The most common question I get about my locs is “How long have you had them?” Most people are pleasantly surprised to find out that I’ve only had them for 5 years because they rest in the middle of my back. My locs are a few inches above my tailbone and I’m sure will reach my butt before next Christmas. I thought this length for the time loc’d was normal, but I guess not. When I go out in public I will have at least one person ask me how did I get them to grow. There isn’t any magic oil. I didn’t lay upside down and massage elixirs into my scalp. I didn’t spend hundreds on name-brand hair products. I kept it simple and consistent. So here are 3 reasons why your locs aren’t growing sis.. or bro/they/them.
I wanted to preface this by saying I am not a hair professional or loctician, what makes me credible to speak on loc stuff is from my personal experience being loc’d.
They’re dirty
The number one reason why your locs aren’t growing is because they are dirty. How many times are you washing your locs in a shampoo session? Be truthful. One? Two? Three times? AHHHTT!! The correct answer is … however many times it takes for you to create a good lather. Your hair isn’t clean until you can see a ton of suds/bubbles throughout your head. If you are adding shampoo to your locs and can’t get a decent amount of bubbles it means your hair is still full of oil, sweat, and product. Stopping your shampoo process prematurely will leave you with dirty locs. Everyone should have one good clarifying/cleansing shampoo and one hydrating/moisturizing shampoo in their regimen. Dirty hair doesn’t grow.
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They’re neglected
Reason number 2 your locs aren’t growing is because you are neglecting tF out of them. If your plants only received water and sunlight every 4-6 weeks do you think they’d thrive? Would they grow? Imagine your locs as your “plant”. They should not only receive care when you’re due for a retwist with your loctician. Unacceptable. You should be loving and caring for your crown daily. Stop leaving styles in for an extended period (2 weeks and let it go). Get involved with your hair care and get to know your tresses.
They’re thirsty
The third and final reason why your locs are stuck at shoulder length is because they are dry. Lacking moisture, brittle, hard, and lifeless are a few words I’d use when describing some of the locs I see. Locs are still hair and it’s okay to use some conditioner. After stripping it with shampoo, I deep condition my locs after every wash to restore some life back into my crown. I believe conditioning has allowed for length retention of 1000000%. People who are hesitant to condition their locs because they think they will unravel, focus on applying it only at your roots/new growth until your locs mature. I’ve deep conditioned my locs even in starter loc form so I am speaking from experience.
The beauty of having locs is that they don’t require a ton of maintenance. I think it’s dope as hell that as a black woman who grew up being told that black hair doesn’t grow, I now have hair to the middle of my back. It’s an empowering journey to embark on and I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained along the way. Let me know in the comments if you find these tips helpful!
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Thank you for your post. I have been wearing a wig only to work for the first 3 months. My hair is thin at the top and the wig that I wear makes me hair look much fuller. I don’t want this to be bad for my locks to grow but I just feel self-conscious. Still working through this. I appreciate you sharing.
Karla