Though we love the idea of going to see a loctician to ensure your locs are getting the best grooming treatment possible, this isn't always an option for all of us. Whether it’s not in your budget, you can’t find the right loctician for you, you’re traveling, or you just love the DIY approach to locs or all things in life, this one’s for you.
In this article we’ll discuss how you can take care of your locs at home without having to make that monthly or bi-monthly visit to the salon. Let’s jump right in.
Things you’ll Need to Prepare your Locs for Grooming at Home:
- 3 towels; one small towel and two big towels
- 20-30 Silver clips
- Ponytail holders
- Pre cleanse or Sweet Peppermint Clarifying Shampoo
- Yasin Shampoo or Rose Lavender Color-Protecting Shampoo
- The Amla Extract Conditioner
- The Janin Moisture Mix
- Wrap-It Styling strips if desired
Psst… You can use the color protecting set even without color in your hair.
Step One:
Spray your Pre-Cleanse throughout your roots and/or wherever you need a deep cleanse. Your hair doesn't have to be wet. Then, rinse your hair in the shower. Repeat this step a few times. Make sure your hair is saturated before shampooing, you’ll want to really run your hair under the shower head. Don't shampoo when your hair is just a little damp, you'll just be wasting product.
Step Two:
First round of shampoo only use a little bit. Pour a half a dollar size into your palm and run it through your hair. That first shampoo is just introducing the product to your hair while you’re continuously getting your hair wet. Rinse it out well from top to bottom, and don’t forget to include your ends. This step is essential to really get your hair washed and cleaned. Locs are like a sponge, so it will soak up things you're not even aware of.
Step Three:
Your second round of shampoo is the real shampoo session. Add your shampoo to the hair near to the front of the head, then add some more to the back of your head. Depending on how long your hair is, you may need to add more shampoo to the bottom of your hair. Act like your hand washing your clothes, you want to get every section. Then rinse. Then rinse some more, and rinse again. Don’t forget to include the ends and the back or your head during your rinsing sessions. Run the water behind your neck, and then repeat.
You never want to wash your hair just twice, wash at least three times.
Focus shampooing the length of your locs by the third or fourth wash, especially if they're long. A lot of times people don't give their ends a lot of love, and then the hair suffers. So wash those ends and rinse a lot. Rinse out all the shampoo.
Step Four:
Ring out the water carefully. Flip the locs over and ring out that water. It'll take time for your hair to dry but it's okay. You really want to get all that water out of your locs.
Now it’s time to get a hold of that big towel. you'll use it to dry your locs, but it'll get soaked fast, so switch to your new fresh towel. Use that fresh big towel, and sit down where you do your hair.
(If you want extra moisture, before ringing out and rinsing your hair, you'll use the Amla Extract Conditioner. It’s the best conditioner for locs. Use the amla extract by applying it to the roots and hair. Massage and let sit for 3 minutes. For even more moisture, use your steamer for 20 minutes. Rinse and squeeze from tip to top and towel dry.)
Step Five:
After your hair is towel dried, set a new dry towel under your locs and around your shoulders. Spray the Jinan Moisture Mix all around your roots and the length of your locs. Then grab your hair ties. You are as good as your tools. Hair ties are extremely helpful, especially if you have a lot of locs.
Step Six:
Make two high pigtails. Take your first row down and spray your roots and first set of locs with your Imani Locking Spray and twist clockwise (which is the traditional but not essential direction to twist in), or go in the direction that works for you. Take the first loc, twist, and clip the loc to lip of the towel and make sure it’s laying flat. As you twist, move away from the scalp, and then clip it the the lip of the towel for the entire row. [As you may have noticed, we're not the biggest fans of the no-clip method.]
Spray the imani locking spray in the second row. Take your clip and clip it on top of the loc. You can use that same clip, you don’t need a new clip for each row. Use the towel as the guide as you drop each new row down. As your pigtails shrink, you may need to switch to a ponytail and then work the front rows and use the Imani locking spray as needed on each row.
Step Seven:
Sit under the dryer for around 30 minutes. You can use a Wrap-it styling strip around your edges. Then, if your hair is longer than 5 inches, you’ll need to get the back of your hair dry. Take the clips down, and put your hair in two pigtails so your ends and back of your hair dries. Sit under the dryer for another 30 minutes. If you squeeze your hair and it’s still damp, you need some more time under the dryer.
If you don’t dry your hair properly, you will get mildew in your hair. You may be able to air dry your hair occasionally, but you shouldn’t make this a habit.
Step Eight
For your final step you’ll want to use the magical Yaya oil for that finished look. Spray your Yaya oil throughout your locs, rub it into your scalp, and then you’re done!
What are your DIY Loc Maintenance secrets?
