Beginning the locks journey
Congratulations on making the decision to begin your lock journey. We prefer not to call them dreadlocks since there is nothing dreadful about them – they are just as beautiful as other hair styling options. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- First of all, ask yourself if you are ready to make the commitment. Being newly natural can be frustrating as you first learn to care for your afro.
- Some naturalistas who bypass this part of the journey and jump into locks end up regretting that they never fully experienced loose natural hair so they cut off the locks and start again.
Q: I am a new naturalista and I have decided to get dreadlocks. Where do I start? Any advice would be appreciated.
A: Congratulations on making the decision to begin your lock journey. We prefer not to call them dreadlocks since there is nothing dreadful about them – they are just as beautiful as other hair styling options.
First of all, ask yourself if you are ready to make the commitment. Being newly natural can be frustrating as you first learn to care for your afro.
Some naturalistas who bypass this part of the journey and jump into locks end up regretting that they never fully experienced loose natural hair so they cut off the locks and start again.
However, if you are not interested in experimenting, likely you have the commitment for locks. Research and find out whether you want traditional palm-rolled locks, microlocks, interlocking (crochet) locks or Sisterlocks.
Ask for a loctician referral from people whose hair you admire. Deep condition your hair to get it as healthy as possible and trim off uneven ends before you begin your lock journey.
Avoid trying too many elaborate styles while your locks are still new. Follow your loctician’s advice religiously, and be very patient in the first months to a year until the locks settle.
