Locs at 22 months

Almost 2 years, y'all. I really really reallllllly love my locs. At this point, they are more than just a hairstyle. They represent my growth. I started my locs at a difficult time in my life. No one knew it but I was extremely lonely and just...lost. As I look back at my beginning loc photos, I almost tear up because I remember how sad I was at certain lengths.

But as they grow longer, I feel like I am a happier person. One who has purpose and drive and ambition. The length represents my knowledge and wisdom. I mean, yeah...honestly, I started loc'ing thinking they were just...locs. But nope, they are becoming more.

Does that sound loco or do some of y'all feel me? They are at a good place right now. Even after that horrific dye job. Which, like y'all said, I am beginning to embrace. They color isn't AS bright. It's still not what I want so I'll be visiting my loctician (and will never cheat on her again...unless it's with Felicia Leatherwood or Thierry Baptiste) and tweaking it until I get it right. And after that I'll be sitting down on the color for a few months. I catch a lot of heat from naturals who tell me that coloring my hair is oh so dangerous and bad for the health of my hair. I beg to differ because in all of my dye jobs, my hair has never reacted negatively. So oh bip potato chip!

I haven't done any styles in quite some time because I find my scalp to be very sensitive. Why is this? I've never been tender headed a day in my life but I find it seems that my scalp is extremely uncomfortable when I'm rockin' a style for too long. So I stick with pretty bows.

And this is my absolute favorite style...

Keeps the hair out of the face and now that it's getting cool, the hair on the neck doesn't bother me as much.

And then there are ponytails. A high and low one.

Remember when I struggled to do a ponytail back in the day? Awww...memories. And let's do a quick blast from the past using my favorite model, the solider loc.

Yep, we're growin'. Not that I care. Hair length has never been something that I focused on. In fact, I never really know how long my hair has grown until I do these update photos.

I know everybody loooooves long hair but I feel indifferent about it. We'll see how long it will be before I chop these kids. Haaaa, I kid, I kid. Maybe.

As far as maintenance, I keep it simple.
-Wash with castile soap once a week or every 2 weeks.
-Spritz daily with a rosewater/peppermint/rosemary blend.
-Olive oil all over locs as needed.
-Retwist when I feel like it. Maybe every 5-7 weeks. Although I do like to maintain the front row of locs every two weeks or so.

I'll be investing in a leave-in conditioner soon. Due to my most recent dye job and the colder weather, I don't want my locs to be feeling all crispy and hard. Gotta maintain their softness! And I've come to the realization that my locs may always be fuzzy. Because my hair is fuzzy. I've always considered myself to have 4B/4C hair type, but looking at the roots of my locs, I may be a 3C/4A. Not that these codes matter but it certainly puts things into perspective. I can't tame the fuzzies and have gleefully quit doing so!

Tis all, darlings.

Locs at 18 months

Wow. Well....here we are. My locs at 18 months. It's been over 2 months since I've combined them and I was in a serious I don't like my locs rut. It didn't show though. I still took care of them, rocked some styles, jazzed them up with yarn got motivated by fellow loc'ers.

I can't stress this enough--loc'ing is a journey. It ain't all cupcakes and sprinkles and that's okay. The good news is, I'm kinda liking my locs again. Not head over heels in love with them like I was before but I now know how to take a "Your locs are gorgeous" compliment without scoffing.

I'm figuring out that less is more. I know,  I know...I should have known that a looooong time ago. Loc'ing is about simplifying and I've just made the whole process a lot harder than it needed to be. Typical B. I don't have any regrets though, only learned lessons and the desire to share them with y'all.

Soooo, for the first time in a while, I re-twisted. Since I've been swimming a lot, I haven't been re-twisting more than the first two rows of locs.

I finally took out all of the rubber bands and the locs are still looking like 2-strand twists but I've gotten over it. This girl took a look at my locs the other day and was like, "They're looking good. How old are they? 6...7 months?" #agefail And I still want some color but I'll wait a few months for that.

Came up with a new hair style! I call this Dino. It's 4 flat twists in the front and a loose basketweave in the back.

I'm diggin' this updo. And it only took 5 bobby pins! I'm getting better. And I did a video on how I re-twist my locs.








Tis all for the 18th month!

Locs at 16 months...

I almost forgot to post this. I got an email from a reader who said something along the lines of, "Don't think we forgot that you're supposed to be doing monthly hair updates." Hahaha! The promise was every other month hair updates, remember? But here we go!

What can I say about my locs at 16 months? For the past two months, I've been combining them.  Look how much thicker they are!

I've had a total love/hate relationship with this experience. I know that it's necessary but I don't like it. I'm not 100% happy with how my locs look right now. Water seems to help them loc together quicker so I've been washing at least every week or every other week. At first the married locs did well on their one. But I noticed that many of them unraveled and produced those wretched 2-headed dragon locs. No me gusta. So I've used rubber bands to keep the ends together.

I HATE this look. It looks so...un-loc-ish and just...weird. After a wash and a week or so, the rubber bands come out.

Can I be honest? Part of me wants to take these locs down and just start over. I am that unhappy with them right now. But I know it's just a phase. In the end, I will happier with stronger and thicker locs and I have to keep reminding myself that this is a journey. And it ain't supposed to be all gumdrops and sprinkles the entire way.

Although I've been going through my own personal loc'd trials and tribulations, I have a greater appreciation for natural hair and locs, in general. The World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta put me on cloud nine, ten and eleven.

I'm also doing a lot of styles. Like...a lot. Straight locs are a thing of the past. Curling the babies take too long so I've been trying to do style them myself.

Still can't get a hold of that basket weave thing. And I've been hooked up with styles from the professionals.

I've been using the Heads and Shoulders 2-in-1 and the locs seem to love it. My dandruff is still out of control but my scalp doesn't itch as much.

And check this out...I haven't had a problem with build-up since visiting my loctician in February. This is a HUGE plus for me.

Re-twisting via palm rolling with Organics Root Stimulator is still the way to go for me. Another plus about combining the locs is that you can't see where I've latched. Which is a good thing!

So yeah...this update is different from my others in that I'm not THAT happy with where my locs are right now. Most of my updates are full of love and adoration for my hair but this whole combining thing has me in a rut. My hair is fuzzier than ever but I don't even care about that anymore. Let's hope the locs can magically combine themselves before I chop them off. I'm kidding...kinda.

Oh...just how many have I combined? I went from 190-somethin' locs to 109. Wow-sers!! And now I'm thinking they are TOO thick. I know...I just can't be satisfied, uh? HA! At this point..I don't know what to do other than just deal with what I got and hope that I learn to love them again.  Not that I hate them but....um, yeah...you know. Once these babies combine, I'm going to visit my loctician and get a bad summer color.

Oh....yeeeeah! There is ALWAYS something to look forward to.

Locs at 14 months

14 months, wow...the last few months of loc'ing have been a blur. In a good way. I went through the quite a bit, seems like.

There was the whole doubt in latching bit. And then I found a new washing routine. I made a funk-less ACV rinse but then came to the realization that putting ACV in the hair too often was no bueno. I didn't latch/twist for a month and let my hair freeform for a bit. Which was WONDERFUL and so I've decided to not only complete ditch latching period but adopt semi-free forming. I will not always re-twist after washing. I will let my locs do their own thing and twist when I feel like it. And then I dyed one of my locs purple. Not only was it a total waste but it taught me to not color my hair anymore without a professional. THEN I went to my loctician for the first time in 7 months and fell in love all over again. I have decided to get my locs professional done at least every month or as needed.

I have also learned that my locs do a wonderful job in styles. Especially for my active work-out schedule. And so I curled them but did not finger comb the curls out.

 

  

You can't see them but I used two rubber bands to pull a few locs up on one side.

 Looks like candy curls, uh? Except that one straight loc. There's always one...ha!

Actually, I had a few straight locs. I pinned them with bobby pins and viola!

Loc'd power!!

One day mine will be a long as my homie's.

I am so ridiculously in love with locs that it don't make no sense. You can tell veteran loc'ers are used to the questions and admiration but me? Oh man!! I am forever staring at other peoples' locs and getting all giddy when someone asks about mine. In.sane.

When the curls go away, I will do some comparison posts.

Until then....stay beautiful. I tried to be all artistic with that shot. HA!! #FAIL

The locs are a year old!!!

One of the things that I have always loved about being newly natural is that you really do celebrate your hair. Not many women do this. But for those of us that have BCed or started locs or just ditched the perm and loving our natural textures...it's a big deal!!

...and don't be like me and try to explain it to folx because most won't understand.

But in case you missed it...

THE LOCS ARE A YEAR OLD!!!!!

Oh yeah! I'm so excited. I am in the process of doing a video and editing some photos for comparison shots but in the meantime, enjoy some loco shots of the locs on their birthday.


I have a lot more coming. Thanks to La Loced, I did a bentonite clay mask (SO AMAZING!) and I even did a cute little style. Thanks to all of y'all that have been following my journey. I appreciate the comments, the helpful tips, the links, the emails, the encouragement, etc. Since I've reached a year I'm going to shut down the blog in the next month or so.

Love y'all!


BTW....I am sooooo kidding! Hahahaaa! LocRocker will be around to help other ladies with their journeys and I will continue to update y'all on my locs and provide any helpful links/tips along the way.


Gotta go finish spoiling the locs. After all, its their day!

Locs at 11 months

Haha....I'm so silly!

11 months. Wow. I won't say anything like "OMG, amazing how time flies..." because it's redundant. Okay, I lie....I will say it!

Ohmigoodness, I can NOT believe that it's been 11 months since I've had locs. I never thought I would love my hair has much as I do.

Okay, I'm done.

What's to say about Month 11? The locs have been SOOO free. Ever since I started latching, they have been looking so fuzzy wuzzy and I love it! But I'll shut up. Time for photos.


The solider loc is still holdin' it down. I'm going to be doing comparison shots soon. I remember when that loc was just between my brows.


Okay....this is a big deal, y'all...I finally have a ponytail!!


Yeah, it looks funny and I have a few locs that are actin' like they don't want to participate but but overall, it's a bangin' ponytail that is perfect for working out.

And my color is lasting.....for once!


And here's a close up of a latched loc.


I really don't have much to say.

I just...I LOVE THEM!

10 month update!

I remember turning 10 years old like it was yesterday. I had this HUGE birthday party. I got a Game Boy. I had this enormous cake. And I got a mess of money. Since then I have always loved the number 10.

And so the locs are 10 months old.

OMG!!

Yes, I'm excited. They are growing so beautifully (if I do say so myself) and ever since I started latching, I seriously love my hair even more. Latching means not having to worry about twists untwisting.

First off....I've been noticing more this month than any other month that my locs are:

a) touching my neck


b) covering my ears


That means they are growing somethin' serious. It also means they make my face hot. Grr.

So when I'm at home I usually have to wear to buns at the top.



...they aren't long enough to go in one ponytail.


Well, a REAL ponytail. But ponytails comes with a challenge.


That's a busted hair tie. Yep, my hair is STILL breaking ish. Back when I had the fro it was comb teeth. Now it's hair ties. Gotta love it!

I don't latch the first few rows of locs though.


These locs require the most maintenance because well uh...they are the ones in the spotlight.

Remember a few months ago when you could see my scalp?


Not no mo!


I don't know why I have that Playbill in my hand. LMAO! So random....

I am so happy. And so pleased.

And it is taking everything in me to not color my hair again. I know, I know. I won't. Three dye jobs is enough.

For now.

Video coming soon!