DXLYN : Your hair is beautiful. The biggest mistake and #1 that I see with the grooming obsess people is not allowing enough new growth before re-tightening and retwisting after every single wash. I owned a nature hair salon for 15 years... and I tried to tell my overly obsessed clients it was not time.. but insist on a retighten anyway. These people just do not understand that it thins there locs at the root (base) and over the years the locs break, hairlines recede and after while they just look like perfectly groomed big forehead clowns. Also putting fresh retighten hair is pulled tight to the scalp hairstyles with rubber bands or braids is a sure fire way to thin out locs and recede the hairline overtime . Also wearing them in buns and ponytails all the time. See for some locs is hairstyle not a lifestyle. Locs should not be perfectly groomed that's my subjective and objective thoughts through my studies of natural hair. For those who do not know... after 7 years the hair naturally goes through atrophy and being obsessed with your locks is sure fire way of speeding up the process. My favorite locs are freeform or organic. (less manipulation the better) Locs started with love, patience, water, oil, herbs, and a loc soap that do not leave any buildup or residue is the best. I am not talking about the neglect method where you don't wash your hair.. God knows please wash your hair. You do not have to pay loctician to start your locs just let your hair be free, divide as they form and Wala! you have beautiful healthy head of locs. I love to see some texture and new growth it is beautiful to me personally lol Hey.. may not get you a 9 to 5 job.. if you are into that type of thing but beautiful lol lol Just saying lol
Thank you. The beauty of locs and hair in general is that they are something different to everyone and thats completely ok. Most ppl are aware of the freeform process and the beauty of freeform locs but still choose to groom (like myself, maybe one day Ill freeform but for now I'll continue to groom periodically). Locs should be whatever that loc wearer wants them to be, seeing as how they are subjective. To each their own; everyone on a loc journey is in a different stage of evolution and self-discovery. Live and let live. Be blessed.
Very nice reply.. Nothing but love for you sister. The is my last comment ..I am moving on. The reasoning of why a person cultivate locs is purely subjective in nature; however, when the locs fall out, thin out, or the hairline recede or alopecia happens that is very objective. There is causation when that happens right? Therefore, a correlation can be drawn back to the subjective reasoning to why the person started the locs in the 1st place..that can be explored.. that all wanted to point out from the gate. I do overstand health can contribute to the loss of hair as well but that was not my point I was making here...My point I was making was about OVER GROOMING. God bless you sister! You are beautiful , your locs are gorgeous and it was not an attack on you or what you do. Keep up the video love to watch them... I am no hater!!! :)
During my first set of 10 year old locs, I suffered from traction alopecia in a couple spots from over-twisting. Thank goodness, I cut my locs off before it got worse! I let my hair breathe a bit with loose natural hair and now I have locs again. With this set, I don't palm-roll at all. I only seperate. I know that's not for everyone but it's best for me because I have fine, soft medium-density hair. Plus, once you start to hit middle-age, every hair mistake you made when you were younger becomes apparent and worse. So, just seperating my locs is my hair insurance. I also pulled my hair back a lot with my first set - in ponytails, half-up, half-down, tight headbands, etc. My hair line slightly receded. It's not super-obvious and it's not advanced but I'm aware of it. With this set, I am always careful to leave my bangs down! If I don't want hair in my face, I do side swept bangs. I no longer skin all of my hair back away from my head incessantly. It's okay to do that sometimes but it can and does lead to receding and thinning over time if done too often. My new set of locs that I just separate look a lot healthier than my first set of over-manicured, over-lacquered up hair. Wearing a scarf at night - not tied tightly - helps combat some frizz but I'd take a small Afro under my locs any day over what was going on before. I see from your channel that you don't re-tighten too often, DXLYN. That's excellent! And thanks for being transparent. You're very pretty!
All you need to do is moisturize your scalp like maybe 1-2 times a week. The actual loc is locked and is basically dead hair that doesn't need it anymore. Think of your hair like a plant, you don't water the leaves you water the soil and roots
I think of my hair as a wilting plant because its so dry and a wilting plant life will need to be watered more than that to recover. Also depends on the taxonomy. Lol thanks for you feedback nonetheless, for maintenance of non-dry hair you're right
I know my comment is super late, but I had to make it anyway. I feel you on the thin hair issue. I had loose natural hair for a long time and it "looked" super thick so I thought I had thick hair until I turned to locs. I just couldn't understand why my locs weren't full and thick, and it took me a hot minute to finally accept that I have thin individual strands and low density of hair on my head. I finally embraced it and I am actually super grateful that my hair is thin because I find that I have more options in terms of styling than my sis who has beautiful thick full locs.
Thanks for putting out all these videos, I recently started my own journey and due to my current schedule of taking care of two little ones, going to a loctition isn't in the cards yet. However, when that day comes, I hope that I meet someone who is as knowledgeable as you are when it comes to using certain products and techniques as well as what not to do if I want my hair to grow healthy and strong. I especially loved watching you do your sons' hair. That actually gave me the inspiration to relax and just let my hair grow at its own pace. Once again, ❤ thanks a bunch and I hope that everything is going well for you and your family. Also, I look forward to watching more of your videos.
I have been looking for someone like you. I too have thin/fine hair and have started locs and have been looking for someone who can more closely show me what I can expect for my hair type with locs. Also you are beautiful and have big eyes like me 🙄. Definately subscribing and thank you for sharing.
I made a few of those mistakes as well with my first set of locs. Damaged them so I cut them off and started over (several times) until i was satisfied.
We have many of the same mistakes 7/7. At one point I had a whole heap of gunk and build up. When I stopped using greases and gels and only using oils the gunk went away. Your vidoes are very helpful , will continue watching.
Thank you for saying that! Honestly my thin hair was the only reason why I didn’t want to get locs but I will be starting them in the next two weeks or so I have been natural almost 7 years now and my hair is not growing as it did when I just started my journey because I used to take care of it a lot then but now I get lazy and impatient when I detangle so I want to get locs. I know I still have to take care of it which I will do. I’m very excited to start my journey ❤️ thank you for all your wise words. I’ve basically been watching all your videos for the past week haha
Thank you! This was a very informative video! I used a little bit of wax to start my Locs (which was 2 days ago) and I do not plan on using anymore. Lol thank you again! I love your channel!
THANKS for the advice! You talked about black gel...what about a clear gel? I had weaned myself from gel and was just twisting with oil, but my hair didn't hold together past the first few days, and more so than the roots, hairs along my locs were sticking up (frizz/dryness)...I'm thinking that until the mature a bit more, I should maybe go back to using the Lock it Up I used to use... Oh, no build up so far (as far as I can tell!).
+Windsingerful the clear gel left some build up and my hair to and it would flake but def was not as bad as the black gel lol and that's great if it leaves no build up too
I just cut mines off. it's hair. it'll grow back. I made many mistakes. now I'm goin to get my Natural hair I was able to save my new growth instant locked next week. now I can do them the way I wanted and maintain them right this time. my dreads were past my butt. they will be missed. but they had to go.
I'm horrible! I've been locked for 19 years & I still do things I shouldn't to my hair. I mainly have been destroying them trying to get lint out! You don't like the curly ends? Those are my fave! Your hair is beautiful! I'm bad about sleeping with it untied. I get tangled in it a lot. Smh
keep you hair wet when trying to get lint out. It can be done but you need patience. And use natural oils, don't use products. There are no products out there that's for locs. You can't use the same products used in natural hair that you can brush and comb in locs. It will build up.
+Day leeyah Thanks for the tips! I don't have a lot of lint, but certain clothes make it hard to stay lint-free. Especially sweaters! It's more of a bad habit or something I do when I'm bored or frustrated. It could be a speck of glitter & I would probably try to get it out!😫 I did use products years ago, but I mix my own oils & things. I'm considering another big chop for my 40th! I'm torn bc of spiritual reasons, though...We'll see...everybody gets mad if I mention starting over. Smh
@felicia follum Lol I think that's fine as long as it don't correctly and rinsed out of the locs thoroughly. It's hard to do that with 3 dyeing sessions in one aye 😂🙈😔
I found this video VERY informative and your locs are Gorgeous. .... I do have a couple questions about two of the mistakes you listed 1. The lint OMG I think my locs attract it no matter what I do. Do you have a video on how to properly wrap them up (without cutting off blood flow to your head) And how to remove the lint that is trapped? I ended up dying mine to cover it 2. After you stop using the products that caused build up, what did you use to wash your hair to help get it out?
Thank you! lol lint is inevitable but you can do things to keep it at a minimum. one thing I did was make my own loc sock out of underarmour material. it is comfortable and keeps your head cool at night. and I use clarifying shampoo followed by a moisturizing shampoo the get most of it out.
My hair is thin also. My locs were thin when I first got them and while they did fatten up a bit Im still one of the thinner locheads. For one while I was considering taking a good them down lol but in seeing so many beautiful thin as well as thick locheads on RU-vid I now love both.
omJah Sis i love your channel soo much it's like a sacred thing to me. i want to kbow if Bamboo pillow cases are any good or damaging for our hair 'cause i have one and i kinda stopped wearing my scarf even tho i shouldn't.
I am totally guilty of having loc envy so bad that sometimes it makes me want to cut my locs off. I don't feel like after 5yrs my locs are as long as they could be because of me expecting with color and cutting my curly ends so it's a bit disappointing at times.
So true. I follow someone now who makes me want to start over and I'm 9 months in. I just love her locs. I really have to check myself when I sense those feelings arise.
tblu B. Yes! For sure...I'm sure it would be even easier to start over and develop a habit of "I wish I would have stuck with it" n then start over again and it would take much longer to build the confidence that growing locs builds
+LoyaldreadLocbeauty absolutely what she said! It's all part of the journey. I've thought of cutting mine too many times to count but I'm always glad I still have them. Flawed and all
it seems most people want thick hair lol I mean it's good and makes some people head look more full but it be hell a lot to when I just had long hair without dreadlocks yet. I used to dislike it but everyone else liked it and play in my hair. I've embraced it now days though and love my thick ass hair lol
I have to sleep with a scarf and a satin pillowcase, idk why but my hair still gets somewhat dry even if I do sleep on my satin pillow case with my hair up or just "wild" like you said
Beautiful Locs💕. I’m a little confused. In this video you say no gels. But I also watched a video where you use aloe Vera. Should I use the aloe Vera?? I just started my loc journey . I’m three weeks in and am so confused.
Yeaaaa the black gel!!! It got disgusting after I've been noticing it for my first few weeks! I washed it out because a lot of buildup happened. Where is your business located if you could give me some tips that'd be great. But I just had a twist put in with very light beeswax which now my twists are nice and soft and not hard from that black wax.
I wear mine down and put it up if I get too hot...you can tie it back rather than up ;) I just posted a loc update with a couple tie back styles that you can do quickly when you get hot...
DXLYN vlogs what type of oils do you use? I've been very concerned about what to use for retwist that wouldn't cause buildup. My Loctician use Shea Butter & mousse but unfortunately I won't be able to see him anymore.
