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Monday, November 15, 2010

12 Great Tips for Maintaining Your DreadLocks

Great Tips for Maintaining Your locs after starting them
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Since we have different kinds of hair types, please choose the maintainence path that feels right for you and works with your hair type. certain hair types may take longer to loc then others. Be patient. Be prepared to do the neccessary work and use the needed time to keep your locs beautiful.



(1) Keeping your locs clean
*Here are a few Cleansing or Shampooing Options
- You can wash them when you feel ready
- you can spray them with sea salt water to cleanse them and get rid of oils
- You can also cleanse your scalp with witch hazel. Use a cotton ball. Don't rinse.
- You can use a non-residue shampoo like i.e. Dreadhead HQ, suave clarifying shampoo, Neutrogena's anti residue shampoo, Fantasia's 100% pure tea anti-buildup shampoo or Doc Bronners.
- You can put a nylon (pantyhose)over you locs and wash them to prevent new locs from coming undone.
- You can wash you hair with a bar of soap, if the locs are fully binded. The soap can be for dreads or be all-natural.


(2) Conditioning Options
- You can use a regular conditioner
- You can put in a leave-in conditioner (cream or spray).
- You can use a 2-in-1 shampoo conditioner.


(3) Drying Your hair Options
You can lightly towel dry
You can air dry
You can blow dry


(4) Moisturizing Your Locs
For people with tighter curls, get in the habit of oiling your scalp and putting on a hair cream on locs to keep hair moisturized.
If you you just want a little moisture, You can add a bit of vitamin E oil to your locs to keep them healthy.


(5) Protecting locs from breakage
Cover your locs with a silk or satin scarf or cap each night to protect your hairline and locs. Also, it keeps them from getting messy.


(6) Keeping Your Locs Tidy & Linens clean
You may wish to keep your locs in a headband during sleep to keep them neat.
You may also chose to place a towel on your pillow or use a ratty pillowcase to prevent the wax & oils from messing up your linens.



(7) When using waxs to start or retouch locs...
- pay attention to your hair and decide when is the perfect time to apply wax wax locs, when wet- damp- dry



(8) Scents and Your locs
- when you are around smelly place or you are cooking foods, put a hat on your hair
- make sure to thoroughly dry your hair to avoid mold build-up
- you can use essential oils on your hair to give a pleasant scent, just mix them with jojoba oil


(9) People who have locs and thin/thinning hair
These are some ideas that may help you in you have thin or thinning hair. Use the ideas that work best for you and your hair type.
- Sleep in a satin or silk scarf to reduce hair breakage
- use hair products that are enriched with vitamins and minerals
- if you don't like sleeping in a scarf, then use a satin or silk pillowcase to sleep on
- use natural hair oils on your scalp that promote hair growth
- give yourself regular head massages
- don't over twist or retuch or style your locs
- refrain from putting your hair into a single ponytail
- if your locs become to heavy, be willing to cut them shorter


(10) Vitamins, Essential Oils, and Foods for Healthy Hair-
Vitamins that are good for your hair: A, B, Biotin, C, E,
- Essential oils that are good for your hair (Always remember that you cannot use these essential oils for hair direct to your hair, but you should mixed with carrier oils first): Carrier oils are olive and jojoba oil,
Essential oils are Lavender, Basil, Chamomile, Lemon, Myrrh, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang
- Foods that good for your hair:beans, eggs, berries, oats, brown rice, sunflower seeds, carrots, kale, oranges, nuts,


(11) Kinds of Locs (sizes & lengths)
Loc sizes and lenghts vary. They can be micro thin, pencil thin, thick, or be done in one loc and therefore be the entire size of the head. Some people have short locs and some people have locs that reach down to there ankles. Whatever the size and length of your locs, honor and take care of them.


(12) Avoid stains
Using waxes on your locks  can stain your sheets or fabrics
- use a towel on your pillowcase to reduce stains on linens
 

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