Tag Archives: hair

Microlocs and Me: A Journey to Hair Freedom

Welcome to the Blog! My name is Bettye. I have 209 microlocs and today I am celebrating 3 years and 6 months of being loc’d!

WoW! Had I known at the start I would still be here enjoying and thriving on this journey I might have started a Vlog at the same time. Not because my journey has been free of obstacles but because I did not know how much this journey would mean to me above and beyond a way to style my hair.

It’s been two months since I have blogged. The first thing you might notice is the number of locs has changed. In recognition of having reached this goalpost on my loc journey, and because I did something really stupid in August, I felt it was time for me to count my locs. When I first counted my locs I used small black rubber bands to hold my 3 month old locs in groups of 20. I had 212 locs and I was happy. What happened? I am not sure. bundle each group. This is what I do remember. I combined 4 locs into 2 around my 3 month anniversary. I then started a new loc at the left side of my forehead. I thought the total was 212. In August, I decided to interlock my locs. I had not interlocked my entire head since February even though I had retightened the locs that make up my bangs during that time. I had been maintaining my locs by separating them and rolling or retwisting them. This method was working fine for my 4C hiar. It was not working for my 4 B hair as I was to discover. The 4B locs were thinning at the root. The strands of hair in the locs were compressing and forming a loose curl. I knew from previous experiments that tying a knot in the loc would result in slightly thicker locs from the point of the knot to the root of the loc. But, of the 3 knots I had made in thinner locs in August of 2024, I can still find the knots in those locs more than a year later. So knots were not my first choice to address loc thinning. I decided instead to interlock the thinning locs. I discovered a few things about my hair in the process.

First, the section of my hair that is 4B is confined to an area just below my crown across the back of my head. When I finished interlocking, I noticed this area is shaped like a rainbow across the back of my head. Very interesting. I have had this hair for decades now and never noticed this.

While I was interlocking the thin 4B locs I also interlocked most of the 4C locs as well. I missed about 30 of them. That’s fine. Those 30 will be the leaders in my new method for maintaining my locs.

Here’s the plan. I will be separating my locs daily. I do this automatically now. I separate my locs at the root after I spray them with water or finish a shampoo or when I sit in traffic. If and when I find a strand of hair lodged in the wrong loc, I tug on it to determine which end is in the scalp and which end is in the wrong loc. I pull the end that is in the wrong loc. I pull gently and I pull one strand at a time. This may sound tedious; but, when your hair maintenance routine takes maybe 5 minutes in the morning, you have time to pull one strand of hair at a time.

Occasionally, I will find a group of hairs sitting off to the side clumped near a loc. I use my finger tips to determine to which loc this group should be attached. Hallease, a YouTube content creator and traditional loc wearer, noted she always has an inch or so of new growth at her roots. She uses her fingers to interlock errant strands of hair in the right loc. I have used this technique with some success; so, I am not going to say I am no longer interlocking.

I also like taking the errant strands and separating them into two bunches and braiding the loc and the strands together. This technique is the maintenance technique Lola from Holistic Flo, also a YouTube channel content creator, uses to maintain her semi-freeform traditional locs.

Finally, my triumvirate of YouTube creators includes Lillian Okibe, who specializes in helping subscribers attain and maintain thick locs. Ms. Okibe has developed an online course which I subscribed to during my first year of my loc journey to get as many ideas as possible about how I would maintain my locs. Ms. Okibe, a microloc wearer, encourages DIYers to maintain their locs so they have roots that are thick without interlocking.

Whether or not I would maintain my locs myswelf has never been a question. I tried during the pandemic to get a loctitian to establish my locs but I was unsuccessful. Honestly, there weren’t a lot of hair salons open, so, I understand why no one got back to me for months. Fortunately, I had YouTube content providers to help me get started. Also, it helped that I choose to use two strand twists to start my locs. I had more shrinkage than if I had started with braids or interlocking; but, I also had confidence knowing I could easily change my mind with two strand twists. In fact that ease to removing the twists helped me to remove the first set I established in March of 2022. I had 96 locs and the shrinkage made me think I needed more locs. I am glad I let my self change my mind. The 200 or so locs I established in April of 2022 has been just the perfect number for me.

This August, I decided to retighten my locs. I was going to my niece’s wedding and I wanted my locs to look as sharp as they were going to look. Let’s just say for me, sleek edges has seldom been a goal. I set up my retying tools and towel in front of the family room TV to watch football while I retied. I decided to have a drink because that’s how we were watching the game on that particular day.

Things were going fine until they weren’t. I had interlocked three (3) small locs together and I could not undo the tie. At first I panicked. Then I thought, give it a little time and you will be able to release the locs. Sure enough the following week before I washed ny hair, I was able to stick the end of a porcupine quill into the knot and worked the three locs loose. I believe a metal rattail comb would have done the same task.

I then decided to interlock the three separately but loosely as I had done the other 4B locs. The hardest part about interlocking the 4B locs is/was making the second entry into the side of the loc because the curl of the 4B locs is more flat and wide as opposed to curly and round like the 4C locs.

I interlocked the first of the three loosely so as to maintain as much width or volume at the base of the loc. In the process of interlocking the second loc, I tied both locs two and three together again. I thought, OK once again I will give it a week and see how my hair grows. I hoped the interlocked knot would come out as easily as the earlier knot.

I was not to be so lucky. A week later and I could not feel the separate strands making up the now two headed dragon loc. I tried, and failed and became frustrated. I noted that the root of the two headed loc was not much bigger than the one I had safely interlocked. I began to realize those two locs were supposed to be one. Eventually, I tied the two locs together very tightly down the length of both locs. One loc was at least an inch shorter that the other. I cut off the end of the shorter loc and teased some of the strands a loose. I then tried crocheting the loose strands into the new loc.

Crocheting the locs did not work for me. A day or two later the loose cut ends were sticking out of the loc. I tried to get the ends to stay inside the new loc but they wouldn’t stay. I washed my locs a couple times then noticed that there were spaces between the knots. I decided to try repairing the loc again. This time I took out all of the knots …all except for the knot that turned two locs into one. I wet both sides and twisted them tightly together. Once again I unraveled the ends and braided the bundles of hair and loc together. So far, so good. How do you repair your locs? New techniques are always good to learn.

Well, the reality that I have 209 locs and not the 211 locs I was anticipating, was a surprise. This time when I counted my locs, they were long enough that I could count out 20 locs, make a group of that 20, take one loc and wrap it around the group to make a bundle. Earlier, I must have miscounted. Obviously, I had 210 locs and not 212. I know because I recounted each of the ten bundles to make sure I didn’t miss any. That was tedious. In any event, I have not lost any locs in my 3.5 years as a loc’d girlie. I am proud of the care I have given my locs. Have you lost any locs ? Do you know how you came to lose them?

My maintenance routine has changed just a little over the past year. Last winter, I began using conditioner on the shaft of my locs to help keep them moisturized. During the spring and summer I have not needed to use conditioner. I am still using Dr. Bonner’s liquid castile soap diluted 1:1 as recommended on the bottle as my clarifying shampoo. One lather is enough. Cécred Hydrating Shampoo or Nexxus Hydrating Shampoo are the two shampoos I use after rinsing out the Dr. Bonner’s. In the spring, I applied a little oil to my scalp following my shampoo and towel drying my hair. In the summer, I stopped using the oils because I noticed that my scalp would itch on the second or third day after the shampoo. When I did not add oil, I had no itching. Now it is autumn, I will have to see what my hair and scalp need.

I have decided that I like the way my locs frame my face when I keep my bangs maintained at or just above my eyebrows. Earlier this year in February I cut layers into the locs along the sides of my face. This gives my locs a very finished look everyday. I have gotten used to having hair on my neck and shoulders. I also enjoy having hair on both sides of my face. This is a surprise because as a loose natural I often wore a side part. These are all new looks for me and I am enjoying the journey. Being able to wear my hair out and loose has been the easiest hairstyle for me. After three and a half years, I have yet to grow tired of it. What techniques have you discovered to help you style your locs?

I do style my hair for special occasions; but, often the weight of the hair on my head becomes uncomfortable. I usually take down updo hairstyles in the car on the way home from the event. Before the hair comes down, however, I am enjoying every minute of having long hair to play with and style. And to think it has only taken three and a half years.

Here are two recent photos taken in New York City at the end of September. My daughter, whom you have heard me speak of, is the beautiful woman with the very long Sisterlocks.

How long have you been loc’d? Please drop the length of time you have been loc’d and where you are located in the comments. If you’re not loc’d please consider this your sign to start your loc journey. Locs are not for everyone; but, you won’t know if they are for you if you don’t try them on.

Thank you for sharing the journey! See you next month.

Bettye

MicroLocs and Me: One Woman’s Journey to Hair Freedom

Living the Loc’d Life : Winter Edition 2025

We are halfway through winter here in the North Eastern United States. Punxatawney Phil was frightened by his shadow on February 2 and apparently predicted 6 more weeks of winter. I think it was an easy call.

The weather has been very cold and windy due in part to the polar vortex that seems to dip down from Canada more often than in years past. What I have done with my loc maintenance this winter has been really a game changer. Let’s call it my Canadian vortex loc response. Surprisingly, it has been a very easy routine to follow. My locs have grown and now sit thickly on my shoulders. I have gotten used to the warmth on my neck and the way my hair curls inside of my collars and turtleneck sweaters. Having my locs feel moisturized and soft against my neck has made the cold winds tolerable.

Winter Loc Maintenance Routine

I continue to wash my hair once a week. Depending on my daily schedule, wash day is either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. No stress there.

I usually apply Dr. Bronner’s diluted castile soap with a spray bottle in the shower. Usually, I will follow with a second lathering of hydrating shampoo by Cecred. During this winter I decided to combat dryness in my locs with conditioner after the shampoo. I have been using Cecred’s moisturizing conditioner.

I finish my shower then, rinse the conditioner thoroughly and squeeze the water from my hair. I do not wring the water from my hair. Twisting the locs together while wet causes loose wet hair to migrate into neighboring locs. Its much better to just grab sections of hair and squeeze the water out from root to loc tips.

I wrap my hair with a microfiber towel. While I dry off, the towel has time to absorb some excess water. At almost three years loc’d, it now takes two hours for my hair to fully dry. I don’t mind. While I am waiting, I will run my fingers through my locs to separate them. I take time to wrap loose strands of hair around the appropriate locs. I move my locs into the style of the day. My last wash day task is to apply oil. I don’t always apply oil immediately after shampooing my locs. Most weeks I wait until the next day and apply aoil after I have sprayed my locs.

There are a few oils I am currently using. I have my staple Black Jamaican Castor Oil, Cecred Hair Oil, a blend of oils I bought on vacation in St. Martin and a mixture of oils I concocted by blending Argan oil, rosemary and amla oil with a little teatree oil and peppermint essential oil. I do not use all of these oils together -simultaneously. I will apply a small amount of one or two oils in the palm of my hand and use my finger tips to apply in several areas around my temples and scalp. Most of this oil will go to the length of my locs to help keep moisture in. I will not apply oil again until after my next shampoo.

Using less oil allows my own sebum to do its job and I have had no dandruff since locking my hair. I had a lot of itching during my first 4 months wearing baby locs but I stopped applying oil for a month as an experiment and the itching stopped. Since this revelation, I use oils sparingly on my scalp and locs.

The biggest difference this winter is I am spraying my locs with water twice a day and using instant conditioner after I shampoo. This winter my locs have felt supple. They have also continued to grow. My first two winters as a loc wearer I noticed my hair growth slowed during the winter. I expected this. My loose natural hair would also stop growing during the winter… or so I thought. I am taking the same vitamins and supplements as the last two winters and yet this winter my locs have continued to grow. I can tell there is growth becuase I see the new growth at the roots but due to the shrinkage I don’t see longer locs until I retighten them. This year I will let my locs tell me when they need to be retightened.

Steam Your Locs

For Christmas my daughter gave me a steamer. I have used it four times since then; so, every two to three weeks. I used it first with only water on my locs. Next, I applied a leave in conditioner. Finally, I applied the conditioner in the shower and used the steamer with a goal of seeing what changes if any were apparent. The steamer softened my locs with just water. My locs felt supple for the rest of the day. I did not reapply water during the day. When I applied leave in conditioner I did not notice any difference from applying just distilled water. When I used the steamer after applying conditioner in the shower my locs were supple for two days. I did spray water on my locs the next morning but I could have gone without. My experiment with a steamer shows me that a steamer is a good tool to use on my locs at least during the winter. The steamer does help keep my locs supple and moisturized.

The Knotted Locs Experiment

If you recall, at the end of August 2024, I installed 10 (ten) knots at the base of what I felt to be thinner locs. I had not retied or interlocked my hair in more than 3 months in keeping with Melissa Blake’s Knotted Locs. During the first night I removed 7 of the knots. They were too close to my scalp and caused too much tension, In other words, I felt they were too tight. I left 3 knots in and they remain in place to this day.

My observations have been: tThe knotted locs experienced less slippage. I did not have to retie the knotted locs when all of the other locs were retightened. As time passed the new growth between the knot and the scalp had very few loose strands. In February, when I retightened my locs I was able to use my interlocking tool and interlock the three knotted locs. That was six months after the knots were installed. I can still feel where the knots are on each loc. Due to there being only 3 of them there is no real change in the way my locs look.

I am finally beginning to embrace interlocking as the loc maintence method I want to use on my hair. From around six months on this journey I have been afraid that interlocking is stressful on the roots and scalp. I now think that infrequent reties without trying to catch every millimeter of new growth are a healthy way to maintain my locs. Also, retying or palm rolling locs is fine for me for maintenance between retightenings, because I wash my hair once a week, retwisting my locs doesn’t last very long. Sometimes I am happy with just separating my locs after a shampoo.

Wearing Bangs or A Fringe

I have followed the loc trimming instructions Pauline Walker, En Toi Beauty gave earlier in December 2024 on her YouTube channel to trim your locs. I don’t know if I can describe the technique here as well as she demonstrates. Basically, you determine where you want your locs to stop and where you want the bangs to start. Comb the locs forward that will make up your bangs. Going from the top of your head to the bottom of your bangs pick up one row of locs. Cut the lowest one so it ends where you want your bangs to stop. The loc immediately on top of this one is cut next. It is cut slightly shorter than the lowest loc. Make sure each cut is made at an angle, not straight across. Continue to cut each loc in this row making sure the top one is a little shorter than the one before. Then go to the next row and cut those locs the same. When you have finished cutting you need to go back to each loc, spray water and palm roll the loc to close the end and keep hairs from escaping and making a ball at the end of each loc. This advice was given to me by Lillian Okibe.

After I used this technique to trim my bangs, I parted sections down the side of my face and trimmed those locs as well.

If you have not signed up for the Lilian Okibe Locks course, I highly recommend it. The cost is $59.99 US Dollars. Currently, you will have one year’s access to the course at that price. As a bonus, Lilian Okibe adds modules to her course and you will have access to the new information as it rolls out. I was recently made aware there is a loc cutting tutorial in the course. After reviewing that section, I picked up my shears and cut my bangs a second time. Please note that my bangs had been trimmed 6 to 8 weeks previously and I had no need to cut the locs framing my face. Lilian Okibe’s cutting instructions are similar to Pauline Walker’s. Since they are both trained hair stylists that should be no surprise. Ms. Okibe’s focus however is to keep your locs looking fuller after your cut. Ms. Walker’s focus is to cut the locs in a style. Both work!

Really excited to be approaching three years on this microloc journey!

Any thoughts or concerns about trimming your locs? What is the worst thing that might happen? Please note that I am only asking about trimming not cutting off locs. In fact, I hope you

Stay loc’d!

Bettye

Microlocs and Me: 2.5 years Loc’d Lessons Learned 2.0

Last month I was overwhelmed by the enormity of my accomplishment. I established my microlocs on April 2, 2022. I DIY’d them. I did not ask a loctitian to establish my grid. I decided the general number and the method – two strand twists. I did it my way!

I have been obsessed with my loc’d hair ever since. Last month, I mentioned a few things I have learned. Honestly, this whole blog is about things I have learned about locs – my locs specifically. It’s been quite a growth experience.

Prior to locking my hair, I had been natural for ten years. During that time I cared for my hair myself. One of the reasons for going natural was to keep from spending hours each month at the hair salon. It was always an expensive undertaking and my hair never came out of the salon looking the way I wanted it to look. Giving up on hair salons was a positive aspect for me becoming a loose natural.

Loose Natural Fears About Locs

I did not know the term “loose natural” until I began investigating the possibility of locking my hair. At first, I was fearful of locking my hair myself. I thought it would be really easy for me to waste my time locking my hair and ultimately be unhappy with the look. Or perhaps, locking my hair and finding I really wanted different sized locs.

Fear of not being happy with 96 traditional locs led me to establishing microlocs. I had sectioned off 96 two strand twists in March of 2022 to start my loc journey. I had seen about 100 loc videos by that time. Despite having thick or high density hair, the scalpiness of 96 locs was not lost on me. The other big question for me was, “Would I have enough locs to style my hair in all the ways I might possibly want over the next 10 to 20 years?” I thought not. It then occurred to me that I could simply combine my locs if I had too many. So, I washed my hair and took down my first set of locs.

Grid or Parting Mistake

This next part was the mistake. I took out each two strand twist and divided it into 2 or 3 parts. Some of these parts had diagonal sides due to my attempt to make the locs more or less of equal size. Later these diagonal lines would prove to be a hazard when interlocking. The strands of new growth hair in these sections seldom seem to know where they belong. Over the years (that sounds so good) I have learned to wrap these sections of new growth around the appropriate loc before interlocking or locksmithing.

Loc Maintenance

I have learned that my tender headedness is much more intense with locs. This is common. However, my tender headedness is not so intense when I have an inch or so of new growth. So for the holiday season ahead, I have already stopped interlocking my locs and have begun retwisting them. The retwisted locs will unravel if I wash my locs without twisting and banding them first. 8 twisted and banded sections of hair are usually enough to wash my scalp and locs. If I choose not to twist and band before shampooing, I can always do it afterwards. It takes me an hour to an hour fifteen minutes to twist each of my 212 locs. This is nothing compared to the 4 days of interlocking I usually have. Don’t gasp. I do not interlock or retie my hair all at once. I learned that I lost patience and began retying my locs in a sloppy fashion after an hour or so. I then made really bad mistakes. It was better to retie a few sections of hair a little while each day.

Locksmithing

Pauline Walker, YouTube content creator of the En Toi Beauty channel, is a gifted loctitian and communicator. She says it takes 6 months to 2 years for your hair to loc. Armed with this information, it is easier for me to locksmith my locs regularly; retwist when needed to keep my locs’ integrity and interlock when I need to. I interlocked this year so that I could swim. The pool is closed now. I can wash my hair once or twice a week with the banded method and maintain my locs’ until next summer.

I have learned that cutting and tearing your locs while interlocking them is not a healthy loc maintenance plan. The sound of snapping strands while retightening is anathema to longterm loc health. It’s better to retwist your locs as needed to keep the locs separated. When you interlock make certain all extraneous hairs are away from the loc you are working on. Use clips to hold the other locs out of the way.

I have also learned a lot about moisturizing locs. I wonder if this same information can be applied to loose natural hair with the same results. We may never know. The loc community is not definitive when it comes to moisturizing practices. Some advise that no water be applied until after a given time. I washed my locs at 3 weeks because my scalp itched so badly. I chose to ignore that caveat. Consequently, I have not lost any locs. I enjoy standing in the shower letting my locs get soaked on any given day… not just on wash day.

Distilled Water

Distilled water has been the best loc beauty aid.I have learned that well water, even though treated by a whole house filter, may still deposit chemicals in your hair. Often, crispy hair can be caused by chemicals in the water. It can be resolved with a spray of distilled water. Distilled water can be added to Rosewater you buy at a 50/50 ratio. I find this extends the rosewater and does not result in a film on my hair. Rosewater and Glycerin is a good hair additive during the fall and winter where I live in Maryland. The glycerin grabs humidity from the air; however, I find I must mix it 50/50 with distilled water. If I do not add distilled water, a sticky residue develops on my locs when I apply this 2 days in a row.

Rosemary Water

I like to make rosemary water by boiling 3-4 stems of rosemary in a quart of water. Let the rosemary water steep until the water is brown. Add additional distilled water to this mixture if you find it to be too strong a fragrance. I like to spray my locs with rosemary water before putting on a shower cap and taking a shower. When I exit the shower, my locs are moisturized and ready to go.

Finally, I have learned that locs are beautiful around the world…or at least in the countries I have visited. I used to be surprised when someone would stop me to tell me they like my hair. I have learned to look at the person complimenting my locs and see their hair. Now, I will usually say, “I like your hair too!” There’s nothing wrong with a mutual admiration between two people. If you have locs, have you gotten used to the questions and comments that frequently come with locs? Have you developed a response? What do you say?

I’m looking forward to what the next month on locs will look like for me. As you can see, my goal of length retention is coming through.

Best wishes, Bettye

Microlocs and Me: Year 2

Friends it has been a while since I last posted a blog. I had been lulled into a false sense that locs were becoming mainstream and my very small effort to mormalize them was not necessary. this week I saw a television clip where two Caucasian looking women were throwing shade, that is, talking in a very derogatory manner about the actress Zendaya because she had chosen to wear faux locs for a talk show appearance. The catty statement that got my blood boiling was pronouncement that Zendaya looked like she smelled of weed! When I looked at the photograph Zendaya was nicely dressed and smiling. Her faux locs were long and she looked lovely – much nicer in fact than the two who were tearing her down on national television.

I realized the fire and ire I felt then as an impetus for me to return to the blog – o – sphere…not because I have developed a large following of readers but on the off chance these epistles will eventually find the ones interested in knowing more.

The other reason I have not written is I have not been able to upload any pictures and I had a sense that photographs would be appreciated by any readers I might have. I will try to attach pictures to this blog; however, the need to make my voice heard now out weighs my desire to share pictures of my progress.

You may well ask what kind of progress have you made? Well, I am so glad you asked!

Today, June 2, 2024, I am celebrating 2 years and 2 months of being loc’d! Am I surprised? Yes and no. I am not surprised I am still loc’d. I truly believe this is the way my hair was intended to be maintained. My hair is thriving and I have never looked better. I look back on photos of my hair before I established my locs and my hair does not look finished, not even when it’s a picture with newly styled hair. Some of that may be due to me having been the sole caretaker and stylist of my (loose natural) hair for 10 years before I established my locs. I was not trained in a beauty or cosmetology school to take care of my hair. I got tired of spending all day in a beauty salon every 4 – 6 weeks getting my hair permed, colored and having the ends trimmed off. I also got fed up with all of the ways I was not helping my hair grow especially when I followed my hairstylist’s suggestions between visits. It was frustrating, my hair never retained length even after having 3 children and lengthy continued used of prenatal vitamins. My hair was always growing unevenly when I got to the hairstylist chair and cut into a style.

That nightmare is over for me and I will never go back to permed hair.

Recently, I heard a comment on how people of color are the only people who call the hair that grows out of their head “natural hair’. That got the cogs a whirling. No other group calls their hair, as it grows from their scalp, natural. The assumption is that all hair is natural. Their hair must be altered to to earn a descriptive like “dyed” or “permed” or “blow dried”. However, as a people, we (people of color) specify whether or not our hair has been chemically altered in our description of our hair because altered hair is the usual treatment of our hair.

Now, my hair has been in locs for more than two years. I am ecstatic to say that the length retention I desired has happened! My locs sit on my shoulders and fall below my cervical vertebrae. My locs look thick and healthy because they are well cared for by my own two hands. I have gotten used to wearing my locs loose. At first I had no choice. My locs were too short to pull up into a bun or pony tail. Then, they shrunk and looked like a cap of locs. Today, I have the full bangs I wanted as a child. I have decided for the time being to trim my locs monthly. I am shooting for the first day of the month so I can have neat looking bangs when I take a photo to show my new growth for the month. I did try to let my bangs grow with a high side part in the front. That look lasted about one day. When I last interlocked my locs in January, I did it so that the locs would radiate from a point 3 inches in front of my crown. This is the pattern I have always used. Since that is the way they were trained to grow and they do not wish to depart from it. Keep this in mind if you are thinking about starting locs.

After the first year or so I could pull my locs up into a beehive but my locs do not like to be pulled. The tension was so uncomfortable I only wore my locs in a style for about 4 hours if I was going to an event. Usually, whether at an event or just in my every day life, I wore my locs loose. This actually made my soul sing. One of my goals when deciding to establish my locs was to be able to wear my locs loose and down. I had always worn a lot of protective styles as a loose natural or pulled my hair back into a pony tail at the base of my neck. Since I was at the gym at least 3 times a week (before the Covid pandemic) a pulled back ponytail was my go to hairstyle. I dressed this up with headbands. You are probably wondering, “What happened to her edges with all of that pulling back?: My edges suffered. My hair never responded well to gel and so slicked “baby hair” was never a hairstyle accessory for me. Today, locs from my edges fall to below my chin. I am cautious with new growth along the edges around my face. I gently handle the new growth to coax it into the existing locs. Wearing bangs helps keep my edges free from extra tension, too.

I have made a few changes in my maintenance routine. I am still washing my locs weekly with Dr. Bronners soap. I continue to dilute this in a spray bottle on a 1:1 ratio with water. The local health food market closed a few months ago. During the going out of business sale I picked up a bottle of Jasön shampoo with biotin. I have used it twice and that is enough for me. I found this shampoo left my locs feeling almost squeaky clean. Since I do not use conditioner on my locs, not even diluted with water, I wasn’t sure the squeaky clean feeling was good. By the second time I used this shampoo I knew for sure it was not agreeing with my locs.

I use my microfiber towel to towel dry my locs. I am not aggressive with this. My hair has low porosity so it doesn’t absorb a lot of water during the wash. After squeezing the water from my locs with my hands, I wrap my head with the microfiber towel and since I always wash my hair in the shower now – something I seldom did before – I dry off my body and apply shea butter to my skin. I occasionally apply a small amount of shea butter to my locs by rubbing the shea butter in my dry palms and applying to the locs. Before applying the shea butter to my locs I will apply a small amount of oil to my scalp and massage it in. The amount of oil I use has dropped drastically. I attribute this routine to keeping my scalp clean and free from the itching I experienced during the first 3 months of my loc journey. The oils I use continue to be Jamaiccan black castor oil, argan oil, and Mielle’s rosemary oil. Recently, I purchased a bottle of Beyonce’s Cecred’s oil. The Cecred oil is a blend and it works well with my loc maintenance given I have used it only twice at the time of this writing.

In my daily spray bottle I use distilled water mixed with sweet orange oil and/ or peppermint oil. I find the sweet orange essential oil gives me a little mood boost. The peppermint oil used to help with the itching and I often get compliments on the smell of peppermint in my hair; so, I will keep using it until I have emptied this bottle at least.

If Life gets in the way and I cannot wash my hair on Friday or Saturday I will stand under the shower head and wet my locs. This gets me through until the next week. Occasionally during the week I might stand in the shower with no shower cap to let my locs absorb some moisture. When these things do not happen I will usually spray my locs with a mister I purchased from Amazon.

The biggest maintenance change for me has been not retightening my locs for four and a half months. Some of the locs around my crown do feel like they are locking. Others feel like they are just an inch and a quarter of new growth. However, this time I am not seeing strands of hair in the shower or on my fingers when I wash my locs. I am following Lillian Okibe’s method of loc maintenance and I would like to commit to doing this for the remainder of 2024. I would like to, but; this is an experiment that I have to undergo very carefully. We have a pool now and the water will be swimmable on June 8. I plan to swim every day that I can this summer. I’m not a great swimmer but I like to try. Swimming with locs was a real treat at 3 months in. My daughter had advised me to interlock my hair so I could swim. We were on vacation in Mexico and we jumped in the pool just about every day we were there. Last year we contracted to have a pool built. Almost one year later our pool is inviting but not yet swimmable. If my locs react badly to the new swimming regimen, I may have to interlock again.

So, why am I not interlocking? Thinning locs and traction alopecia are not issues I ever want to have. As I look at the never ending parade of loc videos on YouTube I am noticing that sisterlock wearers are often complaining about thinning locs after around 5 years. I’m only two years into the game but I am looking ahead. I see me wearing locs from this time forward until the end of my time here. By not interlocking I am avoiding a lot of tension and pulling on my locs. I do not palm roll. I think that type of maintenance will also cause thinning locs and traction alopecia if it is done too aggressively for a long period of time.

This maintenance may not work for everyone. i am one of those who will run her fingers through her locs every day. I am feeling for strands of hair that are trying to marry into other locs. I gently pull those strands out and wrap them around the appropriate loc. In effect, I do a daily rewrap of any loose hairs.

I have actually done some reading on this. If you Google the question: “Do locs cause traction alopecia?” The short answer is “yes, if…”. Traction alopecia is caused by the pulling of hair strands repeatedly for a long period of time. Every 4 to 6 weeks (for a retwist or retightening) is repetitive and 4 to 6 weeks of pulling and rolling over a period of years may just cause your hair to fall out. I did not embark upon this journey to have my hair or my locs fall out. Both can happen if your locs are over manipulated repeatedly. When I see videos where a lot of scalp is shown between the locs, I am interested to know if the wearer has low density locs or if the grid has been too aggressively maintained.

Anyway, in an effort to keep my locs from becoming islands on my scalp, I am going to see if I can maintain my locs without interlocking. I have not thrown away my interlocking tool set yet. I am observing how my locs respond. One thing I have noticed is that after I wash my locs it is easier to put them into a style. The new growth is easier to manipulate.

We will be traveling out of the country this summer for two weeks. I will take my interlocking set with me just in case I feel the need to retighten my locs while we are gone. I will also bring my microfiber towel, satin bonnet and mister or spray bottle. These are things I will not be able to find in most other countries. When we went to Florida in February, I forgot to bring my bonnet. I could not find one in Hollywood Beach, Florida. I worried the entire time we were there that I would bring home a head of lint. Fortunately, I did not.

Locs and Lint

Lint has not been an issue for me, so far. First, I believe that is because my locs have been short. My first winter loc’d I had little to worry about from wool scarves or sweaters transferring lint to my locs. This winter with longer locs it may be a little different keeping lint out of my locs. I knit (and sew) a lot of my clothes and accessories. This winter I may have to wear silk scarves to cover my wool collars and to line my wool caps and hats.

Locs are pretty insulating. I don’t typically wear a hat when it’s raining because my locs love the moisture. I will wear a sun hat with a big brim as long as I can plop it on my locs and have the hat stay in place. My collection of headbands that I referenced earlier from my loose natural days, gets very little wear on this loc journey. I can wear many of them. They don’t hurt my head but often I feel they are superfluous rather than adding to a particular look. Perhaps my tastes have changed.

Lint also is not an issue because I do sleep in a satin bonnet. Washing my locs once a week also keeps the lint away, I think.

Loc Jewelry

One new addition I have enjoyed is loc jewelry. I started with little colored metal cuffs ordered from Amazon. These can be slid up the length of your loc or opened and wrapped around the loc. These are very user friendly and great to wear on special occasions.

I have now branched out and purchased loc jewelry from Etsy sellers who make metal and semi precious stone circles for locs. To buy these it is necessary to have an idea of the diameter of your locs before shopping for loc jewelry. The thicker your locs, the more choices you will have. My locs are a chunky 5mm in diameter which is often the smallest size you can get for semi-precious stone jewelry. To put the loc jewelry on, I crafted a tool out of a metal twisty tie from the end of a package. I bend one metal end up (about a quarter of the length of the twist tie) and place the end of my loc inside this “U” shape. I squeeze the loc and the twist ite through the loc jewelry and pull the jewelry up onto the loc. I like to place a little metal cuff under the semi precious stone loc circles to act as a warning. If the metal cuff comes off, I know the stone circle will be coming off soon and it’s time to do something about it.

I am able to wash my locs effectively without removing the loc jewelry; however, I take the jewelry out and replace it with different colors to match my outfit or mood. The stones I have purchased have different attributes or characteristics attached to them. As my locs grow longer, I hope to try more of the longer loc jewelry pieces.

Finally, I mentioned that I am trimming my bangs once a month to keep them relatively neat. If my locs grow to armpit length, I believe that is when I will start trimming my locs. I want to keep thinning at the roots and along the loc nonexistent. The literature suggests that the weight of locs as they grow may also cause thinning. Clearly this is not a problem for the loc wearers with locs to their butts or ankles. However, I know how long my hair grew before it was loc’d and I know hair down to my butt is going to have some weight.

If you have read this far, thank you for your time! Would you share in the comments whether or not you are loc’d. If you are, do you have microlocs, traditional locks or Sisterlocks and why you chose the size of loc you chose. If you style your locs, how do you style them? Do you have any concerns over thinning locks? Would you trim your locs ? Let me know if you are interested in the Etsy shops where I buy my loc jewelry.

I inserted this last photo because I am happy to have reached two years and two months on this journey. I hope you love your locs as much as I love mine! Best wishes until next time. Bettye