priorty because, without it in order, your hair will be jacked up.

if you have soft hair and it comes aloose and you know you are the type of person who wants to keep a neat appearance, well, logically speaking, twists or something like that, is not going to work for you, when you think about washing your hair ever week or two weeks. You need to consider braids, and maybe latching.

but if, on the other hand, you are the type of person who doesn't mind, or even likes the disarray that might occur with twisting, then twisting might work for you.

If you are the type of person who swims, or works out or something like that, and wash your hair several times a week, then braids or two strand twists and latching might be best for you.

Freeforming is also very low maintenance, and can be washed whenever, if you don't mind the "freeform" look.


kinkier tighter hair textures tend to hold twists better through washes than looser, softer textures. Just make your plans according considering 1) how often you wash your hair 2) what type of look you know you'd prefer (neater, a little messy) and 3) your hair texture
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for me, I started with two strand twists. the top of my hair is coarse and loced right up. the back, after several months, came completely aloose. it was like an afro back there. i lost my parts and everything. just a loose bush. i had to go back, resection the back, put in braids and put little black rubber bands on the ends. after a while, it locked and i was able to take the bands off.
 
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I'm also thinking about starting locs and have been doing research. Still haven't made up my mind yet.

Also, not to hijack your thread but I wanted to know if anyone here uses aloe (straight from the plant) on their locs? Do it make it loc faster? If so, how often is it okay to twist with it and how long does it last refrigerated? Thanks in advance.
 
My favorite method for starting locs is braids because braids are very sturdy and way less apt to come loose (assuming one has a type 4 texture) so they can be washed as often as the mood strikes and you can just latch as the new growth comes in. Twists are good for getting the hair to tangle up fast but they're not very durable and will come loose easily even in kinky hair types.

Starting with comb coils I don't like because you have to leave your hair unwashed for a ridiculous amount of time or else you'll lose the parts and the coils will come loose, and that's just unhygienic.

I've definitely thought over getting locs quite a bit, for now I'll just do my temporary loc extensions when I wanna go for that look for a few months.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
I like twists or braids because you can wash them. Twists may be more prone to unraveling, and braids may take longer to lose the braids pattern - so I guess that's just personal preference. I started mine with twists and maintained by latching.
 
I decided to loc my hair seven months ago, I started them with tst's. My avatar is my hair currently.
 
BrandNew said:
I'm also thinking about starting locs and have been doing research. Still haven't made up my mind yet.

Also, not to hijack your thread but I wanted to know if anyone here uses aloe (straight from the plant) on their locs? Do it make it loc faster? If so, how often is it okay to twist with it and how long does it last refrigerated? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I don't use aloe from the plant. but I do use aloe juice. I don't think it makes it loc any faster, it just moisturized it well (provided I seal it with some kind of oil)


a tiny bit of sea salt in your spray bottle with some water helps speed up locking a little bit, though. Or better yet, an occassional dip in the ocean ever so often, if you are so inclined, and live near a salty body of water.
 
CountryBumpkin, I remember a thread here about how salt added to conditioner proved moisturizing and softened hair. Never tried it myself.

Anyway, I wondered if you knew why sea-salt speeds up the locking. When I hear salt, I think "drying"...but I can't figure out why that'd help with locking--then there's that theory of it being a moisturizing mojo, which still would not answer my question. So any clue?
 
i don't know exactly how it works. but i know a lot of people, black and white, say that it speeds up locing.

i know a lot of people comment on how their locs seemed to loc faster after spending some time at a beach. and then comparing it to how fast their hair locs when the spritz a little salt water in their hair from time to time.

and then, i also know that there are several (at least two that I can think of off the top of my head) websites that sell products for dreadlocs to "speed locing" that are essentially just salt water.

I used salt water on my hair for a little while. it seems to make your hair hold onto water. my locs would take forever to dry when I used it. I think, at the time, I was using too much. Only a little bit is needed. the amount of salt that is in ocean water is perfect.
 
the only reaon why i stopped using seasalt in my locs was because it didn't agree with my spray bottles. it would make them jam up and stop working, somehow.
 
prettybyrd said:
Are there any other self starters out there? Chameleonchick, when do you plan to loc your hair? I'm thinking of giving it a go too, for the same reasons - and a few others.
Click to expand...

I am not sure at all. I've just been toying with the idea of it for a while. I am probably going to try yarn braids or loc extensions first before I make my final decision.
 
Nonie said:
@CountryBumpkin, I remember a thread here about how salt added to conditioner proved moisturizing and softened hair. Never tried it myself.

Anyway, I wondered if you knew why sea-salt speeds up the locking. When I hear salt, I think "drying"...but I can't figure out why that'd help with locking--then there's that theory of it being a moisturizing mojo, which still would not answer my question. So any clue?
Click to expand...

Nonie

When I try to figure out why on certain things, I go back to it's real purpose.

My theory: 4ish hair was meant to protect us from the sun. We wanted that tightly coiled her to protect the scalp. Africans swam, and bathed in salt water(Ocean). That caused the hair to loc up for more protection.

Docs give us water pills to expel excess water we retain, when we consume to much salt. So salt must hold "water" or attracts water somehow.

On the Doctors today, they mentioned people can breath better on the beach due to inhaling the salt water. It helps to clear up lung congestion.

I dont have the scientific answer but I'm sure it's entangle in the above theory of mine.
 
My Friend said:
Nonie

When I try to figure out why on certain things, I go back to it's real purpose.

My theory: 4ish hair was meant to protect us from the sun. We wanted that tightly coiled her to protect the scalp. Africans swam, and bathed in salt water(Ocean). That caused the hair to loc up for more protection.

Docs give us water pills to expel excess water we retain, when we consume to much salt. So salt must hold "water" or attracts water somehow.

On the Doctors today, they mentioned people can breath better on the beach due to inhaling the salt water. It helps to clear up lung congestion.

I dont have the scientific answer but I'm sure it's entangle in the above theory of mine.
Click to expand...

I would say your theory is a good one. When I BKT'd my hair I used sea salt in my conditioner to make my hair get kinky again. It worked after multiple salt treatments and my hair did not get dry from it.
 
My Friend said:
@Nonie

When I try to figure out why on certain things, I go back to it's real purpose.

My theory: 4ish hair was meant to protect us from the sun. We wanted that tightly coiled her to protect the scalp. Africans swam, and bathed in salt water(Ocean). That caused the hair to loc up for more protection.

Docs give us water pills to expel excess water we retain, when we consume to much salt. So salt must hold "water" or attracts water somehow.

On the Doctors today, they mentioned people can breath better on the beach due to inhaling the salt water. It helps to clear up lung congestion.

I dont have the scientific answer but I'm sure it's entangle in the above theory of mine.
Click to expand...

Chameleonchick said:
I would say your theory is a good one. When I BKT'd my hair I used sea salt in my conditioner to make my hair get kinky again. It worked after multiple salt treatments and my hair did not get dry from it.
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@My Friend but if attracting and retaining water is the what causes locking to happen sooner wouldn't that mean using humectants would cause the hair to lock up too? Also wouldn't that defeat the purpose of those who avoid water if water being on hair for long period is what causes the locking? Also not all Africans have easy access to the sea so many in landlocked country only used fresh water but still had tightly coiled hair.

@Chameleonchick your experience with salt and conditioner is what I was referring to when I mentioned a "moisturizing mojo" but that effect (softening) seems to be the opposite of what people want when trying to get their hair to lock.

I wear twists for long periods of time and the time they are easiest to undo is when they are wet...so I'd think wetness (attracting moisture) is the opposite of what's needed here. The only thing I can see is the salt dries the hair by pulling moisture OUT of it...rather than keeping it on it.

And the only explanation I can come up with (although I am too chicken to try it) is in the case of adding salt to conditioner, you probably draw moisture INTO the conditioner whose purpose is to add moisture to your hair and then leave a coating on your hair to lock it in. Hence why using salt water on bare hair and using salt with conditioner would give different results. I'm sure your hair doesn't lock up @Chameleonchick but rather gets more slip and strands separate more easily.
 
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Nonie No, my hair didn't lock up because of the conditioner but it was gaining its tight curls back quicker after doing that BKT to it. I don't know then but salt water seems to have so many uses. Are you toying with the idea of locking too?
 
Nonie said:
@My Friend but if attracting and retaining water is the what causes locking to happen sooner wouldn't that mean using humectants would cause the hair to lock up too? Also wouldn't that defeat the purpose of those who avoid water if water being on hair for long period is what causes the locking?

@Chameleonchick your experience with salt and conditioner is what I was referring to but that effect (softening) seems to be the opposite of what people want when trying to get their hair to lock.

I wear twists for long periods of time and the time they are easiest to undo is when they are wet...so I'd think wetness (attracting moisture) is the opposite of what's needed here. The only thing I can see is the salt dries the hair by pulling moisture OUT of it...rather than keeping it on it.

And the only explanation I can come up with (although I am too chicken to try it) is in the case of adding salt to conditioner, you probably draw moisture INTO the conditioner whose purpose is to add moisture to your hair and then leave a coating on your hair to lock it in. Hence why using salt water on bare hair and using salt with conditioner would give different results. I'm sure your hair doesn't lock up @Chameleonchick but rather gets more slip and strands separate more easily.
Click to expand...


My hair tries to loc when wet. Because I stop it, it will just be a tangled mess. I wash in braids to prevent tangling and loc'g. I cant wear twist because my hair wants to loc.

I think people with locs have "hair myths" as well. I knew people would not wash their hair for weeks/months. They were told their hair would loc and grow faster if they didnt wash it.

The quick length came from all the dry broken strands and shed hair matting together. Those strands would not have broken off if they had washed and conditioned their hair. So it appears they have slower growth.
 
Chameleonchick said:
@Nonie No, my hair didn't lock up because of the conditioner but it was gaining its tight curls back quicker after doing that BKT to it. I don't know then but salt water seems to have so many uses. Are you toying with the idea of locking too?
Click to expand...

@Chameleonchick, no I'm not toying with the idea of locking (Or I should say, not any time soon anyway). I've been in my twists since August 2010 and so it'd seem logical to just lock, but I love to feel my loose hair. In fact, part of why I have major HIH disease is I love fingercomb my hair and just feel my coils...so I'd go mad if I couldn't do that. Plus I know I'd want to wear it out as soon as I couldn't, so I'm clearly not ready for that commitment.

I was just interested in the discussion and wanted to understand. I admire locked folks both for the lengths they achieve and their dedication, so I tend to tend to get nosy and lurk in their threads.
 
Nonie said:
Chameleonchick, no I'm not toying with the idea of locking (Or I should say, not any time soon anyway). I've been in my twists since August 2010 and so it'd seem logical to just lock, but I love to feel my loose hair. Part of why I have major HIH disease is I love fingercomb my hair and just feel my coils...so I'd go mad if I couldn't do that. Plus I know I'd want to wear it out as soon as I couldn't, so I'm clearly not ready for that commitment. I was just interested in the discussion and wanted to understand. I admire locked folks both for the lengths they achieve and their dedication, so I tend to tend to get nosy and lurk in their threads.
Click to expand...

Nonie Yeah, I know what you mean. I have been in twists for a while and it just seems easier at times to stay like that. The real reason I haven't done it is because I want to straighten my hair for my birthday in August. That will be two years since I have applied heat to my hair. I hope to be BSL by then, just to prove to myself I could make it. Then who knows I maybe locked up or just stick to my twists. I don't know, but I do like the low maintenance behind it. And I friggin HATE detangling my hair.
 
My Friend said:
My hair tries to loc when wet. Because I stop it, it will just be a tangled mess. I wash in braids to prevent tangling and loc'g. I cant wear twist because my hair wants to loc.

I think people with locs have "hair myths" as well. I knew people would not wash their hair for weeks/months. They were told their hair would loc and grow faster if they didnt wash it.

The quick length came from all the dry broken strands and shed hair matting together. Those strands would not have broken off if they had washed and conditioned their hair. So it appears they have slower growth.
Click to expand...

Kinky hair shrinks when wet so is prone to tangles. My hair shrinks too when wet and would tangle too which is why I wash in braids too if it's loose. But as long as it stays wet, it remains easy to separate the strands. The only time I'd have trouble is if I used an alkaline product on my hair so strands were not smooth; then separating the wet strands becomes difficults as the strands (not just the coils) will hook onto each other (the way some folks say their relaxed hair does).

In the case of locking, I'm thinking the idea isn't just to shrink the hair but create a situation where the strands are difficult to separate. I do know if I let my shrunken hair dry in its shrunken state it will stay tightly shrunken.
October2008BunCake-vi.jpg


If this airdrying was done w/o product, it'd be difficult to stretch it. If I left it like that keeping moisture from being within it, the hair would not soften and so would become compact like that mat you find on doorsteps for wiping mud. In other words, I'm thinking that it's ABSENCE of moisture that would make kinky hair hold its shape indefinitely. Soft hair is pliable and moisture makes hair soft. So that's why I suspect that salt water works in speeding locking in that it DRIES the hair. It draws moisture out of it...so that the water evaporating as you airdry is not just surface moisture but even internal. That makes the hair hold the shape it has indefinitely. And the more this is repeated, the drier the hair get and the more permanently the shape holds.

Not sure but that's the best guess I could come up with.

My Friend, I don't think there is any way around locs having length from shed hair. I don't think it's really from breaking unless you mean breaking from the weight and usually the whole loc falls off. I think whether you wash hair or not, you can't avoid shedding ...and so with locs, the fact that the ends of the shed hairs are matted into the locs, means the shed hair stays attached even as it moves away from the scalp. So that's how their length happens; it's not really from not washing or conditioning.
 
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Locking is a process. The amount of time it takes is different for everyone. As a general rule most people's hair will lock up in 6-12 months but some people take up to 18 months or longer. People think because their hair tangles fast they'll lock up in minutes - but this isn't how it works. Salt water can give your hair a locked look - i.e. fuzzier, and if your hair is very loose curly, wavy or straight then it might help to reduce slippage but it doesn't speed up the locking process. It's very possible for hair to look locked and slide out easily with a little conditioner if you decide to take it down.

Aloe gel is a good natural setting agent if you use the twist/palm rolling method to tighten your new growth but it also does not make hair lock faster.

The length in locks is your hair accumulated over time PLUS shed hair. The assumption that they are just shed hair is another misconception that needs to go away like the belief that you can't wash them. Locks = strands of fiber (your hair) woven together for extra strength like yarn, rope or cord. Using this system you grow your own length, plus your own extensions without doing much of anything which is a very nice feature. You care and style them pretty much the same way you would loose hair minus the combs. BTW there will always be a little bit of shedding but very minimal as compared to loose hair.
 
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Last year, I started both my son's and my husband's locs using latching. I originally tried both braids and twists with my son's fine hair but neither worked for our lifestyle (lazy). I did not want to retwist his locs every other day and the braids took forever to loc. With latching, he had locs and could wash immediately.

We're still latching both guys' hair. I redid them last weekend and they're both happy.

I started lil man's from about 3-4" of hair and big guy's from about 6-7" of hair. HTH! :)
 
My sons hair looked loc'ed but all I do is spray with diluted conditioner and untwist and brush out. He mudwashed and I just detangled and sectioned his hair.

I have been doing this method since 2003. I take it down 3xs a year I think. His hair is mbl stretched.

I am thinking about the latch hook method.

Eta: I combed out a baseball size of hair.
 
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