Shampooing your locs correctly is everything when it comes to your wash day routine. Okay, maybe it’s not everything, but achieving - if not perfect - then healthy and clean locs starts with your shampooing technique. Because yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to shampoo your locs.
Step One: Wet your hair properly.
Let your hair soak for a few minutes from tip to roots. Don't be so quick to add shampoo because you'll be wasting shampoo. You really want to make sure your locs are soaked through and through.
Run the water up and down the locs and scalp for a few minutes. Make sure you get the back, by the neck as well. Understand the first shampoo won't give you as much lather as it will later on. The more wet the locs are however, the more lather you'll get.
Step Two: Pre-Cleanse.
Dr Locs’ Pre-Cleanse will help give you the best shampoo ever, especially if you’re having a hard time with build up, flake-age or if there’s deep insidestuff in your locs you just can't see. Spray the Pre-Cleanse all around your locs - this helps give you the ultimate cleanse. Spray your scalp, locs and all around, especially the back of your head. Sweat can build up back there. Soak your locs really well with the Pre-Cleanse.
After spraying it really well in the front, scalp and in the back, run your fingers around the locs and let it sit for a minute. Then take warm or hot water and run it throughout the areas where you have the Pre-Cleanse, ie roots, scalp and locs. Squeeze the locs and you might see things come out. Build up doesn't come up until the hair is wet, so you may not know you have build up until paying attention to your hair when wet. The Pre-Cleanse brings everything that's hiding in the hair to the surface. You might have had build up and not even know it. Do this step as many times as you need to until the locs run clean as you rinse.
*Severe build up, means you might have to come back another time to repeat the Pre-Cleanse step during your next wash.
Step Three: Shampoo.
The Shampoo will clean out all that may have come up to the surface from the Pre-Cleanse so beautifully. For your first shampoo add only a quarter size drop of shampoo to your palms. Rub your fingers together with it and get it all around your hair from front to back. The first shampoo won't be the best shampoo session, it's just introducing the shampoo to your hair and introducing it to the scalp. Don't use your fingernails, just your fingertips. Rub from back to front along the scalp and let it seep to the end of the locs. Don't be so quick to add more shampoo because you're wasting shampoo if you add too much.
Step three: Shampoo again
Your hair is nice and juicy and ready for lather. Put a quarter size or dime size of shampoo in your hands, rub it into your hair and focus on the tops of the locs and roots. Then add a little more and focus on the bottom of your locs, back of your head and end of your locs. You'll have a good lather at this point. Section your hair off. The front can be divided in two sections, the back into two sections and then you have the middle section.
Rinse.
Step Four: Shampoo Again
This will be your third round of shampooing. If you have long locs, add shampoo to the ends and tips of your locs. Focus on the tips, shampoo and rinse. If you have locs which are longer than shoulder-length, we recommend another shampoo (four shampoo sessions) focused on the ends. Really focusing on the ends goes a long way.
You'll find your locs are lighter and cleaner at this point.
Step Five: Rinse.
Rinsing is so important. Squeeze and rinse continuously until you don't see anymore bubbles coming out of the locs. Work each section at a time. You might overlook what's going on in the back, especially in the shower. Give love and attention to the bottom and the back of your hair. And focus on the ends of your locs so the shampoo doesn't get stuck there.
Step Six: Dry
Dry your hair properly. Squeeze, and squeeze. Start from as close to your scalp as possible and work your way down. Squeeze maybe five times. And then use your towel or t-shirt of choice to dry your hair properly. We recommend sitting under the dryer for 40 minutes or more to really get those locs thoroughly dry.
