My first time seeing locs were on the head of a light skinned black man. He was on the cover of one my. Father's favorite vinyl records. As my Dad took in his herbal meditation, I remember crawling over to this huge square envelope. My eyes getting bigger as I realize this is a black man, who looks very similar to my Father, with long ropes of hair. Something about this hair was magnetic to me, even as a youth.
A few years went by and I saw Maxi Priest's video "Close to you". I began to gather that this hair and music were related to each other somehow. My mother and father have a fascination with music. My mother loves gospel and R&B. My dad Love's Roots Music a variety of jazz music, rock music, meditation vibrations, Blues, and the sounds of nature. As time went on I started seeing more and more music artists with Locs who seem to be in an obscure category here in America. I am a lover of the obscure. I was just drawn to locs even more so. By the time I was in high school I had experienced the pressing comb, the perm, straw curls, tracks, cornrows, extension braids, microwave ponytails, drawstring ponytails, and lightening my hair with peroxide. So as you can see I went through a lot of different phases like most black women do.
Although I learned different things out of each phase the last and final phase that I experienced has been my choice for the rest of my life...Locs.
I began to talk to people on the street who had locks and ask them about their own experiences. Mind you I cut my hair at least seven times all the way down to the scalp. I was young it was just hair and at that stage in my life already news it's going to grow back. Half the people I spoke with particularly females, we're acting secretive about how to start Locs how to maintain them and what got them started. It just made me want them more because women in my neighborhood were acting as if it's some big secret or some evil act. Why women would want to keep healthy hair advice to themselves and not share it with young women in their Community I don't know and I don't care because I still got my answers. Some down to earth Sistas shared with me that 1) its not hard to maintain your own hair 2) its best to start them in the Fall and 3) Don't take everyone's advice on locs.
I began going to a young lady around 2008 to get my hair locked. At the time she was doing Palm roll locs which is the method where a little, if any, product is put on the root of the hair and then twisted between the two palms of ones hand then clipped in place and set in place via hairdryer. This was cool. My hair began to adjust and she was a very sweet person. However I could not afford to keep paying $50 and then $60 and up for her to maintain my hair. I admit I got frustrated I cut my locs, permed my hair and just started over again. Then I met my soulmate let's call him C-lo. He said to me that he would loc his hair with me if I wanted to do it. So we started locking together. I purchased the book "Dreads". It's a photography book and it has some very inspirational stories in it regarding the ancient wearing of locks in one's hair. From beautiful African Tribes to Hindu Priests and strong Maori warriors, this book covers the diversity behind locs.
It was 9 years ago that we started locking. Since then he has cut his hair. It was going down his back when he cut it LOL. My Locs are still intact there healthy there are about 24 in Long or a little longer. The only reason why they are healthy and they are long is because I remain happy. It doesn't matter if you're homeless, jobless, filthy rich, living on water or living on land, if you are a miserable negative mean person then your locks are going to thin, they're going to fall out they're going to reflect that which is going on inside of you. By my own race I have been shamed, I have been called out, I have been ostracized I have been ignored, I have been called weirdo I have been told that I must worship the devil and today I still get ugly looks from women of all ages because I decided to wear my natural crown. It makes me laugh because usually there is a child around who can't help but Snicker and look at my hair with big eyes out of curiosity , the same way that I looked at Bob Marley's hair on that vinyl record all those years ago . My Crown is growing it's not going away and I'm not ever cutting it.
So I wrote this little entry to remind the one who is deciding to lock their hair that you can do it. Don't listen to people's negative attitudes don't listen to myths about your hair. DON'T listen to naysayers. You CAN find shea butter, aloe vera, olive oil, argan oil and anything else that you need to maintain your own hair. It's easy to find someone to pay to lock your hair but you'll get more out of it if you do it yourself. Everyone has different methods. No one method is greater than the other. If someone tells you that their method is the only one that works, you need to run! Lol. There are multiple ways to loc hair: Palm rolling, interlocking, sponging, yarn, and braiding so that it grows into locks are just a few I know off the top of my head. Find the right method for YOU and YOUR HAIR. Also, please accept right now that locs do shed just like your hair used to shed before you decided to lock your hair. Skin sheds every day and hair sheds every day. I'm not saying that clumps of hair should come out every day. What I am saying to you is don't get scared if you see one hair on your sink. If you do get a little worried then incorporate some olive oil or coconut oil in your shampoo and conditioning routine. You'll be happy that you did.
Playing with colors in the locs is a choice that is entertained by some of us right? Well, I was warned about playing with blond in my locs. I played with it anyway and I did not enjoy my locks feeling dried out and flat and just all-around unhealthy. Once I decided decided to go back to my natural color my locs started feeling better and staying healthy. It's fun to play with colors in locs. However, be mindful that you're putting chemicals on your natural hair. It will have an effect so be careful and respect your hair.
Sorry this was such a long post but I was inspired this morning to go ahead and put this out there. I appreciate your time. Enjoy your locs enjoy your lives and enjoy each other🙏 there is not enough love in this world. So when real love does come your way, relish in it my friend. Ase' ( This word means...and so it is)
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