Daily Care

Funny how when I tell people gleefully that I don't do much to my locs they suggest something I should do. Today a coworker complemented me on my locs and asked me about my maintenance. I told him what I do – like wash, dry and mostly not much after that – and he started telling me things I could buy for my hair. I think he was well meaning as he suggested that these products would make my hair (that he had just complemented) "healthier" but I don't think he understood when I just shrugged and didn't ask where to buy such a wonder of chemical cocktail.

 

A friend is getting her locks put in this week. She admired mine and I connected her to woman who put them in. I am excited for her and pleased to have someone else realized the ease and beauty of my "do".

I have been a bad blogger

A long time has gone by since i have written here and many life changes. The biggest change was my mother's passing this winter. Another huge shift was my graduation a year ago and moving on to a real job. Through it all I have loved my locks. They are about two and a quarter years old and each day they are a pleasure.

My mother was my anchor in a complex world and i am still trying to figure out how to live in the world without her. She thought my locs were wonderful and i feel blessed to be connected to her when i look at them. The stress of her passing has also made me much grayer and i am pleased to report that hair dye does not seem to damage my hair.

Graduate School, kids and a field placement were all the balls i could get in the air. Having a life of no more bad hair days was such a blessing every day. My field placement was in a very formal hospital environment but my lock were never an issue. I looked tidy and professional every day.

My daily care is still very limited. I use few products. I wash weekly with cheap clarifying shampoo that i water down before I use it. I takes about 24 hours for my very thick hair to dry. After it is dry, i lightly spray it with water, sometimes with a little setting lotion in the water. I then put it up on Soft Spike rollers (R), lots of soft spike rollers. I think that i use about three dozen or more of them. If i use less it takes too long for my locs to dry. I then have curls that are a little too curly for me the first day but will stay for about 5 days with just the bounce i like.

I retighen myself with a nappy locks tool (I used small for a long time but medieum works just fine with less and hassle). It takes me about two movies to do my whole head and I have done my maintenance myself since my locks were put in. I think if i had a loctician do them they might be smoother but all in all they are wonderful.

I don't do a lot of things, I don't:
oil my scalp
add anything to my spray
condition
band and braid
put on a scarf at night
buy products for locs

I do get stopped in stores and on the streets to have women ask me about my hair. I explain and send them to websites but I can't send them to to someone here in Pittsburgh to do their hair because as far as I know there is no one who can do it.