Why You Should Start Your Locs Journey
The Benefits of having Locs
Back story about myself: WHY I STARTED MY LOCS JOURNEY.
I finally made my decision in the year 2017 when I was working at a pharmacy and I became friends with this girl. Early that year she told me that she’d applied for university and the school contacted her to say that she got accepted so she should come in for an interview. Of course I was excited for her, but I’m super clingy once I get used to the people that I love. I know I’m such a mess, I’m very emotionally unstable.
I then decided to apply to the same university; university was apart of my “to do list” (where I’m studying Media Communications). I didn’t get accepted until the month of July, so from the month of March until July I was completely impatient and became worried because I was afraid that I was gonna be lonely once she’s gone. I had to prepare myself in case I got accepted.
I started contemplating a lot of things as it pertains to my hair, because I got my ends colored in 2016. I reached out to a past student of the university and I was informed that COLORED HAIR IS NOT ACCEPTED and certain hairstyles. [Low and behold…] But the point is, I was being responsible when I decided to cut my ends off so that I could avoid any problems with the school.
By the month of May, still pondering about the fact that I might or might not get accepted, I needed to do something with my hair seeing that I was down with the fact that, hey, I’M GOING TO UNIVERSITY SOME WAY SOMEHOW! Bantu knot outs, finger coils and buns were my go-to styles, but considering school I wouldn’t have the time to set my hair on a weekly basis to achieve these styles so that’s when I fully decided to loc my hair. I have always wanted to, but I didn’t want to give up on my fingers coils and other natural hairstyles. So I gave myself the Goddess Locs.
You might be at a stage in your life where you want to have your own locs, but you’re just not ready for that commitment because of specific reasons. Respectfully, I’m not here to tell you to “start today” like I’m running a free ad. I will encourage you to start when you’re ready.
“Convince me as to why I should start my locs journey.” Having locs is super beneficial despite the negative connotations “people of society” have placed on them. When you think of pure spirituality do you think of people affiliated to a religion or people with dreadlocks who see things from a higher perspective? I personally think of people with dreadlocks. To have locs or dreadlocks doesn’t mean you’re of the Rastafarian religion. It’s about that connection you have to your roots, where you’ve originated from. Having your hair in its purest form is a different kind of flex which is a gift from God. Imagine Earth as a place where people of other races have no influence on how we do our hair; adding chemicals to change our beautiful kinks from it’s natural form, buying products that are not good for our hair and scalp and we are said to develop all these hair and scalp conditions, stop buying false hair to cover up our precious hair and allowing it to breathe and grow. Better yet, imagine a place where we choose to groom our hair or have it free formed, only applying all natural based/organic products which are meant for our hair. This is our movement and we embody that into our way of living.
You really do not need to do so much with locs compared to what you have to be doing with your hair on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Any way you decide to start your locs is quite fine, but after you choose you aren’t allowed to undo and redo like you’d do your twists. Having locs is a commitment. Once you start your locs all you have to do is allow them to grow. I always tell people, treat them as plants. They are seriously that easy to take care of. They do not take up a lot of your time, they do not need to be styled (and that’s the innate beauty of them), you spend less money on products to keep them clean and moisturized, they grow without you having to do anything.
With locs you cut back on expenses for your hair and this is indeed my favorite thing about my transition. Hair products can be so costly; I have seen the drastic amount of money I save yearly from buying only the products I need for my locs. All you need to ensure that you have on your beauty supplies list are, shampoos, hair oils, oils for your scalp, spray bottle, essential oils, and bonnets/satin sleeping cap. Plant based products to treat your locs such as Aloe Vera can be found in your backyard (also perfect for your skin). Depending on the brand of each item and the places you purchase them will make them seem “cheap or pricey”. But it’s definitely cheap because these items will not all be used up in one go. They can last for months up to a year or two depending on how much you use. But as your journey continues you’ll know how to be generous in use.
To top it off, in your personal space like your home, make sure you have your soothing music, healthy meal plans, yoga mat to exercise, your favorite scented candles, favorite scented oils for your skin, and enjoy your true natural growth. Your mind, body, soul and hair will thank you for the spiritual transition.
