Are Your Edges Feeling Weaker?
Updated: 6 days ago
'Microlocs / Sisterlocks sizes are beautiful, when we respond to what are hair needs rather than what we want for our African Textured Hair. '
Melissa Blake
Have you noticed your EDGES feeling WEAKER? Are your Sisterlocks / microlocs size retightenings becoming more PAINFUL? Your thinning edges or thinning crown areas can be the first sign that something needs to STOP!
What to do if you notice thinning edges or crown area.
Wet your scalp and saturate your locs in water & rest your scalp from any tight maintenance or styling pulling.
Style from wet and oiled from root to tip.
I actually don't like my Locs bone dry. They are always styled from wet.
I placed one large band over head & rolled Locs in. Styled messy, knowing it would take too long to neatly tuck ends in.
Hair style came down 5 hours later. Styled from wet and oiled.
For the rest of the day it was down with a lovely dampness.
No forcing. No unnecessary tension. Just hydration and freedom.
Wearing the smaller size locs doesn't have to mean a fixed grid locs style.
I choose small size locs because my strands are fine and my hair density is low. I want to maintain as much fullness as possible.
My Knotted Locs® have no fixed grid lines.
I re-lock approximately 4 times a year:
Summer • Autumn • Winter • Spring
That doesn't mean every person's hair should follow exactly the same schedule. Your hair, scalp, density, texture and lifestyle should all be considered.
That's one of the principles behind my approach.
African Textured Hair is incredibly diverse.
Knotted Locs® was developed with that diversity in mind.
Rather than forcing every head into a fixed grid, my approach focuses on the individual's density, texture and desired finish.
Every head of Knotted Locs® is different because every head of African Textured Hair is different.
Why are locs so often styled after maintenance?
Did you know that most Locs are style as part of the locking process?
This is something I've thought deeply about through years of working with locs.
Many traditional locking and maintenance methods can involve techniques such as twisting, palm rolling or the use of products to help encourage the hair to stay together.
Styling can help keep newly maintained locs positioned while the hair settles BUT when in this style, you cannot oil, it you cannot wash it, you cannot disturb it, so therefore it stays in that fixed position, locked into a tight style. Staying in a fixed style position for a long period of weeks ensures that the locking process takes place.
But what if the locking process itself could be approached differently?
This is where Knotted Locs® comes in.
Knotted Locs® uses my personalised hair knotting technique to create structure within the loc rather than relying on a tool or a fixed grid.
The loc is placed into a knot as part of the maintenance process.
Because the structure is created through the knotting process, I don't believe newly re-locked Knotted Locs® need to be put straight back into a tight or restrictive style.
Knotted Locs® is different. I am fast forwarding the locking process with my personalised hair knotting technique.
The difference with Knotted Locs® is that, Knotted Locs® is placed in a knot. Because it's placed in a knot instantly, your locs do not need to be style. Instead newly re-locked Knotted Locs® are oiled and spritzed for maximum hydration and more importantly let down to relieved scalp of any tension that occurred during the re-locking session.
After re-locking sessions, my experience has shown me, freshly re-locked Locs should be left alone and not be styled. Simply keep them hydrated and free to flow.
I choose to wear small size locks because my strands are thin and I have low density hair. I want maximum locs fullness.
I choose Knotted Locs® because I want the freedom to deep sea dive, to wash my locs, wet and oil, with no worry about my edges or the softer strands in the back zone of my head unravelling.
I choose to empower my clients with the knowledge that they can decide when they want their small size locs re-locked. Interesting that they always get the re-locking time line right.
So why did 6 weekly re-tightenings exist?
That's a conversation worth having.
I don't believe there should be one universal timetable for every head of hair.
Some people may need maintenance more frequently. Others may be able to go considerably longer.
The important thing is learning to recognise your hair's needs rather than automatically following the calendar.
My own experience has taught me that my hair responds beautifully when I prioritise:
Follicles 1st ALWAYS.
What I've learnt through my own first Sisterlocks, then microlocs, now small size locs journey
12 years Loose Natural
18 years Locked Up
15 years± Hair Locking Experience
7 years 100% Interlocking
4 years Sisterlocks
8 years± Knotted Locs
6 years± Teaching Knotted Locs®
About Knotted Locs®
My name is Melissa Blake, Creator of Knotted Locs® and a Small & Medium Size Locs Expert based in London.
I share what I've learnt about small size locs, hair locking, maintenance and care because I know how confusing it can be when you're trying to work out what is actually right for your hair.
I've been on this journey myself.
I've experienced the pain, the questions, the experimenting and the learning that comes from having to understand your own strands.
That's why Follicles 1st ALWAYS is more than a phrase to me.
It's a principle.
Keep following my posts here, as more shares to come in my Knotted Locs® clients' journeys!
Follicles 1st ALWAYS
Available Hair Locking Services
1.
Knotted Locs® Creating/Starting (Brand New Locs).
2.
Loc Maintenance Re-locking (All loc sizes are welcome).
3.
Online 1-2-1 Classes DIYers Only, (How to re-lock your locs).
4.
1-2-1 Online Consultations Locs Care Support (Hair Loss Prevention Reducing & Reversing).
Let's Connect
Via WhatsApp
07494 036 113
+iRe-lock +iTeach +iConsult
Start with a video of your Locs!
How To Decide Whether Locs Is For You.
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