Issues. What Issues?!
The thing about issues is one woman’s issue is not necessarily the issue the next woman has. My extensive YouTube research led me to believe unraveling and bunching would be big problems. Very few videos mentioned itching.
As I reviewed the entries in my loc journal, I was surprised to see that I mentioned itching on April 2, 2022, the day of my loc install. Full disclosure,I finished my microloc install in April but I had previously installed 96 locs the previous May. When I divided those locs, I went row by row , spraying my hair with water and separating each loc. I did not take them down, or rewash my hair.
Some women take issue with not washing your starter locs for 4 weeks. I did not have an issue waiting four weeks to wash my hair. As a loose natural, I usually washed my hair every four weeks. With newly loc’d hair I had a hard time going four days without washing my hair because my scalp itched so badly from the first day. The intensity of the itching was unexpected. Fortunately, I found a few ways to make the itching stop. First, I sprayed my scalp with rose water. I used a clean, regular spray bottle hijacked from spraying another hair product. I sprayed the rose water 2 or 3 times a day on my scalp. After 3 or 4 days I felt a build up on my locs from the rose water. I wonder if this is specific to my locs because this surprised me. I had not heard about rose water causing a film on hair or face. I wonder if anyone else has had this minor issue?
I decided to cut the rose water with tap water fifty/ fifty. That resolved the issue for me. Please note, we have a whole house water filter because our water comes from a well. If you have hard water you should try distilled or spring water when spraying your locs.
Moisterizing my scalp with the rose water mixture worked but, I knew better than to go to bed with wet locs. They might crink up, shrink up or worse mold up and smell. I knew there had to be another solution to the itchy scalp situation.
Essential oils, specifically peppermint and tea tree resolved the itchy scalp issue. I used either sweet almond oil or apricot oil as carrier oils for the essential oils. I used 2 drops of tea tree oil in a 4 ounce bottle. To that I added 10 -15 drops of peppermint oil and then filled the bottle with either sweet almond oil or apricot oil. Occasionally, I added Jamaican Black Castor oil to the mix. For adding fragrance to my locs, I would use lavender or orange essential oils added to Jamaican Black Castor Oil or Argan Oil. These are my favorite scalp oil blends.
At one year loc’d the itching has subsided. if my scalp itches now it is a sign of dryness or a need to be washed. I now apply oil to my scalp after washing or after rinsing my locs only if my scalp feels itchy after I massage and towel dry my locs.
My first shampoo did not happen for 4 weeks; however, with the itching I had to run water over my scalp. My locs were too short to braid and band. I did twist a few together before deciding to just section my locs , fold over the ends and place a black hair tie on the little bundle. This left plenty of space for me to massage my scalp WITH THE PADS OF MY FINGERS – ONLY. Despite the itch, using my nails to scratch would have only made matters worse. So, again, the issue was a non issue. I washed my locs at my one month “locaversary” but I had been wetting my scalp completely by the end of my first week of being loc’d.
One thing I did to ensure I did not change my mind was to interlock my newly installed two strand twists. I chose to do a 4 point rotation. I think this helped by minimizing slippage – that is, hair strands slipping out of the loc. When I retwisted my locs after this first retie, I have used a 2 point or a 3 point rotation.
In the sections where my hair has a looser curl pattern, over time I have noticed more slippage and more expansion and contraction of the size and shape of the locs. I am now one year loc’d and at the ends of my locs , the two strand twist section, there is a little more thickness and a longer retention of the curl created as the two strand twist locks up on it self. This size difference has not been an issue for me. I admit I do manipulate my locs. I will roll a wildly shaped damp loc between my fingers. I roll it back and forth between my thumb and forefingers – only the section I want to shape. I don’t roll the whole loc between my fingers or palm roll it. Palm rolling looks like it applies a lot of tension to the roots.
I started my locs with two strand twists. Bunching is usually an issue with locs started from twists. When my locs started bunching at about 3 weeks along the journey, initiallyI was excited. Bunching was evidence my hair was going through the process of becoming locs. My hair stated bunching mostly at the top of my head where my loose natural hair had a softer curl pattern. I believe it is 4B. I have not had a professional give me an opinion. Not a priority.
My locs in the back were not experiencing any bunching and very little slippage. Those locs in the back fell like ringlets of curls the first time I wet them with water. The sizing of each of these locs was perfect for my hair. Each loc filled its grid and still does. These locs’ new growth consistently grows into the loc. This is the area where I am currently thinking about semi freeforming.
How I would maintain my locs was an issue, or so I thought. I had 212 microlocs. I wanted versatility but I also wanted to maintain my locs myself. The summer before I loc’d my hair , I met a woman with locs down to her calves. She had been growing her locs for 20 years. She told me that she didn’t retwist her locs any more and hadn’t retwisted in years. She maintained her glorious 4C silver, white and grey locs by keeping them separated. She washed her locs with “regular” shampoo. She sometimes used conditioner. She usually wore her hair down. I sensed immediately that she was giving me encouragement while describing her simple loc maintenance routine. The message was clear. I have this beautiful head of long hair and it is not hard to maintain.
After I installed my two strand twist locs, I told my daughter I was unsure whether to retwist my hair or interlock. She scoffed and said “You better interlock.” I ultimately did interlock my hair.. I couldn’t understand how rolling the hair was going to create locs. I didn’t see how the hair would stay twisted long enough to lock up. At least, not my less coilly hair.
I did my first interlock within one week of having installed my locs. I didn’t want my locs to disintegrate into loose hair. At 4 weeks, I washed and hennaed my locs. It was the best henna application I had ever done. I didn’t worry about henna particles getting into my locs. I already knew how quickly they fade out of my hair. The coverage was good but I decided I would not apply any more henna. Instead, I would see what my natural hair color looked like.
After squeezing most of the water out of my locs I wrapped my head in a grey microfiber towel and squeezed out more water. I then began interlocking my locs. I interlocked again at two months and again at 3 months. I then started seeing videos about interlocking too frequently and the types of damages that can occur. I raise for your attention the YouTube channels that brought me awareness: Yannie, The Loctologist; Alexis Harris; and Naps Are The New Black (who actually has microlocs.)
When I was 3 months loc’d, we took a little vacation to Mexico. My daughter and I were in the pool pretty much everyday. I had been to Mexico at least 3 times before and never gotten my hair wet in one of the pools. With locs, I was free to jump into the pool any time I felt like it. I would wash the pool water out of my locs with my mixture of Dr. Bronner’s and water which I applied via spray bottle. By dinner my locs were ready to go out for the evening!
While in Mexico I I brought home a bottle of luxury shampoo from the hotel. My daughter had used this shampoo conditioner mix on her locs while we were in Mexico and she loved the way it made her locs feel. I tried the same shampoo conditioner mix sparingly when I returned homeand the slippage was really alarming to me. I have not used conditioner in my locs since. I will probably try conditioner again at some time in the future when my locs really need conditioning. Right now, they are doing well without any conditioner at all.
My final issue was the mental hurdle I had to climb to see my locs as beautiful when they began to bunch or unravel. I had had two locs unravel the first week which was another reason I chose to interlock my locs.
I have been told that I “Rock my short locs”. I think the tricks I used to process the changed appearance may be helpful. First, I told myself that nobody cared what my hair looked like. I did not tell my husband I had loc’d my hair. When we were in Mexico he asked me if I had done the same thing to my hair that Schuyler had done. I said, “Something similar.” I had been wearing twists for the month of February and March. I had finalized my loc install on April 2 and this was July. Obviously, my hair being loc’d was not a big issue for him.
It was May before anyone asked me about my sisterlocs. I thanked them for noticing and explained that I had microlocs and I had installed them myself. So, so proud.
The image at the beginning of this post is from my 3 month loc journey. It was taken in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. Shrinkage is really real, but locs will grow. It takes patience.
This one got away from me and its a long blog post. If you stuck with me this far, thank you for your time and attention. I will talk about loc structure, how it affects loc growth and length retention in my next blog.
Until next time, blessings and I hope you love your hair!
Microlocs and Me: Journey to Hair Freedom 