It warms my heart when I see women and girls choosing to get locs. What always worries me is do they know what they are getting into? Are they aware that this is a journey, that their hair is going to go through a lot of changes for the first two years? There’s so much to learn and know when embarking on the loc journey. There are things that you are going to experience that you’ve never experienced before.

Case in point:

When I first got locs, my scalp itched A LOT. It was dry, I was no longer combing my hair or manipulating it on a daily basis and my scalp had to adjust. Because I had sisterlocks, it wasn’t advised to oil my scalp or do anything for fear of slippage (slippage means your locs unraveling). On top of that, it was strongly suggested to only use the sisterlocks shampoo which was very drying to the hair (purposely to help the locking process) and scalp and ultimately contributed to my itchy scalp. But guess what? The itching became unbearable so I oiled the itchy areas with a mixture of light organic oils like jojoba, sweet almond oil with a few drops of peppermint. That worked for a hot second before I reached for my Sulfur 8 hair grease which gave me the relief I needed.

There are several lessons in my itchy scalp experience:

  1. Regardless of the kind of locs you decide to get, you have to listen to your hair/scalp and do what’s best for YOU. Sisterlocks has a system that, in my personal opinion, is very suffocating and regimented. It works for a lot of women who love it, but it also doesn’t work others. They teach and preach that if you don’t do things exactly the way their system outlines (which includes buying and using their products), your locs will be ruined for not following the sisterlocks way. But here’s the thing: No two heads of hair are the same, so you can’t tell women that they MUST do this or that with their hair and scalp! So many women have sensitive scalps and various scalp conditions. Some of us find out we’re allergic to certain things AFTER getting locs!
  2. Your loc journey is your own. If you feel okay with making your own path with your hair and how you care for it, then good on you! Good or bad, right or wrong, whatever the outcome may be you’ll only have yourself to blame or congratulate.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t listen to the advice of licensed (or unlicensed with years of experience under their belts) professionals. Sift through the advice and make sure it makes sense for YOU and your hair needs. Always remember that you have the final say over your hair. With that being said, when you make the big decision to get locs and then immediately cover them with wigs, braids or weaves for whatever reason – that’s a problem. While I’m a huge advocate of people doing what they feel they need to do to feel pretty, covering up your brand new locs is not one of them. Going through the various stages of growth and watching your locs form is vital to you learning to accept your overall beauty and embracing your journey.

There is so much beauty and power in our natural hair. When you loc your hair and begin the loc journey, you are embarking on a very unique and beautiful journey. And yes, it takes a certain amount of confidence to embrace not only how your hair changes, but how your looks will change. That confidence doesn’t come easy for everyone. In the beginning, depending on the type of locs you get, their size and the length of your hair, your locs will appear short. After you wash them for the first time they will shrink and look even shorter. This can be shocking, especially if your loose natural or straightened hair is much longer. A lot of women have a hard time with shrinkage. They get locs and think they are going to hang and look long like mature locs.

That’s not how it works.

It’s called a “Loc Journey” for a reason. Your newly installed locs are babies. They have to grow and mature to teenage and then adult locs. In between those stages a lot of things happen. When you wear your locs proudly without covering and hiding them, you get to see the beauty of what your natural kinky, coily hair can do when its left to breathe, form and grow. You develop a deeper appreciation and love for your hair and for yourself because you’ve persevered and stuck with all the ups and downs of your loc journey. Your confidence is boosted, and you start to see the beauty in yourself. Your natural self.

It makes me sad that a lot of women don’t feel pretty or see their beauty until their locs get shoulder length or longer. There’s a deeper issue happening where we as women have been conditioned to believe that our beauty depends on the length or texture of our hair. That’s an issue that can only be resolved individually by breaking the generational lie that we’ve all been told about our hair. We must change our mindset when it comes to our natural beauty whether if it’s our skin color, the shape of our noses or lips, our body type, or hair texture. We must realize that we as black women are beautiful WITH our kinky, coily hair. WITH our wide noses and full lips, and WITH our shapely curves. Stop allowing European standards of beauty be our standard of beauty. We are unique. Our hair is unique. There is nothing like our natural selves. When you decide to loc your hair, this is what you’re signing up for.

Locs aren’t just a style.

Locs aren’t just a fashion trend.

Locs are a commitment and a journey.*

Locs are hair freedom.

Locs are beautiful.

*For those who say that getting locs wasn’t some deep journey, you just wanted the style or look, you’re fooling yourself. You still have to commit to the process, and the process is part of the journey. Now if you opt for loc extensions, that’s a whole different story.

Learn to embrace your loc journey and your natural beauty.

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