5 WAYS TO PROPERLY CARE FOR YOUR LOCS

Locs, also called dreadlocks, dreads, or “dada” (by our Nigerian people) is a great way to carry your natural hair. When done right, they are beautiful, versatile, and unique. You will be able to rock your natural hair in so many different ways and also, nurture them to attain an impressive length. Locs are not your easy-way-out to treating your natural hair. If you don’t take care of your locs, they end up looking unhealthy, unattractive, and most importantly, like the dreaded local dada. You don’t want that. 

Locs need as much TLC as your normal natural hair, maybe even more. Following a regular regimen for caring for your locs will leave you with healthy, beautiful, and enviable locs. Below are some tips to help you on your journey to locs that people want to copy!

Hairstyle Lounge on African Naturalistas - My Journey to Permanent Locs (4)

Hello beautiful people, I hope you had a wonderful Easter break.

It's been a while since I visited the salon or did anything on my hair at all. Before last week, I had not been to the salon in six weeks. It was with so much joy that I went to the salon, as  my scalp was on fire.

We are still om the journey to permanent locs. For the first time since I embarked on this journey last December, I finally got to wash the hair two weeks ago, though the hair is not fully locked. The roots unravelled in the process of washing, but a large chunk of the hair is locked.

I got to O'Naturals, and met with the loctician in charge of my hair. I discovered good news and bad news.

Good news: My locs were forming pretty well

Bad news: I lost a loc on my right temple. Thank you Post Partum Shedding. I thought I was going to escape you *side eye*

For the second time around, I forgot my medicated shampoo at home, so I had to go straight to using regular shampoo and conditioner. When this was done, we proceeded to separate the roots as usual, and then a scalp treatment on my head. I didn't need to go under the dryer yet, which is very good for me, as I am not a fan of dryers. We washed again, and dried with a micro fibre towel. Once this was done, my hair was sprayed, and we proceeded to lock it loc by loc. This took a bit of time because my hair is quite full and the locs are quite lengthy

Learning my lesson from the last time I was at the salon, I wasn't in as much hurry as I was previously, so I could get my locs properly styled after they were done. I now know that I won't want to wear my locs out right after leaving the salon. I asked for a style that would cover the area where I lost a loc, and this is what we ended up with.

Once again, I am glad I started my locs properly, and well arranged. This always allows my lock to style properly.

Also, this style will yield three styles, just like the previous ones. The second will be the one where I unravel the side bangs, to reveal slighly curly loc strands, and then the regular locs, when I unravel them all.

What do you think about this hairstyle? Yay or nay???

P.S: Don't forget about the In-salon Trichology consultation we are having this weekend. Spaces are fast filling up. For more details, please click here.

Hairstyle Lounge was brought to you by O'Naturals Salon. No money exchanged hands in making this lounge a reality. To make your hair at O'Naturals, visit the salon at 54 Ogudu road, Ogudu-Ojota Lagos or book an appointment by calling 0818-802-4444 / 0815-802-4444.

Hairstyle Lounge on African Naturalistas - My Journey to Permanent Locs (3)

Hello beautiful people, ladies and the few gentlemen reading this. It's great to have you back here on the Hairstyle Lounge.

We are still on the journey to permanent locs. For the first time since I embarked on this journey last December, I finally got to wash the hair two weeks ago, though the hair is not fully locked. The roots unravelled in the process of washing, but a large chunk of the hair is locked.

When I got to O'Naturals, I had a trichology consultation appointment with a client, after which I got my hair done, sort of using one stone to kill two birds. The first thing we did was to wash my hair. We did this with both shampoo and conditioner. Who knew that loc heads still needed to use conditioners? Lol, just kidding. When this was done, we proceeded to separate the roots cos I had a lot of new growth, and the roots was matted due to lack of detangling, which is normal for locs. Once this was done, my hair was sprayed, and we proceeded to lock it loc by loc. This took a bit of time because my hair is quite full and the locs are quite lengthy

I was in so much hurry that I told the stylist not to style my locs once we were done. I had to have a rethink because I totally aint ready for everyday parking and twisting. So I asked her to do flat twists in front, and leave the back to flow freely. When she was almost done, I asked her if anything could be done to the freeflowing back, and won't be time-consuming. She said she could either wrap it or do one other thing (which I don't remember what she called it). I asked her to wrap it. She did that, and I ended up with the most beautiful locs style ever. Everyone in the salon was fawning at my hair, lol.

This time, I made sure not to forget to take pictures. View them below. There's also a funny peace out hair video I did for you all at the end.

As Omozo of O'Naturals said, this picture reveals why it is important for one to start locs properly in the initial stage, beacause if done well, styling it will be beautiful. We all know that some loc heads can't try this style because the cuttings were not well arranged from the beginning.

As usual, this will yield three styles. The second will be the one where I unravel the wrap, to reveal slighly curly loc strands, and then the regular locs, when I unravel them all.

All I could say was thank God I chose to be patient to style the hair, cos I am loving it. Are you loving it like me?

Hairstyle Lounge was brought to you by O'Naturals Salon. No money exchanged hands in making this lounge a reality. To make your hair at O'Naturals, visit the salon at 54 Ogudu road, Ogudu-Ojota Lagos or book an appointment by calling 0818-802-4444 / 0815-802-4444.

Hairstyle Lounge on African Naturalistas - My Journey to Permanent Locs (2)

Hello everyone. I hope 2018 is being good to you all so far. Now that January is over, we can say that 2018 is officially ended cos once new year fever is over, February comes, life happens, and before you know it, it is December, lol.

So my journey to permanent locs is going pretty good. It is looking more like locs now, and less like comb curls, lol. I was supposed to relock my hair three weeks after the first locking session, but O'Naturals salon was on their annual break, so I had to make it four weeks. Thankfully, the locs were thriving, and didn't unravel, so I was good to go.

As agreed on the terms of my pre-booked appointment, I got to O'Naturals at a certain time, and we got to work. To my sad amazement, my hair wasn't washed. I was really looking forward to washing my hair because I hadn't moisturized, cleansed, or washed for the past 4 weeks, since the first locking session. This is because when you are newly locking your hair, moisture will unravel it, and not let your hair lock, so your hair must be completely and permanently locked before it can be washed.

So the O'Naturals loctician did a thorough oil cleansing on my scalp, using an oil mix and cotton wool. She then proceeded to handle her business lock by lock. This took a bit above one hour. We both observed that my locs were making good progress, so I asked her if I could style my hair in those beautiful locs style I see online, and she said I could. This was good for me, as it would get me away from the regular flowing down dreadlocks look, and having to pack my hair up every night. I also felt it would enable to let the locks stretch out more, since shrinkage had dealt with it in the process of locking. And that is exactly what we did. I must say that it was a win win win win win solution for all stakeholders involved, lol.

In the end, we ended up with a great style that I could convert into other styles as I wished. I had chosen a dreadlocks styled in side bangs. See the variations below.

Okay, I confess. The two pictures above were taken almost two weeks after I made the hair, hence the frizz. I kept forgetting to take pictures. Let me just console myself that you are reading this to see how the style turned out to be.

The three pictures below were taken almost three weeks after I made the hair, a night before I switched the style up.

And then, this was the second style I got out of it

I will have this new look for the next 4 to 5 days, and then I will let everything down to have a proper locs look.

So what do you guys think? Yay or nay? Which was your fave look of the two style? Let's know in the comment session.

Hairstyle Lounge was brought to you by O'Naturals Salon. No money exchanged hands in making this lounge a reality. To make your hair at O'Naturals, visit the salon at 54 Ogudu road, Ogudu-Ojota Lagos or book an appointment by calling 0818-802-4444 / 0815-802-4444.

Reasons why I went back to Locs

Last week, I started documenting my journey back to dreadlocks on this blog and I mentioned that after over a year of consideration and toying with the idea, I decided to go back to dreadlocks, this time, with my long hair.

My Locs over 7 years ago

My Locs now

Some people might wonder why I am doing this, especially after I have done it in the past, caught of my locs and had almost wait length hair. Why go back?

Well, here are some of my reasons, amongst many others

1. I have very long hair, which to be honest, I am not utilising by showing it off or wearing it out. What is the use of having long hair if you can't flaunt it ot never let it out? Lol

2. Maintaining the hair (which I never wore out), was not becoming a hassle. Last year was the worst of it all, even after I promised myself to do better, and even had an excel sheet for my hair regimen, lol.

3. There are some hairstyles I would like to have on my head a couple of years from now, which would require that I have locks on first.

4. Life is too short. I am not someone who really experiments with hairstyles, but now, I need to do some crazy things on my head before I die, and this long hair fetish is limiting me from getting those things done.

5. My major reason: I now have a son, and I hope that when people see me his mother, they will never question his hair choices because meehhhnnn, I so have plans for that boy's hair such that he doesn't even know what is about to hit him, lol.

I took down this hair style and then started my journey to Dreadlocks.

I hope this is enough. Have you had locs in the past? Do you have locs now or plan to have them in future? What were your reasons for going on locs and/or cutting off your locs? Let us know in the comment section.

Hairstyle Lounge on African Naturalistas - My Journey to Permanent Locs

Hello Ladies. I hope the year of 2018 is being good to us all so far.

Just like I said in the last edition of Hairstyle lounge, I am making some major changes when it comes to my hairstyling. Some of the readers of this blog will remember that I used to be on dreadlocks before I cut it all off to wear my natural hair out a little over seven years ago. Well, after over a year of consideration and toying with the idea, I decided to go back to dreadlocks, this time, with my long hair.

I told Omozo of O'Naturals about it last year, and forgot about it. Towards the end of the year, she reminded me, and even though I was still quite hesitant, I was like "let's do it. What's the worst that could happen?"

After I took down the frohawk of last edition, the O'Naturals locticial proceeded to detangle my hair using African Naturalistas Moisturising and Detangling conditioner. We then went on to wash with a medicated shampoo, to make sure my scalp was in good condition, and followed it up with a regular shampoo. We dried the hair, and proceeded to steam with African Naturalistas Deep Conditioning Mayonnaise.

After this, I had to say goodbye to my free long hair and get it locked up (in jail), lol.

Strand by strand, she did her work on my hair, and I was amazed at how short my long hair looked.

I never expected shrinkage to take its toll on locked hair. Even though she said it would stretch later, I know it will never be it's real length.

After some four hours, we were done. She trimmed off the tips of my hair, and I went under the dryer to use the heat to set the wax in place, and this was what my hair ended up looking like.

I know it looks more line fingercoils or combcoils now, and less like dreadlocks. The loctician said it would take about an average of three months for my hair to actually lock, and the hair will keep stretching in the mean time. I was asked not to let water touch it, and to just spray it with oil for shine.

Now, the deed has been done, we are only keeping our fingers crossed to see how this will pan out in the end. I hope to start rocking waist-length locks by the end of 2018.

Have you ever considered locking your hair. If you have done it, how did that go for you? If you haven't, what is stopping you?

Hairstyle Lounge was brought to you by O'Naturals Salon. No money exchanged hands in making this lounge a reality. To make your hair at O'Naturals, visit the salon at 54 Ogudu road, Ogudu-Ojota Lagos or book an appointment by calling 0818-802-4444 / 0815-802-4444.

Who rocked the style best? Locs

In putting together this month's edition of who rocked the style best, I realised that not many black celebrtities wear locs, which was very shocking to me. I hope this changes very soon

Locs can seem restrictive at times, with not  many styling options, but if you are very creative, you will realise how untrue that can be.

As usual, we have featured six celebrities who have or had locs. Who would you say rocked their locs best, and why? The artistic or simple ones? Remember you can only pick one. We would also like to know the reason for your pick. You can click the picture to enlarge it, in case you want to see the intricate details of the hair styles.

So who rocked this style best?

What no one tells you about dreadlocks

Hello Naturalistas, 

How are you all doing? Today is the last day in January! Whoop! Who else feels like it went by really fast? Hope your hair goals for the year are going on well? Today we would take a look at the things that no one really tells you about keeping dreadlocks. 

I spoke to a couple of people keeping their dreadlocks and here is a compilation of their responses:

"I didn't realise that I had to keep go back so often (Weekly) to the salon to relock after the initial one"

"Cost of maintaining your dreadlocks can be high"

"When my dreads was still short, I had little styling options. Had to maintain the same style for a long while" 

"I didn't realise I had to steam/deep condition my hair. I don't really know why I thought that though.. Lol"

"There are really really bad hair days"

"You see visible and measurable hair growth"

"I have to have to deal with split ends"

"You can have thinning roots due to the technique of locks done on your hair" 

"You also deal with shrinkage"

One thing that can be a misconception like one of the ladies I spoke to said "I assumed that once I locked my hair, its fine and healthy" is thinking dreadlocks is actually an easy way out but we then need to realise that it might actually be more work to maintain dreadlocks and we would need to put in as much work to keep it healthy as we did our regular kinky hair. If you have it as a goal this year to start your dreadlocks journey, just ensure that you're doing it for the right reasons and do your research expensively before taking the plunge because as you might have seen, it takes alot to unlock your hair.

Are you currently on your dreadlocks journey? What is it no one told you about it that you discovered after you had locked your hair? 

Taking out your dreadlocs without cutting it

Hello Naturalisatas, 

How are you all doing? Kinks and all?

Source

For the longest of time I have always thought that the only way to get rid of your locs is by shaving it off and I can understand when people want to go this route because of the work involved in this other method we would discuss today. However, there are some people that absolutely do not want to go the TWA way and would rather stick with the locs because there is no other way around it but that's why i'm here right? ;)

The method of taking out your dreadlocks is COMBING IT OUT  just the sound of that makes it feel so painful but there is a method to it.

What you need
- Sewing Needle and Knitting Needle
- Shampoo
- Conditioner (Tons of it)/ Detangler
- Warm Water
- Towel
- Comb
- Painkiller (Optional)
- Disposable bag
- One person to help
- ALOT OF PATIENCE

Method

- Shampoo your hair to remove any product build up. You would want to take your time with this and wash the hair thoroughly.
- Soak your hair in warm water for a while. You need the hair as saturated as possible.
- Take the strand you would be working with and rub conditioner/detangler on it generously. Let it sit for about 1- 2 Mins
- Use the sewing needle to pick the ends gradually (You have to be careful not to poke yourself) then continue with the knitting needle.
- Comb as you go along till you are done with that strand then continue with the rest.

Note: 

- You will lose alot of hair because most of what makes the length and volume of the locs are shed hair over the period of time you've had it. Don't be alarmed by the amount of hair you lose which is what the disposable bag is for.
- You need atleast one person to help you out with the process as you can see that it is a long process and the more people the faster the process can be.
- You might need painkillers because of the tugging most especially when it's closer to the scalp. Keyword is "Might" as the conditioner/detangler is to help soften the hair.
- The process can be tedious and time consuming but it's the price to pay if you don't want to cut your hair at all.

What is your take on this method? Will you be willing to take this route if you want to get rid of your dreadlocks?

8 Times Ade Balogun of Locitude inspired our loc-goals!

Hello everyone!

I've probably told every loc-head that cares to listen that I'll be joining them soon. Every since I began my natural hair journey, I've secretly desired to loc my hair. But because I was entering a completely new territory, I've pushed my loc-goals aside until further notice. Well, until I have figured out and made sense of the entire natural hair business. Now, that I have, I'm reluctant to take the plunge. Just like the Big Chop, it requires some mental preparation and I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. Also, I would like to see my waist length hair first.

But in the meantime, I'll keep admiring them from afar.

This week, we have the incredibly sweet Ade Balogun, the Chief Loc Officer at Locitude Enterprise and the convener of Loc Appreciation Day in Nigeria. I've met a on a few occasions and every time I admire her hair, she tells me I should come when I'm ready.  I was scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day and I realized that we've never really featured her on the blog.

Well, I'm about to fix that.

Ade's locs are 6 years and 7 months old with a 4c texture and colour 1b. As much as we care about all the details of her regimen and whatnot, (Elizabeth, fix up) we're here for her progress pictures.

So, here are EIGHT times she made us want to take a trip to her studio.

1 year 3 months

2nd year

3rd year

4th year

4years 4 months



PRESENTLY

Can I just saw that I absolutely love progress pictures. In times of doubt and despair, they are there to show us how far we have come and to remind us that our hair is actually growing. 

Ade's locs are gorgeous! I love they're intricately styled with attention to details. It just makes me desire them even more. 

For more of Ade's timeline photos, visit her blog and if you want more information about her locs, go here until we feature her on Mane Matters.

Also, because I'm nice and all, if you're a lochead and have been thinking of combing out your locs instead of cutting them off, this video is all the inspiration and help you need.

Oh yes! You can comb out your locs. 

So, over you.

Do you have long-term loc-goals like me?

Share it me!

Love,coils and curls

eBunite