The image on the left is before a detox. The image on the right shows the hair after the detox and shampoo.
Our locs are a composition of all the years of growth and evolving we’ve experienced since the beginning of the loc journey. Our hair holds energy. It tells a story. With all of that comes possible mistreatment, use of the wrong product, and having to learn to develop a hair care routine that works for you. For some people, they know their locs need a real deep cleaning. For others it may be hard to tell. Let’s get into three signs that’ll let you know if you need a detox.
1. An odor coming from your locs
We sweat, shed skin cells, it might have even been that one time we got our hair done but didn’t sit under the dryer. All this combined could cause the locs to have a mildew type of smell. If the hair isn’t washed at least monthly, that'll just cause the smell to get up in the locs real good. The locs have to be soaked to get rid of the bad smell.
2. Visible buildup in locs after shampooing
When I wash my clients hair, I like to give their locs a bath. That’s just me filling the shampoo bowl up with shampoo and water so that the length of the locs can soak while I scrub the scalp. Even after all that, there could still be some dirt and buildup in the locs that a regular shampoo just can’t reach, especially for thicker locs. If that’s the case for you, your locs need to sit in an apple cider vinegar (ACV) & baking soda bath to loosen up all the buildup. It should be done as many times as needed to remove the buildup. The ACV strips the hair of oil buildup, removes dandruff, and removes odor when combined with the baking soda. I like to add lemon juice as well because it’s good for any scalp inflammation and helps clean.
3. It’s difficult for water to penetrate the locs
If your hair has low porosity, that means it doesn’t easily absorb water or products. That means it’s more difficult to wash your hair, and product just sits on your hair. If the problem isn’t treated then that’ll cause product buildup. The hair has to be soaked in ACV and baking sodas in order to fix this problem. It’ll also help to restore the hairs pH.
After an ACV rinse, the hair can be properly shampooed. This should leave the hair feeling clean and lighter. The only way to keep the feeling is by incorporating your hair care routine. Spraying the hair with the Loc Doc Essentials Hydrating Mist restores the moisture back into your hair after being stripped of everything. Our Hair Growth Oil should be applied to the scalp and the length of the hair to seal in the moisture and provide the vitamins needed to keep the hair feeling soft and healthy.