Lint and build up in your locs are two of the most troubling factors when it comes to having locs. Everyone has their personalized pros and con lists supporting their commitment to locs and we feel pretty confident that lint and build up has made it onto almost everyone’s con column. While lint and buildup may seem strikingly similar in appearance at first, they are very different in meaning and management. Here are some tips for making the appropriate diagnosis.
In case you’re new to the natural loc’ing lifestyle, we’ll let you in on the few basics that every loc’er is made aware of. First off, you should always have a mirror that offers you a rear perspective, this way you know exactly what’s going on in the background. Don’t forget, what may be behind you might be in front of someone else, so avoid living by, “out of sight, out of mind.” This proverb won’t do you any good, at least when it comes to the health of your locs.
Buildup on the other hand, is a common consequence of unnatural, waxy, or heavy products used to twist, loc, clean, or condition locs. Maybe, locs attract more dirt and debris than other styles might, since they are a collection of hair strands cozily bundled up, but when you get into a regular natural routine that works for you, you’ll find it fairly easy to maintain clean and healthy locs.
Secondly, you should know the material difference between lint and buildup. Lint is usually tiny pieces of fibre or debris that have allied themselves to your locs. Lint can come from hats, scarves, pillows, sweaters, and any other fabric objects that come into close contact with your locs.
When buildup is neglected it can cause the loc to rot from the inside, nurturing living organisms you certainly don’t want to house. There are several natural techniques that will safely aid in pulling buildup and residue out from your locs. Stick to certifiable natural products that are made for locs, that you intuitively know you can trust. Then you know you will ban loc up from invading your naturally beautiful territory.
Now, is it Lint or Build up?
- After washing or rinsing your locs, do some field work, and flip through your locs. If the suspicious points are still visible while your locs are wet, well then, the good news is that it’s lint and not build up, the bad news, you still have to remove the lint.
- Another idea is to take a deep whiff of your suspicious locs. If there is a deeply disturbing smell that has just invaded your nostrils, then most likely, it’s build up and not lint. In some cases it can be both. If you really want to make sure that it’s build up and not lint, take a sniff after you’ve done your routine wash. If it still smells foul, then you can no longer run away from the fairly common problem of build up.
The best news yet is that Dr. Locs has crafted a Pre Cleanser designed to safely pull out dirt, debris and buildup from your scalp and locs. This pre cleaner has a growing fan base for obvious reasons, because it’s just one of those natural products that are almost too good to be true.
