Washing Starter Locs

A lot of new lockers sometimes are afraid of washing their 
starter locs. This is obviously due to the possibility of them unraveling. Depending upon the way you started your locs and your washing method, and the length of your hair, determines the chance of them coming apart during a wash. From my understanding starting locs with braids or plaits has the lowest to no chance of unraveling, next comes twists, then finger/comb coils. I'm not too familiar with loc extensions as of right now so I don't know how that process works. I just recently found out about the stocking cap method where you on a stocking cap (you can make one with stockings for a custom fit or buy one) and apply whatever shampoo you use to the scalp while wearing the cap and when its time to rinse you remove it. Or there is the dry wash method where you apply shampoo to a wash rag or cloth and just massage directly on the scalp. For me though, I don't need either. 

Because I would wear two strand twists about 85% of the time, I was able to come to a conclusion as far as the chance of them unraveling now that I am locking them. Before the installation of twists I have now, as mentioned before, my hair was in twists. When I took them down to wash my hair I forgot some, so as I was washing I could feel a bunch of twists in my head.....still perfectly in tacked. By me thinking all the twists were out, I wasn't washing as if I was trying to prevent them from coming apart and being really gentle. So I know for a fact my hair won't unravel when its time to wash the ones I have in now.

This could be the reason why. When my last set of twists were in, over the course of those 3 weeks I was constantly spritzing my hair. Most moisturizers have water in them which means I was basically applying water to my hair on a semi daily basis. Water is the essential tool for locking the hair so for the new lockers out there, don't listen to people who say don't wash your hair unless YOU don't feel the need to wash it. I was using the Taliah Waajid's protective mist bodifier as a daily leave in and moisturizer. I also was using my own that I made which consisted of water and sunflower oil.

I realize, from the constant wetting and drying, my hair was slowly starting to mat together. Not to mention my hair has some length to it which also could have contributed to them not unraveling. Don't forget it all boils down to your hair type as well. So, I'll probably do the same thing this time around.