Welcome back to Locs Talk, where I talk about all thing Locs and Loose-Natural hair. This blog may appear to be for the Loc community only, but it caters more to the Loose-Natural family who are or may be considering Locs. There are some important factors to consider before you move forward with your journey, if you are considering Locs. In my experience speaking with potential clients, the two most popular reasons why people want to get their hair Loc'd is: 1. Low Maintenance and 2. It looks so damn good. These are two very plausible and very true reasons to want to get Locs. But hold your horses, because there is often a misconception attached to the reasons given. Therefore, more preparation work is involved and needs to be done before you take the first step into your journey. Today I am going to talk about the things you should know and be almost certain of knowing, before you take your first steps and start your Loc journey.
Let's first look at the reason why I refer to it as a 'Loc Journey'. Focusing first and foremost on the word journey and its meaning. Journey, 1: something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another; the journey from youth to maturity; a journey through time. 2: an act or instance of traveling from one place to another; trip (a three-day journey); going on a long journey. How does Locs relate to a journey? Let's explore it, shall we. 1: passage from one place to another. It isn't just your appearance that changes throughout your journey; the place you are, in your life, whether it be your confidence, mentality or spirituality for example, you will transition to a different place as your Loc journey progresses through the different stages and experiences you will experience throughout your journey. 2: Journey from youth to maturity. This is definitely in relation to your Locs journey. Again, this is not only in relation to the appearance, but also in the character of your Locs. Think of the life of a person. When we are born, we are tiny and fragile, and must be handled with the gentlest of care. As a child grows from an infant into an adult, they learn many things along the way; just as you will with your Locs throughout your journey. Your Locs will behave very much like children do; sometimes being messy, and mischievous and sometimes even rebel to test their limits (like that one Loc that won't lay down right, for example).
Your Loc journey will teach you how to have patience and trust for there is a process. Like a new parent, no matter how many books you read or feedback you get from others; while you will receive plenty of education and knowledge, the experience of your Loc journey will always be what you make it to be for yourself. It will be challenging at times, but the joy of knowing the destination you are traveling to, makes it all worthwhile. Your Loc journey is indeed a journey through time, ever evolving day by day. Your scenery is what you will see and experience throughout each stage of your journey. Your Loc journey is a trip worth taking, should you choose to embark on the journey.
Looking at the two most popular reasons I am given when I ask, "why do you choose Locs?"
The most popular reason is "Low Maintenance". Now the misconception that occur here is, many believe, other than their appointments to see their Loctician (perhaps once per month on average), they don't have to do anything else with their Locs until then. So, to them, their appointments alone equate to the Low Maintenance. However, this couldn't be further from the truth, there is work that must be done and committed to, on your part and that is the Low Maintenance that requires your participation and commitment. Let me take you through what that looks like for you. Depending on how often you see your Loctician, you should not exceed 4 weeks between washing your Locs without the worry of buildup. 1: If you are not visiting your Loctician every 4 weeks, you are responsible for washing your hair at least once between your visits with your Loctician. Reminder, a retwist is not a requirement after every wash. 2: A daily moisture routine to maintain moisture to your Locs must be established, which you can discuss with your Loctician or schedule a consultation to discuss with me if you intend to start and maintain your Locs on your own. This routine is intended to help you to maintain moisture to your Locs and scalp during your time away from your Loctician or between your retwist. Internal hydration is also important, so be sure to drink plenty of water for that purpose. 3: Finally, there is the purpose of covering your Locs when you sleep at night; this is to avoid lint transfer, dryness and breakage. This is what your Low Maintenance routine will consist of; you should be ready to commit to this level of care to your crown if you are going to embark on a Loc journey.
The second most popular reason why many choose Locs is, the amazing look of having Locs. Here's the scene; you see someone well into the final stages of their Loc journey with Matured Elder Locs, enjoying the fruit harvest from the journey they embarked on to reach their current status in their Journey. The vision of beauty and attraction to those gorgeous Locs draws you in, and now you are inspired and say to yourself, "ooooh, I want Locs". The inspiration is well understood, because having Locs, especially in the Elder stage, tend to have that effect and inspires so many. But the misconception comes in when that inspiration doesn't include considering all it took for that person to get to that stage of their Loc journey. Here's what I have experienced in the past, (which is why I make it a crucial part of my consultation session with potential new clients); a client will come and sit in my chair, show me a picture of how they want their Locs to end up (in my vision, I am visualizing the future); but to them, it is how they wanted their Locs to look when they are done having their Locs installed. Yes, there are actually people who do not consider all it takes to reach the Mature-Elder stage, having beautiful full, fluffy and frizz-free Locs. Realistically, the only way to achieve that "look" in one sitting is instant Locs with extensions, which also requires a higher level of $$ to get and maintain. The reason I quoted "look" is because often times while you will absolutely achieve the "look", you will be robbed of the experience that makes you appreciate your Loc Journey the way you see so many admiring their Loc Journey. It's a difference to experience growing with your Locs throughout your journey vs. the instantaneous look of Loc extensions. There's nothing wrong with getting instant Locs or extensions, however, as a Loctician it makes it easier to decipher the clients who want the experience of the journey to achieve the beauty of Mature-Elder Locs from the client who wants the look, but the journey to get there might be more than they bargained for or are willing to go through in order to achieve.
Now, it's time to take you through your journey. I want you to sort of look at your Loc Journey as the life cycle of a butterfly, specifically the caterpillar, pupa (transition stage), and adult stages (beautiful butterfly). When you start your Locs, your starter Locs are the first 0-6 months of your journey, it may be longer, depending strongly on the texture and hair type you have. My starter Loc stage lasted much longer for this reason because my hair is much softer in texture, I went through starter stage almost a year into my Loc journey. I will refer to starter Locs as the Caterpillar stage. This stage requires the most maintenance.
The Caterpillar stage must be handled
with the gentlest of care, your Locs must be well nourished to prepare for the next stage of the journey. As your caterpillars mature, you will enter into the next stage of your Loc journey, the budding stage from 6 months to 12 months into your journey. The budding stage is much like the pupa (transitioning stage) of a butterfly's life cycle. During the budding stage, often referred to as the "ugly" stage; your Locs will look lumpy, bumpy, and frizzy.
The lumps and bumps are symbolic of a full caterpillar filled with all the nutrients it needs to enter into its next stage, so it begins to create and develop its chrysalis (cocoon). The frizzy hairs are the thread of your chrysalis that wrap around your lumpy bumpy Locs. The chrysalis is symbolic to the Teen stage of your journey. Again, the timing is based much on the texture and hair type you have. My budding phase lasted another year, but on average, this stage is from 12 months to 18 months. As time passes, your Locs take form shape themselves as the will become as you transition into the adult stage of your journey. In the butterfly's life cycle this is the part of your journey when the butterfly comes out of the chrysalis, and you begin to see the beauty of what it has become. It spreads its wings, smoothing out all the lumps and bumps that was once a fat little well-nourished caterpillar and now emerging as beautiful adult Locs. Approximately 2-5 years into your Loc journey is your adult stage, the emerged adult is drying its wings, showing its beautiful unique pattern as the wings expand (during this stage, many will experience a massive growth spurt). Once this stage is complete, you will enter into your Rooted-Elder stage of your journey 6 years and older (this stage is earned, because of your experiences throughout your journey). While you may achieve the look of rooted-elder Locs with instant Locs, the experience of it does not exist because the process of going through the journey is absent. As a Rooted-Elder, you have the wisdom and experience to share your journey and helping another get through their journey. This stage signifies growth within self and the wisdom which can in turn inspire others; you can help prepare them for the process of their journey. This is what makes your journey worth it, growth of self.
If it is your goal to reach the look of Rooted-Elder Locs with Loc extensions, you can; but let me assure you, you will rob yourself of the experience of the journey. If you want the experience, but you aren't sure if you can commit, you may not be ready for Locs yet. Take the time to mull it over. If you aren't ready to put in the time and commitment through the challenges of the starter and budding stages of your journey (which are the hardest stages), you'll need the time to prepare for it. You need to be mentally prepared, especially through those stages of your journey.
One of the hardest parts of your journey will be the unsolicited opinions of others, and that can be discouraging. Many don't like to admit this, but the opinions of other DOES matter to them. I can tell by the way it affects them, because of questions of concern I often get during consults and from clients, it shows in those who are affected by others' opinions. It's the opinions of others that trigger the insecurities you might have concerning your Locs. You absolutely must be mentally prepared for this, because if you asked anyone with Locs, they would tell you, there are going be a lot of unsolicited opinions. This is why the decision is yours and yours alone to make and you must stick to. Having an excellent support system helps in this process.
My son, before starting his Loc journey, asked on social media, "what y'all think about me getting Locs?" and there was so many discouraging no's and don't do it responses. Thankfully, he left his final decision up to him and he decided it was something he wanted and proceeded forward. Now, all those who were so discouraging, all love his Locs now; the transformation is incredible, as you can see. So, make sure your decision is for you and not based on opinions of others. It helps to surround yourself with the support you need. Loc Communities are growing more and more every day.
Choosing a Loctician
If you choose to have a loctician, it is important to choose one you can have open communication with. Make sure they are patient, a good listener to your concerns, nurturing, caring & empathetic to your needs, educated, considers your feelings and views, and will not disregard your input or make decisions without your approval. When choosing a Loctician, consider you're entering into a long-term relationship, which requires commitment, communication, trust and care, mutually. Just because we know more about Locs doesn't mean we know what's best for you. Therefore, you should not be required full submission to your Loctician as to the decisions that are made for you, your input is important, therefore, you should always be a part of every decision made for YOUR Locs. I for one, want to know how you're feeling, what your thoughts are, and your opinions. We should be working together in the decision making for your hair, after all, it's your head, so participate, don't just leave it up to the professional; communicate and be honest about your feelings. I personally cannot not stand it when a client says: "you're the professional, just do what your think is best". That will not do, the choice is yours to make, I provide the information, but you must process it and you or we decide together, but I will not decide for you. You need to understand what is happening with your hair and that can't happen if you are not a participant in the decision making for your Locs.
The beautiful Locs you saw inspired you. You saw extraordinary quality that exhibited a creative impulse to do the same with your crown. I don't blame you, that is the affects Locs have on others that want Locs too. But now, I want you to take from this, everything else you need to consider, such as what it takes to get to this stage of extraordinary quality in order to be encouraged to move forward. These preparations are intended to give you the support, confidence, and hope to entrust yourself to get to a place of extraordinary quality and appreciating it even more knowing what you will experience getting there. If you are considering Locs and you are seeking more support, I am available for one-to-one consultation virtually. simply click on my booking service page on the website and book a consultation whether you want to do it yourself or with a certified Loctician, I am here to assist you either way.
I hope this talk has helped you to understand more about a Loc Journey and what it entails. Even more, I hope it has encouraged you to want to embark on your own journey. Thank you for joining me for another week of Locs Talk. To view these blogs, go to my YouTube channel by clicking the link below and subscribe to my channel to view my weekly blog Loc Talk with Pammie. A new episode will premiere every week. Until next week, have a wonderful, lovely and healthy hair journey.
Pammie
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