For the New Loc'ers

Just like life, dreadlocks are a constant learning experience. Everything I know about my babies thus far has come from experience and my internet research (blogs have been the most helpful.) Yes, experience is quite the teacher…how else will you get to know your hair without taking care of it yourself? I just want to share a few things I’ve learned along the way:

1.       Research!!! Very important. You can do this before you loc and during your journey because you can never know too much about anything. It will also give you an idea of what to expect when you install your dreads as far as maintenance, styling options and how others are dealing with workplace issues concerning dreads.

2.       Ask Questions!! Veteran dreadlockers are happy to answer questions and give encouragement. They can better explain things you may not understand on the internet concerning dreadlocks.

3.       Be Patient!! Dreadlocks don’t become shoulder-length overnight. It takes love and TIME. So, don’t spend your time watching them grow. Your dreads will have a mind their own and you have to just grit your teeth and roll with it. Their moodiness doesn’t last forever.

4.       Be Attentive!! Your hair will definitely tell you what it likes and doesn’t like.

5.       Develop a routine!! www.mydreadlocks.com has a great article called 5 Easy Dreadlocks Hair Maintenance Tips for Knockout Style under their “Popular Pages” link. A routine is very important for healthy dreads.

6.       Keep It Basic!! Jamaican Mango & Lime products are not the gospel for dreadlocks. Shampoos and conditioners like Suave and V05 are just as effective. Cheap, quality oils can be found if you look hard enough and like I said in a previous post, dreads LOVE water!

Don’t overthink the process, just go with the flow. A few online resources that have helped me tremendously are: www.locrocker.com, www.thekitchensalon.com, www.mydreadlocks.com and www.naturalbeautifulhair.com. These four sites are run by gorgeous sistas with equally gorgeous dreads and Brittany (aka B from locrocker) is quite the character. All provide quality information and good reading to get you started.

Happy locking peeps!