Great question right?
Before we indulge in potential answers, the truth is, we’re all unique. And besides for having our own cocktail of characteristics and personality traits, our hair and bodies have their own rhythms and tendencies. There’s no ‘one-size-fits all’ answer to this question. But, with that being said, let’s explore when each stage of locs may be ready for a good washing.
When to Wash Baby Stage Locs
If you’re just getting started with the baby stage, you should wait around 4-6 weeks before carefully washing your hair. You can go even longer than that if you feel you need to, but don’t go longer than 3 months. If you’re the type who loves working out regularly and getting your sweat on, you may want to wash by week 4.
Consultations with your loctician is highly advisable. This way you can discuss your lifestyle, the environment you work in, and your habits with your loctician. They can give you an answer based on your personal hair texture and lifestyle.
When you do wash, you should carefully wash your scalp with your fingertips, focusing on the root and then working your way down to the tip of your forming locs. Try not to mess up your coils as you work your way down your hair. What an exciting phase! If you need more on this phase check out your blog series here.
Teenage Stage
Fun! Teenage phase is when you really start to get a hold of what’s going and are able to predict how things will turn out. You can wash your teenage locs as often as you like because your hair is already locked. Oily hair types should try to wash around once a week. But in general, once a month is a nice number for wash days. During this phase you can simply wash and go.
Run your fingers between and around the locs, up and down the roots, if you're not ready to twist. This way the locs won't combine, but continue to grow into their desired sections. You’ll want to double or triple clip your locs to give them some guidance from root to tip, if you are twisting during this phase. After using Dr Locs Pre-cleanse on the scalp and shampooing with Yasin Shampoo, apply the Yaya oil and Leave-In conditioner to your locs and you’re ready to carry on with your day!
Adult Phase
The adult phase, as you might have imagined, is a really flexible phase. During the adult phase, feel free to do your thing, wash your hair when you feel it’s time. Obviously we cant see the state of your scalp and locs right now, but if you feel your scalp and locs are dirty then it’s time for a wash. Only you know! Flakes on the scalp don’t necessarily mean the scalp is dirty. You should just be able to feel it out.
When it is time to wash, make sure to wash the roots and all around the loc. You want to make sure the shampoo really gets inside those locs and that you rinse those beautiful locs well.
Final Thoughts
We know how important your locs journey is for you! During each phase you will begin to learn things about your hair and yourself, which you may not have ever noticed before. But, by the time you make it to the mature phase, we feel pretty confident that you’ll really have a strong understanding of your body’s rhythm and when your scalp and locs are ready for their good-time washing.
And before we go, we just wanted to mention that if you wear makeup and notice that you tend to break out around your scalp, we recommend using some type of astringent to really clean that hairline to prevent future breakouts!
And that’s all folks!
Let us know how frequently you wash your locs and what you’ve found works for your routine and your locs.
Who knows? Your system might help someone else out there who’s figuring out when and how to wash their locs!
