Elegant updos may be achieved with locs thanks to their ability to be styled in various ways, inspiring hues and styles, and amazing lengths and volume capabilities.
However, unlike popular belief, getting a healthy dreadlocks are not more minor work to maintain than other types of curls.
You must establish a regular routine for your locs to ensure their health and growth because a lack of proper maintenance can indeed lead to several issues, including breakage, hair loss, and even infections.
This post will explain how to care for dreadlocs, the basic rules of styling them, and how they can help you attain your LOC goals!
🔥 How to Get That Stylish, Thriving Locs with 4 Simple Steps!
Table of Contents
Keeping your locs healthy and growing is to have a regular maintenance routine.
You need to know how to properly clean them and prevent hair loss.
You also need to know when to wash them and how often.
If you don’t take well enough care of your locs, they may not grow as fast as they should, or at all.
⚠️ First, Learn How to Clean Your Locs
The first step to keeping your locs clean and healthy is to wash them regularly, so you should establish a maintenance schedule.
There are more than a few different ways to clean your dreads.
1. Regular Wash
A regular wash is the most basic way to maintain clean dreadlocks.
There are many products available to help you get the job done, but if you are just looking to get rid of any dirt or residue build-up, you can do it yourself with water and soap.
You can choose to either use a washing machine or hand wash.
Wash your dreads in hot water and then rinse them in cool water. Take a proper shampoo that will not dry out your locs.
2. Overnight Wash
The overnight wash is usually recommended for people who are just getting their first locs.
You can wash your dreads the same way as the regular wash, but you can also add conditioner.
3. Deep Conditioning
Wash Deep conditioning is a step beyond a regular wash.
This method is used to clean your locs after being styled or hot oil treatment. The best deep conditioning wash will contain a deep conditioner, a moisturizer, and an anti-frizz agent.
4. Hot Oil Treatment
Hot oil treatment is a step beyond a regular and deep conditioning wash. This method of cleaning your locs is done by using oil and heat to penetrate the hair shaft.
It helps remove the build-up of dirt and residue accumulated in your locs.
⚠️ Moisturizing Your Locs
Do not gamble on whether or not your locs require less moisture than your loose hair did; moisturizing should be a regular part of your regimen regardless.
Dry hair is prone to breakage, and brittle locs are the last thing you want!
Use a water-sealed oil or a little leave-in moisturizer to quench your locs’ thirst, as this will help them hold up through the day.
Using a water-sealed oil or a little leave-in moisturizer will keep your locs from getting dry and brittle.
Apply a little oil to your fingertips, rub your fingers along your locs’ scalp, and then massage it into your locs.
If you don’t have time to moisturize, you can still achieve the same effect by using a spray-on conditioner.
Always check with your stylist before adding any products to your locs; some oils, lotions, and other products are not compatible with locs and could cause breakage.
⚠️ Maintaining a healthy scalp with regular oiling.
Moisture is essential to keeping dreadlocks in place at home.
Dry hair, after all, is more prone to breakage due to its brittleness.
The best technique to avoid dry hair is to layer a hair oil on a moisturizing spray.
The scalp is a part of your body’s skin and requires the same care as the rest of your body or face.
Since I have a dry scalp, it’s super important to moisturize it regularly.
I prefer to apply my favourite oil to it three times per week, using a nourishing oil such as Love Beauty and Planet Hope and Repair Ylang Ylang & Coconut Oil 3-in-1 Benefit Oil to hydrate my scalp perfectly.
You should try it.
⚠️ Protect Your Locs When You Sleep
Hair breakage split ends and lint & dust accumulation in your locs are caused by not protecting your hair at night.
Loc breaking and thinning can be attributed to cotton use, as cotton absorbs your hair’s oils and natural lubrication, causing your hair to become dry and brittle.
Unprotected locs and dry hair are a recipe for breakage when paired with tossing and twisting, and lint from your cotton sheets and pillows can quickly get entangled in your locs.
Bonnets with a Satin Finish
To prevent the moisture in your hair from being drained by a cotton pillowcase, sleep with a satin cap over your locs.
Because when it comes to safeguarding your locs while you sleep, you can’t do better than a satin bonnet.
The satin bonnet is a simple yet effective piece of clothing that can be worn daily and at night.
It will act as a barrier that will protect your locs from getting too dry and frizzy while you sleep.
Add that with the fact that satin is so light-weight and breathable, it won’t weigh down your hair and cause it to get tangled, making it the best way to protect your locs during the night.
Satin Du-Bag
Naturals with long locs and folks who sleep a little crazy would appreciate the Satin DuBag.
It’s pretty similar to a satin bonnet, but it has hair ties to keep it in place on your head more comfortably.
You may also want to consider the Satin Du-Pant, designed for a similar purpose and looks a lot more like a satin bonnet.
This is one of my favourite styles because I can just wear my hair down without worrying about it being a pain in the neck.
I’m a huge fan because it keeps my hair out of my face, and I feel like I’m not wearing any makeup.
In fact, even shorter locs can have their ends tied off in this manner with the Satin DuBag to extend the life of your scarf.
Wearing The Right Pillowcase
A pillowcase made of satin is an excellent choice if you prefer to sleep with your hair covered.
The satin will produce no lint, nor will your hair be snagged by the material.
If you’ve got a lot of oil in your hair, using a satin pillowcase might not be your best choice because satin can pick up a lot of residues.
Instead, a cotton pillowcase is another good choice for those with oily hair because it absorbs less oil than a satin pillowcase.
On the other hand, a satin pillow is an excellent technique to protect your hair from nocturnal damage if you don’t use many products in your hair.
Always wash your pillowcases before you use them.
You’ll want to wash your pillowcases in cold water and add a mild shampoo (like Dr Bronner’s) to the wash cycle. If you’re washing your pillowcases by hand, you can just rinse them in cold water after cleaning them.
🔥 Final Thoughts.
Do some study online before you begin if you’re looking to dye your locs, achieve a specific style or cut them, or use a new product on them.
The same rules apply if you’re just getting started with locs.
Before you get started, do some research on how to care for beginner locs, and if you are working with a loctician, check out their work.
Hopefully, this guide has been helpful to you! Are there any other subjects you think we should cover next time?
