Tips: Locs and Sports

I'm still balancing my loc journey with my fitness routine but it's definately getting easier. The main issues have been with unravelling and dryness. This is how my hair looks after the gym:

I'd like to share a few suggestions you can try if you're anything like me and want beautiful healthy hair without cutting back on physical activities:

• Swab your scalp with witch hazel every two or three days to minimise the sweat buildup. Once you're done check for fibres, that may have been left behind from the swab, to prevent lint buildup.

• Be patient. There will come a time when your locs adjust to your activity level.

• Wash no more than once every two weeks useless your scalp is sore, flaking or excessively itchy.

• When you do wash, make it thorough. Pat and squeeze low pressure water through your hair, even working in sections if possible. Use a product that will cut through sweat, product and dandruff. If you can't avoid a shampoo that dries out your hair, like many clarifiers, it's best to follow up with a hearty application of coconut or extra virgin olive oil while your hair is damp, then proceed to maintain or simply air dry.

• Consider a sweatband. NewbieLocs has a great post here. Others also recommend a cotton head wrap so sweat is absorbed quickly. Cotton is drying so make sure to moisturise your locs on your days off.

• Keep internal hydration high at all times. Water will help fight the drying effects of sweat as it evaporates from the scalp by supporting the hair follicles.

• Don't go overboard on the products. Things like dry shampoo can make things worse if used in excess.

• Of course if you have the length, tie it up! Several ponytails if need be, just as long as your hair is away from your face and neck.
  
• If you're doing home workouts try using a blow dryer on low/cool heat as soon as you're done so that you don't have damp hair all day.

For those of you about to start your journey as a regularly active person:

• I highly recommend starting your dreads with a good 3 inches of hair at least. Longer hair strands hold better after exercise and washing. 

• Consider such starting methods as braids, two strand twists, freeforming or interlocking. Click here for more information on these methods.

• Try using rubber bands on the ends of your baby locs to keep them together during rigorous workouts, though I suggest letting your hair breathe once a week and changing the bands often. 

• Be prepared to be re-twisting regularly, seek advice from a loctitian.

• Whatever your maintenance product is, avoid using it every time you re-twist (e.g. several times a week) because it'll suffocate your hair and scalp. Try just twisting with water and letting them dry in place.

I gathered a few videos on the subject of new locs and physical activity. Please share your own experience(s) in a comment below:

DREADLOCKS ARE A LIFESTYLE

**photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DONOT use without permission. All video footage is publically available of YouTube.**

Month 6

So, It's official! I've finally settled in the baby loc stage and I love my little dreads. I definitely have the dryness issue under control and my maintenance routine is smoothing out.

I tried the palm roll method for the first time and I have to say I loved it!

Recently I've been getting the urge to play in my hair more and more. It's like an affection thing, the more you love it the more you want it. Thing is, there's not a lot of "loc'ing" going on at the moment and the buds I do have are battling enough as it is. Looking forward to the time when I can smile and welcome a curious hand or too onto my growing crown without fear of unravelling!

I was wondering how to celebrate half a year's dreadlocking on a budget but after enquiring at a local salon for prices, I decided to have some fun with makeup and some dread beads instead.

That's all for now!

Products I love:

1. Pure coconut oil as a leave in conditioner.
2. Extra virgin olive oil and water as a daily moisturiser.

I took quite a few photos this month sooooo have a look-see below (click to enlarge).

adding some colour

the colour's starting to grow out

texture close up

almost two weeks after re-twisting

using rubber bands again

a braided loc

i love this shot

experimenting with colour

progress

shrinkage, shrinkage everywhere

new loc cuff

comb coil close up

going for the dramatic look

happy 6 month update!

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DO NOT use without permission**

Week 19: The Sauna Experience

Hey everyone, busy week mid August ending with a womens retreat (my gran, mother and me) where I had my first ever steam and sauna experience and what an experience it was.

Firstly, why did no one tell me how brilliantly awesome H2O really is? I enjoyed myself so much and really took to the luxurious treatment. My gran has been going for over 30 years (and looking as youthful as ever because of it) and yet only now have I taken the plunge.

When we met up with my gran she had three bags. THREE!!! I'd barely thought to bring oil, talc and a swimming costume and was still feeling quite prepared but never could I have imagined to what true depths my grandmother's weekly sauna attendance had in store.

Inside she had; fresh aloe vera leaves, ginger, honey, nectarines (for lunch), tea tree oil, ice water, normal water in a spray bottle (for the sauna) a salt scrub, flip-flops, a shower cap, a face cloth, a towel, a rubber sitting mat, a full body steaming suite, deep conditioner, and serval pairs of exfoliation gloves.

Boy oh boy, prepared or what? And none of it was unnecessary I tell ya. All the while I followed obediently and did as she did minus the hair treatment (I'd re-twisted the day before). She steamed for 1 hour and sauna-ed for 2 more and then it was time to exfoliate, alternating between a hot shower, a cold shower, some more steaming, a deep condition, rinse (and repeat).

My skin has never had it so good. I wince in remorse for the countless hours of my young life spent pacing through various beauty care isles grabbing at the latest "Clinically Proven" miracle to go on sale. My locs reaped equal benefits. besides puffing up and needing a re-twist, they where bea-hooti-fully soft and shiny, and looked as soothed as I felt. I had a micro-panic when I felt my hair  had swollen so I decided to salvage the situation by attempting to re-twist with bantu knots, which would've been quite cute had I not been rushing. Nonetheless it preserved my parts and I didn't mind waiting until I got home.

Inspired, I made a ginger and lemon body scrub that can also be used for a moisturising scalp exfoliator. Follow up with a your favourite shampoo and deep conditioner using a steamer or shower cap and towel:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp White Caster Sugar

1tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1tsp Pure Coconut Oil

1 tsp Ginger (peeled & ground)

1 ¼ tsp Lemon Juice (from concentrate)

DREADLOCKS ARE A LIFESTYLE

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DONOT use without permission**

Month 4

Four months, really?!! This month may have been the most complex to date. I previously posted about my Colour: Loc Trial and the experiment ended adequately with two deep conditions and a re-twist. I received my order of L'Oreal HiColor but went off the idea of colouring again until next year.

For the past three weeks I've been hitting the gym regularly and came to a compromise between my hair and exercise regimes. I rinsed my hair most days of week and gave the maintenance a break. My locs were transformed! Most had unravelled and swelled out of control. During this time I decided that I had far too many locs and that I wouldn't mind making them thicker and fewer while they were in this state. Gathering adjacent locs together with rubber bands I planned to twist them at a later date.

After each rinse they seemed to lock tighter feeling moisturised but very firm (what I imagine very mature locs to feel like). Everyday I looked at my hair and wondered if this was true progress. You see my confusion came from a combination of grey hairs and suspected buildup that I couldn't distinguish between. Nonetheless I continued to exercise, rinse and hope for the best.

August 1st arrived and I decided it was time to go through the previously sectioned locs and start my maintenance again. For some reason I suddenly got the over powering urge to inspect my loc'ed ends more closely and cut off one tip! I was shocked, there was buildup, but how? I cut another, again! And another, the trend continued.



buildup at the ends

I cut most of the tips that were hard and each one was soiled. I came to the conclusion that instead of tightly loc'ed hair matting together, I had tightly locked build up matting together. I'd also managed to completely ruin my parts while trying to combine locs so I said enough was enough.

One baking soda, lemon juice and water scrub later I was ready to get to work. I called in on my mother's helping hands and after first conditioning with coconut oil and then with olive oil she set to work re-parting and re-twisting my hair.

I had 107+ at first count. I now have 74 thick twists. Slightly short after their trim but healthy and clean.



before

after

What caused the buildup? I can't be certain. At first I thought it was the exercise sweat but surely rinsing had helped. I then wondered if it was the lock & twist gel I had started my locs with. I only used it for a week but it would explain why only the tips were effected. Either way I've discarded the tub and continue to use only oil & water. I will also be washing my hair every two days and exercising without a head wrap so more sweat can evaporate as I cycle home from the gym and it get pretty windy.

Dealing with buildup? Check out Quotidianlight's highly informative video below:

Also take a look at my post: Tips: Baby Locs Problem Solved.

Oh what fun. You thought my journey was sounding too easy? Well there you have it. I was quite deflated to say the least but let's think ahead to month 5 for a length comparison.

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder. DO NOT use without permission. Videography material is publicly available on YouTube**

Natural oils: Review

Over the last two months I have been sampling a few natural oils in my regular hair maintenance and the results, in my own opinion, are as follows:

OLIVE OIL (extra virgin)

Moisture Seal: Great for sealing in moisture and it always left my hair soft.

Build-up: No build-up. No dandruff. Absorbs well after drying so it doesn't attract lint.

Itch relief: Yes, used frequently it did minimise general itching between washes.

Re-twist: Yes! Holds a re-twist very well.

Other Positives: Used sparingly it makes for a good body moisturiser post bath or shower but is too thick to be used all the time and I'm not confident about using it on my face as it can be quite oily, good for very dry skin though.

Other Negatives: The scent can be quite unpleasant when used after a vinegar rinse.

Score: 9/10

ALMOND OIL (sweet, cold pressed)

Moisture Seal: It sealed in moisture very well and left my hair very soft and manageable.

Build-up: No build-up, highly absorbent and doesn't attract dirt or lint.

Itch relief: Yes, adequate itch relief as it kept hair and scalp from drying out.

Re-twist: Yes! holds a re-twist very well.

Other Positives: An ideal face and body moisturiser, absorbs almost immediately and is non-greasy. Seemed to minimise facial blemishes though it'd require a longer trial to be sure.

Other Negatives: None

Score: 7/10

LAVENDER OIL (pure essential) + used with almond oil

Moisture Seal: Used with almond oil it held moisture wonderfully and left my hair soft to the touch.

Build-up: Very absorbent. No build-up and because of its high absorbency it didn't attract lint.

Itch relief: Virtually itch free!

Re-twist: Yes! Holds a re-twist very well.

Other Positives: flowery scent that lasts several days, often recommended as a natural insect repellant. Great for healing and moisturising the skin. A good relaxant when inhaled before bed.

Other Negatives: can be very pungent but this is based on personal preference.

Score: 7/10

ALMOND OIL (sweet, possibly refined)

Moisture Seal: It sealed in moisture quite well and softened my hair somewhat.

Build-up: No build-up but there was occasional flaking, so it's not an ideal dandruff eliminator but it does have a high absorbency so it doesn't attract dirt or lint.

Itch relief: Yes, adequate itch relief as it kept hair and scalp from drying out.

Re-twist: Not the best; worked well initially but after a couple of days some of the softer twists had loosened quite a bit.

Other Positives: Possible face and body moisturiser

Other Negatives: Softening effect doesn't last more than a few hours

Score: 5/10

COCONUT OIL (refined)

Moisture Seal: Perhaps. To begin with it left my hair very dry but when applied in larger amounts and directly onto damp hair the softness improved and left a healthy shine.

Build-up: No build-up. Minimal dandruff. Not as absorbent in my hair as olive or almond oil but does soak in eventually. Attracts some dirt and lint when dry.

Itch relief: Yes, used frequently it did minimise general itching but not as well as olive oil.

Re-twist: Yes! Holds a re-twist very well but hair can feel slightly firm or hard when dry.

Other positives: Variety of uses. Good as a body moisturiser. Not as softening on my face but absorbs well into the skin and is non-greasy.

Negatives: Not ideal for a daily spritz because it stays solid unless warmed.

Score: 3/10

The experiment taught me:

•  there may not be a "one size fits all" product but I can benefit from multiple properties when using different oils in combination.
•  oil in its refined form may lack some of the beneficial qualities of it's unrefined/virgin and cold pressed counterparts.
• Quality does matter. You get what you pay for.
• not all oils can be used in the same way or in the same quantities (i.e. coconut oil).
• natural oils have helped to minimise my cosmetic expenses as they can be used for multiple purposes.

Dreadlocks are a lifestyle

Tips: Itchy scalp? Try natural oils!

Last month I talked about sampling various oils each week until I found one that worked well with my hair and soon after my week trial with tea tree oil I settled on extra virgin olive oil because it seemed to work miracles. Not only did it hold in moisture when I used it regularly with water but it also worked well for re-twists (no build-up or flaking). I've also been relieved of itchiness even when my scalp is due for a wash. I'm very impressed with the multi-purposes of this oil and love that its 100% natural.

Week 3: ...and a bit

Time really does fly. Already on day 23 and heading up to the first dreading milestone. The past 7 days have moved very fast and been quite stress-free on the hair front.

Many coils in the upper back and sides started to firm up and they've been thick and springy all over. It was good to rock them for a while. The EVOO and water spritz works a treat so I decided to leave my hair alone for as long as possible. It was actually 13 days before I washed it this afternoon. I think I wanted to wash it because the rain (happy April showers) made it feel "heavy". I used baking soda and witch hazel because I haven't settled on an appropriate shampoo yet. There was very little buildup so I'll have to find something gentler to wash my hair.

I'm very happy with the growth and fuzzy thickness and glad I was able to wait it out in the hopes of them knitting together and little better but unfortunately I am still suffering from severe post-wash unravelling which I suspect is due to the short length. 

From now on I'll have to wash with a stocking cap and push each wash date to once a fortnight to prevent a total re-do every time.

So yeah, I was absolutely loving my hair this week, the thickness and low maintanence felt like a win-win situation. Nonetheless I was truely disappointed after washing and not in the mood for the 2 hour re-twist ahead, I will admit the infamous  Q. "why am I doing this?" A. "Cheaper than a perm!" was all I could think of . . .

I was planning on a visit to the salon for my one month mark next week but as my hair was cleaned and freshly re-twisted today I may hold off until the next wash is due and I have more to work with.

Plan:

1. Choose a dread washing product
2. Continue re-twisting with olive oil
3. Choose a natural oil that smells nice to add to my spritz
4. Check in at the salon sometime in May
5. RELAX!

Photos from the past 7 days:

on a trip to North Wales

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder, DO NOT use without permission,**

Week 2

Second week in. It's been eventful. The first wash, another re-twist, lots of research into hair care and returning to work with the newbies. . . .

Following the refreshing wash and twist event last Friday, I have really come back to liking my hair. Looking back I feel like the beginning of week two (pre-wash) was a mini 'ugly phase'. It was like every part of the journey was unravelling (excuse the pun) but once I'd returned to a clean scalp, things really improved. The fuzzies are under control at the moment and the coils are pretty established.

PRODUCTS: The only "products" I'm using now are extra virgin olive oil and water, only two! All natural! After all these permed and processed years how brilliant is that?! I spray most days and I must say, comparing the tea tree with EV olive oil, the latter has proved highly successful. Now that I think about it the last three days have been flake free, itching is virtually nonexistent and my hair actually feels soft, like, really soft, you know. Way less re-twisting so far and I feel happier leaving them alone for longer, though the softness makes them so touchable :D

Still on the look out for affordable coconut oil or jojoba oil for the possible future but I am more than happy with the olive oil and water spritz as a permanent moisturiser.

One thing I am doing differently is leaving my hair uncovered in the shower. For the first week I thought damp hair would lead to problems but after a day where I forgot to put on a shower cap I noticed my hair really perked up. I've read so much about water being really good for locs but I didn't think that included moisture from the shower until now. I think it's made a real difference to the look and feel of my hair, in fact I actually don't recall when my hair last felt this soft without conditioner.

So, the holidays have finally come to an end and going back to work I had to make that major decision between uncovered, scarves or hats...


Here's how I had my hair for work:

Yeah I went with the hat, too early for scarves and I love wearing purple (donated by my family at the last minute). Working with children I didn't feel comfortable leaving them uncovered, you know teens can pick up on anything "different".

I liked it a lot, I'm pleased that the satin head scarf fitted underneath. No comments, but it did give me a chance to forget about my hair for the evening and it was so good to be effortlessly natural.

Onto week 3 - check it!

DREADLOCKS ARE...

**Photography ownership is held with the blog account holder, DO NOT use without permission,**

Week 1: First Wash

Hurray for the first wash. I decided to wash my hair last night for a few reasons. One, the flaking was showing more and more and moving from the scalp to the hair, two, I'd been to the gym for the second night running and three, my coils just felt plain gross.

I wanted to wait it out for another week at the least and until the end of the month at the most but with the recent perspiration activities and going back to work in a few days I just had to rescue the situation.