Deciding to loc my hair was a natural progression expedited by the wonderful news that I was pregnant with our first child. I was getting my hair retwisted every 4 weeks or so and the thought of going to the salon that frequently for the rest of my life just didn’t sit well with me. I’d long admired long beautiful locs and, now, I was on a quest to find out if the style would work for me. I am a nerd at heart so, I first wanted to learn more about locs. Locs are intentionally formed coils of intertwined hair (just can’t bring myself to say “matted”…that has negative connotations for me). When you stop combing, brushing your hair it will weave into itself and form long coils. I was told that the style is permanent, though, I recently learned that some loc processes allow a stylist to “unlock” the hair (Has anyone else heard of this?). There are many types of locs. Some people stop combing their hair and allow their hair to mat on its own. Others meticulously twist, braid or coil their hair so that the locs will grow in an organized pattern. I was ready for a change, so I researched the best loc salons in Atlanta and, based on word of mouth, I selected a stylist. Here are a few questions you might ask when selecting a stylist:
· How long have you been a licensed hair stylist (make sure they have an up-to-date license!)?
· How long have you worked with natural hair?
· How many natural hair clients do you have per week?
· What is your natural hair specialty?
· How long have you been locking hair?
· What kinds of products do you use on locked hair?
· Do you have references?
Also, check out the Internet, there are tons of resources: http://www.dreadlocks.com/, http://thirstyroots.com/black-dreadlocks-styles.html.
Honestly, one of the best ways to find a stylist is to be bold. If you see someone’s hair that you adore, ask him/her where they get their hair done. I’ve done that to find several stylists.
Image of Lauryn Hill found at: http://www.vissastudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lauryn-hill-freeform-dreadlocks.gif
I had a friend who had locks and unlocked her hair. Im not to sure of the process but I believe it cut up the middle and saturated with moisture and products to create slip so that it can be combed out! It's a process that can take days/weeks for some. From what I've read and seen and I'm not sure if it depends on how "loc" your hair is. That same friend had super long dreads. Wore it out for a while (it seemed thin but I'm too sure) and now has reloc with her dreads now touching the nape of her neck...so a lot of length was lost but her dreads look fuller to me(not sure tho i dont know much about dreads)
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry! Thanks so much for your comment. I believe that you're right and it does depend on how you loc your hair. Mine were done with two-strand twists so i don't think that it can be done without a TON of hair loss. However, if it's now an option, it's nice for people to know before they loc their hair. Have a great day!
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