Starting locks at home

As you may have read on this blog, I had a professional loctician do my locks for the first 2 times then had my mother retwisting them for the next couple of months and by the time I started doing them myself they were already locked. Those who may have read my earlier blog posts may also know about how I started using the hairclips to hold my locks and try and make them look “professionall” whenever I retwisted them myself and this lead to the thinning of some locks and unfortunately loss of some others. Got me scared there for a minute but as my mother says, “It’s just hair, it’ll grow back”.

Well 2 of the locks I lost were at the back of my head, and the back always looked so bad without the 2 locks as they were from the side and were very visible when I hold a pony tail. That wasn’t much of a problem considering when my locks were shorter I let them fall freely, but now they are growing longer; I hold the ponytail and it looks horrible to say the least thus I decided to start the 2 on my own.

I have tried starting the locks before with the usual twist and gel method but considering I suffer from "Hand in Hair syndrome" (nothing serious only that when I'm idle, I prefer having my fingers on my hair), so I always ended up removing the lock before it could lock up. I honestly thought this would be easy but I realized it isn’t hence the post for all those who are in an area with no loctician in sight but definitely want to start locks. The process will take time before they actually hold or even lock but hey, you’ll be a proud owner of DIY locks afterwards.

This is how I did one lock; the other I decided to join to a nearby thin lock. I used the method on short hair so I can’t assure you it will work the same way for long hair but anyone who’s willing to try it out is welcome to share their story with us.

1. Decide on the size of locks you would like to have thick, thin or medium, choose a size you’ll be able to maintain.
2. Partition your hair into squares of the size of lock you have decided you would like and braid the hair. In Kenya we call these matuta. Make them neat as you’ll have them for a while.
3. This step may be done a couple of days later preferably after a wash of the hair. Do NOT re-braid the hair after the very first braid. After the wash; the root will be loose, now you will need to interlock the lock/braid. Interlocking will help tighten the root of the lock ready for locking. Do this repeatedly, every time you wash your hair, interlock the root. Remember to maintain the usual hygiene, wash the hair right and oil it.
4. After about 4weeks (i.e. after 2 washes depending on your lifestyle), a good length of the root will be interlocked. After the wash you can twist the lock with gel. For the first couple of times you’ll need to gel the whole length of hair. Don’t undo the braid though coz then the hair goes loose, for the next couple of times you can stick to twisting without interlocking.



The missing locks are on the left

5. If you continue doing this, within 3 to 5months your hair will have locked. I’ll repeat again, maintain your hygiene standards, leaving your hair to accumulate dirt will not fasten your locking process.

The lock I started is now about two and a half inches long. I feel so proud, after 3yrs I'll finally have a lock at the side again.

Neglect, Free-form and organic locks, what’s the difference?

Well, many have expressed anger after reading my post on Neglect post arguing my comments were unfair and that not all neglect locks are dirty etc. Let’s start with clearing up the differences before we get angry, shall we?

 

Neglect locks are exactly just that, they are neglected locks. The owner lets nature do everything and they just watch the hair grow, they don’t wash them, they don’t oil…the hair is neglected and due to this unkempt state, the hair mates up and forms locks. This happens to all kinds of hair, and only the tips hold and the roots are usually straight hair. The hair stinks and is very ugly.

Free form and organic locks are the ones hard to differentiate because many people have their own definitions of the same. These usually look much like any other kind of locks and it would only take the owner to tell whether they are free form or organic.

I asked people on facebook to tell me what they thought the difference between free form and organic locks is; the answer I got was that free form, you only wash and oil but do nothing else but for organic you do all these and on top of that partition the locks.

Here are my personal definitions of both locks, though some people easily interchange these terms (free-form, and organic).

Free-form locks, they are washed, oiled and partitioned, sometimes they are started using other methods e.g. twisting, braiding or two strand twists but after the hair locks, then they are mainly only taken care off but left to do the rest. Any products may be used, natural or chemical it doesn’t matter much.

Organic locks may be any kind of locks started by any method but only organic or natural products are used on these locks i.e. regardless of method used to maintain them, only natural products are used with no chemicals. For example if you have twist locks, instead of using hair gel that’s made mainly of chemicals you use pure honey or natural oils to twist your locks, to dye these kinds of locks you only use natural henna but not the hydrogen peroxide dye or the lab-made henna most people use.

So those are my definitions, what do YOU guys think is the difference?

Gel or wax for your locks, how to make the right choice

I bet this is the most asked question about palm rolled/ twist/ gel locks and not only with newbies but also with those that have had locks for a while and still haven't settled in with any specific kind. The most irritating thing though is the answer to this question. It's usually very ambigous as it is very common that the answer goes something like " the type of gel or wax you choose will be influenced by a couple of things which include your hair type, how often you wash your hair and your preferences". I know most have asked and got that same answer and you think, thanx a lot for NOTHING.

Though it is true that these do affect your choice in a gel or wax, I have tried to compile a small list that will help you out. The list might not give you a specific brand that you'll go pick at the store tomorrow but atleast it will help you choose one more easily and faster.

First things first, what are all these things, there is gel, wax, pomade, mousse, paste and gum? What can you use on your locks and what can't you? What is the difference between them? Well considering we all want our locks held in for at most 2weeks, we'll just cancel out mousse, paste and gum from the list as they are not meant to hold the hair for too long. If you have dry hair, completely stay away from mousse, it contains alcohol that dries hair. Now we're left with gel, pomade and wax. Pomade is wax like, actually for some it means the same thing but according to the Wise Geek, pomade contains wax in it plus other oils and fragrances while wax is pure. Both of these lead to build up in the lock though they do hold much better than gel. I would say pomade is better than wax in that it contains oils that moisturize your hair unlike wax that's just plain wax. Though wax doesn't dry up hair like mousse I do think the extra oils in pomades do make a difference. You have to check what kinds of oils are in the pomade as sometimes they use petroleum based oils which cause more build up than moisture.

Now that all those are solved, we're now left with gel and wax yet again. Which is better?

1. Gel is water based so it can easily be washed out of hair after only shampooing once while wax tends to build up and to avoid the build up you may be required to shampoo more than once.

2. Gel should only be used on wet hair as it tends to set the hair, setting dry hair may cause breakage. Wax on the other hand is very flexible and may be applied even on dry hair with no damage.

3. It's advisable to stay away from alcohol based gels, especially for dry hair.

Lastly, I would insist you always check the ingredients of the gels you use before you take them to the cashier at the department store. If you definitely want a specific gel even with it's unadvisable characteristics, you can always "pimp" it. Check out websites on different homemade recipes to enhance your gel, or wax or pomade.

You may also use honey as a substitute for your usual gel or wax, it doesn't hold as well as either of the two but it gives a very fresh feeling to the scalp, you can read about that at Sweet Locks and Sweet Locks Aftermath. But even with honey it's not advisable to use it throughout your locking journey as it bleaches the hair not unless you already do bleach your hair.

Another school of thought advices to completely stay away from both of the above (wax and gel) and instead use oils while other advice to make your own gel. Shea butter is a no go zone, as adviced by various readers when I revealed I wanted to try it out on my own locks. I hope with this I've brought you closer to a decision on what is best for you. Unfortunately, I still don't really know what is in the gel I have been using for my 3 locked years but I'm still trying to get my loctician to reveal the BIG secret.


Finally just for the fun of it, does anyone
remember this scene on There's Something about Mary when she used the guy's sperm thinking it was hair gel?

Wet hair and locking

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all doing great after the looong World Cup break. Did you see all the beautiful locks on the field? You didn't? No worries, I'll be posting some pics for those that are anti-football like myself. Though I must admit, the world cup being hosted in Africa kept drawing me to watch catch a glimps of some the matches and the locked players.....anyway enough of derailing.

Back to the subject at hand, why do people wet their hair during the initial process of locking?  Most people wet their hair during the initial stage of locking only because they wash their hair right before they start locking. Ok that sounds obvious but this is what I think, most people decide the next visit to the salon, I'll do locks instead of relax so when they get to the salon they do the usual wash and after the wash they have a locking instead of relaxing. Others that do it at home do it also in the same fashion, when I undo my braids I'll lock hence after undoing the locks and washing they try and lock the hair.

So should you or shouldn't you? Many people have attended different schools of thought on this issue, but here is my 2cents worth. First of all you should definitely wash your hair before locking, just for hygienic standards and good smell. Secondly, it always depends on the method you want to use to lock your hair, some methods that require friction e.g. the hat method, wouldn't work too well on wet hair. Others like twisting with gel are usually easier on wet hair, remember when you used to use gel on permed hair? The gel was always smeared on wet hair right? Exactly. And if you are doing your hair yourself, and your hair is like mine that is soo springy when dry then wet hair is easier for our to separate and work on.

There is no universal rule on wetting hair before locking, it is a personal decision on whether to do it or not. Some people do advise to stay away from water and washing for a while after you start your locks, but I don't. Locks should be enjoyed and not be a reason for anyone to be ashamed. Locks take approximately 3months to lock fully, can you imagine yourself walking around with unwashed hair for that long? I would personally prefer to delay my locking by 1 or 2 weeks and still keep them clean though I highly doubt washing your locks delays their locking.

CROTCHETING

All of a sudden, I'm crazy about the whole concept of crotcheting in relation to locking. I love crotcheting funny little stuff like small cell phone bags but now, the bags aside, it's crotcheting locks now. Considering there is a lot about crotcheting in relation to locks I'll do a series like I did back then with the head wraps. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
For those who are still looking for a method of starting their locks, crotcheting is also a possibility.

1. Now take one of your sections of hair.  If you have straight hair, this is the point when you start twisting gently but back-combing like mad.  Once you have a nice long puff, continue to the next step.  If you already have naturally coiled (3c, "biracial", Moroccan, tight-Polish spiral-wave) or Afro-kinky hair (4a, 4b), don't worry about the back-combing.  Just mash it together, or twist it mildly until it coils a little loosely.

2. Push the crochetting needle through Twist the hair at least a quarter turn more, and then push the needle through a little more hair at about a 45 degrees angle from the last loop.a small subsection of the loc.  This should only be maybe 10-20 hairs thick.

3.A little further down the loc, twist it until at least the side of the loc that was away from you, is now facing towards you.

4.  Then push the needle through some hair that is at about a 45 degree angle from where your initial loop is.

5. Pull this second loop through the first one.

6.  Twist the hair at least a quarter turn more, and then push the needle through a little more hair at about a 45 degrees angle from the last loop.

7.  Then pull this loop through the last one.
Continue this cycle of twisting and looping until you run out of hair.  Then pull the last loop all the way through until it's loose.

Courtesy of Cornrows

Threading

I met a guy who is trying to lock his hair but wasn’t sure which style to use to lock. When he visited the loctician, threading was suggested to him.
Threading of locks is done by first subdividing the hair into rectangles (sometimes it's an undescribable shape) and then tying the thread loosely along its whole length to form a lock. Space the thread along the lock length NOT like the raffia locks though (it is quite complex trying to explain this style so I made pictures of the locks, hope they give a better understanding of the technique). It is preferable to use black thread if your hair is black. Later as the hair grows out, you twist the root with hair gel or beeswax.
This method is just a starting method to help make the locks lock faster and equally through the whole length of a lock. This method is usually used on long hair. DO NOT tie the thread too tight cause then the lock will develop with bumps on it. Tie it lightly but firmly enough to hold the lock in place.

Get Locks in less than 24hrs

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and are all ready for the New Year. January is the month we all try and recover from the fun we had and lazing we did during the festive season. In some parts of the world, kids are starting their first days in school while other are moving to a class higher than a year before making this one of the most hectic months of the year. We have made resolutions to become better people, parents, friends, parents, employees and bosses.  In the new year and new decade, My dreadlocks will try and help you take care of your "crown" better. We'll help you look more elegant, have less stress being natural and be even more interactive while the page remains easy to navigate.  Happy New Year to all of you and may you all have a prosperous one.

So back to the Quick Locks,

Would you like to move from the lady on the left (short straight hair) to the lady on the right(long beautiful locks) in less than 24hrs?? Amazingly it is possible. I was recently in Nairobi and I was surprised at the number of people with very looong and beautiful locks. The reason for my surprise was not the locks being beautiful, not at all because one of the best locticians I know lives in Nairobi. The reason for my surprise was in less than 2yrs Nairobi had moved from no lock zone to almost everyone is locked and they are all long. My locks are only 23months old and it was only recently that I was able to hold them up in a pony tail. So I decided to investigate how most people in Nairobi moved from short straight hair to very long locks in such a short time.
What happens is, people with long locks cut their locks and sell them. If you decide to lock your hair, you go to the loctician in upmarket salons in Nairobi and buy the locks. As you get your "afro" twisted into locks for the first time, they attach the bought locks to your new ones. The bought locks are natural, i.e. they were growing on someone else's head before they were attached to your hair. They are not synthetic nor are they like the "human hair" weaves you attach to your hair, these means they are not treated in any way.As your new locks grow, they gradually lock with the attached locks.
This method is very fast and hustle free especially when done by a professional. You also don't require too much patience to wait for your locks to grow, (I have been waiting 23months before I could hold my locks in a pony). It only requires about 3months if not less for your hair to lock completely with the attached locks. The method is quite cheap, if you compare it to dread perm that's just as fast. 24hr Locks cost about €60-€80 ($100-$120), according to the living standards in Nairobi that's a lot of money but for a visiting kenyan from the diaspora, it's manageable if you want to hurry your locking.
The only disadvantage would be the use of someone else's hair, and in most cases someone you know nothing about. I think if I had been presented with this option when I wanted to start locking, maybe I would have done it but now I have been with my babies for 23months, I wouldn't exchange them for anything.
What do you guys think? Those that have been locked for a while, if you had to reverse time, would you do it? And those who would like to lock, would you do it if you found a salon that does it?

Dread Perm

Before I went on Holiday Kicukalah asked what a dread perm is. I got the Wikipedia explanation and left it at that, but I made a note to explain further when I got back. Here are a few explanations on what it is:
"Hair Police uses a comb and our hands to create dread shapes in the hair, then permanently "perms" them in with a chemical solution."
Charles Nicholas:"This technique is where the hair is teased {backcombed}, twisted and reteased and then it is wrapped in rags with wire.
It is like bandaging the dread.This forms the dreadlock into a straight dreadlock with only a small amount of frizz." Charles Nicholas further explains that "If you want dreads and you have non-afro hair, absolutely YES1 The dread perm speeds up the formation of dreadslocks. It forms the dreadlocks into the sizes you choose, either fat ,normal or thin. It helps afro hair too but it mainly assists the afro person in the sizing of their dreads."
According to Fierce Locks from whom I got the picture : "Dread perms involve a comb, perm rods, end papers, and AT LEAST 6 inches of your natural hair to form dreadlocks. Dread perms also entail the use of permanent wave chemicals. Dread perms are the most efficient way to begin dreadlocks. Dread perms are NOT for everyone, if a dread perm won’t work for you, dread crochet would be the solution to beginning a new crop of dreads."

The price ranges from $275- $660 (€184.95 - €443.88) for the first timers and from $50 - $88 per hour for maintenance. This is quite expensive I'd say, it's more expensive than my rent. The things we women go through to look good.
Generally from all the posts I have read about this method, it is more for the non-afro hair. I'm not sure if it would work on afro hair (please do enlighten me if any of you knows). As I told Kicukalah, I haven't tried it nor do I know anyone who has so I have no real opinion about it but someone who has done it has penned down his thoughts here. Hope all this info helps all of you out there contemplating this method.

Sisterlocks/ Brotherlocks

This trademark dreadlocking technique is unique in that this locking system starts from the end of the hair shaft and works up toward the scalp. It is customized for the individual--for YOU--by certified company-trained associates.

Don't forget, whether you're getting Sisterlocks or Brotherlocks this is a lifestyle and may not be suitable for everyone. Only your hairdresser (and you) will know for sure!

Dr. Cornell(founder) mentioned that clients with Caucasian hair types didn't often opt to start dreadlocks with this method but a select few of the certified stylists do have experience working with straighter hair types.



The "Sisterlocks Package" consists of three sessions:

Session #1 is an assessment visit. You and your consultant review your preference for hair styles, your daily activity level, the kind of hair you have and how well it will hold a lock.

Session #2 may take 10-18 hours, depending on the length of your hair and lock size.Many clients end up with over 450 Sister locks which accounts for the amount of time it takes to complete.

A special tool is used to create Sisterlocks, interweaving parted sections together to form new dreadlocks. They can be very thin and much more flexible than the dreadlocks you're used to seeing and can be styled like straight hair!

By the end of this visit, you'll get a Starter Kit which includes bands, shampoo, tip sheets and helpful hints. You'll also schedule your follow-up appointment to make sure your finished locks stay gorgeous.

Session #3 is a refurbishment visit. During this visit, your certified consultant will adjust your locks, tightening and reweaving as necessary. This session lasts 4-6 hours.



It is at this point that you can begin to take your own Sisterlocks (or Brotherlocks) maintenance in hand by enrolling in a certification class to learn how to maintain your dreadlocks yourself. This will help you minimize the cost of future hair care.
I find them really beautiful and very neat. For more information and more pictures you could visit their sisterlock website

All pictures courtesy of Sisterlocks.com

Neglect

Advantages: You can do it without assistance. It is the easiest method. No special tools or products are needed, just time.

Disadvantages: It takes at least 3 years to start looking like dreads in most hair types. You need to have about 10" of hair for the knots to start forming. The dreads form unevenly, some dreads will be huge and flat, others skinny. People usually get sick of having nasty hair and cut it off long before they get dreads.

Instructions: The neglect method is pretty much just that. You do nothing but keep the hair clean. (Some people don't even do that but not washing your hair is unsanitary and it slows down the dreading process) Just let it grow and in a year or so it may start to knot up or it may take 3 years Hair texture and hair length has a lot to do with how long it takes. You can rip it into dreads and try to combine dreads that are too small with rubberbands if you like, but in the spirit of true neglect most people don't.

I personally don't like this method of locking, because they really look dreadful, untidy and ugly. But it is a free world.

Twisting

This is the kind I have, they are a bit messy in the beginning because of the gel, but they look really beautiful. You can either just twist with gel or if your hair is long, you could start with double strand twists.

Advantages: It is all natural. You have control over the size of the dreads and how they form. Many salons are familiar with this method and the cost is usually much lower than a dread perm.

Disadvantages: It only works in African textured hair but that doesn't mean salons won't try it on Caucasian hair!
Instructions:
Hair should be sectioned into squares. Square sections make round dreads. Between 1" and 2" squares works well for most people. Smaller sections make thinner dreads.
As you section the hair you can secure each section with a rubberband. When the whole head is sectioned twist each section clockwise using a comb( using your fingers is easier than using the comb) to snag the hair at the ends and twist.
As each section is twisted dread wax/gel should be worked in to hold the twists. Thick waxes without petroleum hold the hair much better when starting the dreads. After the dreads mature thinner waxes can be used to add fragrance and sheen.
Hair should be twisted by hand regularly to help it lock up.
For the twists, I don't recommend using the rubberbands to hold them, or twisting too tight. You might be tempted to hold every single hair on your head but that only cuts/breaks your hair. A professional loctician can hold them easily without breaking, but please don't try it at home. If you twist too tight, the lock thins and falls off and we don't want that do we? Here is how to do it

Friction/ Rubbing Method

Advantages: The main advantage to the rubbing method is that if you happen to own something wool you can get started right away. It is an all natural method. You can do it yourself.

Disadvantages: It hurts like hell and the dreads that it makes vary greatly in size and do not look very good. Hair will usually need to be cut after trying this method so you will have to grow out your hair again before trying another method.

Instructions:
Take a wool sweater or hat and rub it in circles on your head.
After about 15 min, if your hair is long enough, knots will start to form. As the hair knots together you rip it apart and try to separate it into dreads.
After you rip it apart you resume rubbing for another 15 min or so.
Repeat this process over and over and over until all your hair is knotted.
Lots of loose hair is common with this method and the neglect method, just try to stick them into the nearest dread.
If your hair is shorter, you can use a brush to do it. Rub the soft bristle brush in a clockwise motion. Rub about an inch at a time, you will start to see little sections of balls forming. After you have rubbed your entire head, use a small amount of wax on each little ball. You can use a hair dryer to melt the wax into your new little dreads.

Different Locks

I have gotten many questions on how to maintain locks and I thought I should start with defining the different kinds of locks available, then how to maintain them. The maintenance is pretty much the same though it may differ just a bit.

1. Back Combing
Advantages: Hair looks like dreads the same day and reaches maturity faster than other methods. You can control the size and shape of the dreads, anywhere from thick and smooth to thin and sexy. It is an all natural method. Backcombing will work on all hair lengths 3" and longer.

Disadvantages: The initial dreading takes a few hours and is pretty labor intensive, nothing a good friend or two can't handle. The best way to back comb is to take your time and make the dreads as smooth and tight as possible.

How to do it:
First section the hair into squares. Square sections make round dreads. Between 1" and 2" squares works well for most people. Smaller sections make thinner dreads. The sections can be secured temporarily with rubberbands. After the hair is sectioned use a dread comb to comb the hair backwards.
Start close to the scalp, not more than an inch away.
Comb repeatedly towards the scalp. Eventually hair will start to pack up at the roots. It is not necessary to twist the hair. It is helpful however to roll the hair you are holding between your fingers a little while you are backcombing. Continue backcombing, slowly working towards the ends of the hair, making the dread as tight as possible as you go. When you reach the ends you can secure the dread with a rubberband. Another rubberband on the roots will help the dread stay tight at its base. The rubberbands can be removed after the dread has a chance to mature. After the rubberbands are applied to each dread the dreads should be waxed with a dread wax that does not contain petroleum. A good dread wax will tame loose hairs and help the hair dread much faster.