Yarn Locs: The Guidelines

Yarn locs had to be sent from heaven, because these things are too amazing! The versatility, the easiness/care free-ness, the look ( some day I want real locs)! I'm in love with it all! However, in order for them to accomplish the task I put them in for (growth), there are a few 'tricks of the trade' I had to implement, sometimes on a daily basis. Allow me to give you the run down on how to benefit maximally from yarn locs.

THE BEFORE:

- Your hair is going to be tucked away for a nice long, possibly much needed, vacation and you want to give it a nice send off, so do a protein treatment, pre-poo, a good washing and thorough moisturizing.

- Ensure the person doing the installation appreciates the health of you hair, especially your edges. If they are put in too tightly you run the risk of damaging your precious edges.

- Grab a good book or a season of your favorite series and prepare your rear end for the long haul because installing yarn locs takes a while (mine took ten hours!).

THE DURING:

- Yarn is quite an absorbant material and would basically be leeching your hair of its natural moisture. This can be counteracted with external moisturizing. Your spray bottle, which some classify as their best friend, will now also become your vitamins. At least once a day you will need to spritz your 'locs' with water and sometimes even twice a day, depending on the weather. You also need to apply moisturizer and oils to your roots and scalp often ( I tried to do this 2-3 times a week).

- When you have had these things in for as long as I have, a few washes are definitely required. 

CAUTION: When washing handle with care. To avoid the locs themselves becoming overly frizzy wash them gently. Careful 'squeezing-like' motions down the length of the locs should be sufficient. The roots, howver, you can go all in on those. They can get very heavy when wet and take some time to completely dry. If you would like to speed up the process a hair dryer can be used.

Side note: These things have a very special relationship with lint. I do not advise using a towl to dry. An old t-shirt or two will work just fine.

THE AFTER:

- To remove the locs the ends must be cut. However, your hair may be a little longer than you remember, so be very careful with the cutting. You don't want to undo all that wonderful growth you just acquired.

- Despite your best efforts your hair may still be a little dry and prone to breakage if you handle too roughly. Finger detangle, section and oil that baby up for a couple hours ( I use warm coconut oil and place it under several plastic shower caps and keep overnight). 

- To minimize the loss of hair during washing I suggest washing in sections and the use of your favorite conditioner to detangle. Remember to moisturize and seal after your wash!

THE FRO IS BACK!!!

A Girl and Her Curls

EUREKA!!! I have found the solution to my dropping curls: pipe cleaners!

If you saw mw this week you would have noticed my yarn locs looking rather short with a little bit of purple peeking out at the ends, that's because I set them with pipe cleaners. I have never used pipe cleaners to clean pipes, I have always seen them used in an arts and crafts/ project type setting, and what is natural hair and all its trappings if not a project, right? So since I was busy I sent my mother and my sister on a mission with specific instructions to retrieve black pipe cleaners at Samaroo's (Abercromby St., POS 40 cents a piece). The reason I wanted the black pipe cleaners was so that I would be able to have them in for an extended period, which would include leaving my house, so that the curls would set. I, however, ended up with purple pipe cleaners (there was no black). One night I decided to try out one and ended up doing my entire head. I tried it with the entire length of the pipe cleaner, but it was too long and wasn't covered by the loc, so I cut it in half so that only the ends were showing the purple. I was a bit apprehensive to leave the house with the purple in, but they turned out awesome! I left them in for three days and went about my daily routine. When I took them out this morning the spirals were super tight and I couldn't do much with it so I kinda pulled my fingers through them to stretch them a bit and the curls stayed! I slept, put them up in a ponytail, tried out different styles and they still stayed! I didn't even have to go through the discomfort of dipping them in steaming water, or waiting for them to dry (these things take forever to dry). I am completely pleased with the results. My next project: crotchet hair/weave/something! I'm excited!

Selfies at work with my cute hair!

Close up of the set 

 The perfect spiral

 They came out so great!

Extended curls