Don't Worry, Be Nappy
by Vonetta Booker

(HealthQuest magazine, April 1998) For Healthy Hair, Try Locks.

Honey-colored baby coils. Thick, brown twists.  Regal, waist-length elder locks.  Whether you refer to them as dreadlocks or Nubian locks, they’re as diverse and striking as our various skin tones.  An increasing number of brothers and sisters are finding locks to be a healthy alternative to processed hair.  

For 33-year-old administrative assistant Rhonda Savage, years of wearing her hair “fried, dyed and laid-to-the-side” took their toll.  Her once-thick, strong tresses had become weak, damaged “help-me” hair.  She knew it was time for a change, but she admits she had reservations about locking. 

“I had been wanting locks for a long time, but was too afraid to do it,” she says.  “Every time my relaxer would grow out, I’d wind up retouching the roots and burning half my hair out in the process.”  Eventually Savage tired of following a European standard of beauty.  She embraced her natural, African hair—and hasn’t looked back. 

“It’s so easy to take care of, and my hair is a whole lot healthier,” says Savage.  

“With proper maintenance, hair is at its healthiest state when locked,” says Troy Harrison, a locktitian (the term for a person who grooms locks) at Afrakuts House of Kham Nu, in Orange, New Jersey.  “You’re not cutting, combing or applying any form of chemicals to alter the hair’s natural state.  Therefore, it has no choice but to grow out naturally.” 

Hair “locks” when strands of unprocessed African hair curl and tangle around each other.  Left in this state over a period of time, the hair finally becomes locked:  The strands of hair can’t be separated without cutting them off. 

Nubian locks are “cultivated”—that is, the hair is groomed so that each individual lock is neat and uniform.  But the original locked lock was founded by people in the Rastafarian religion, who wear “organic” dreadlocks—locks that form without combing, twisting or manipulation the hair at all.  Some people may start locks with individual braids, twisting the new growth into locks as it grows out.  You can also palm-roll the hair between your hands, or twist it into small sections all over the head. 

Don’t believe the hype that you must be armed with a hive full of beeswax in order to lock your hair, either.   A very light setting gel is optional, but the same holding effect can be obtained by simply twisting wet hair and securing it with clips until it dries. 

“Using oppressive substances like beeswax, heavy oils or grease increase the probability that the lock will retain dirt and debris,” said Nekhena Evans, locktitian and author of Everything You need to Know about Hairlocking: Dread, African and Nubian Locks (A&B Publisher’s Group).  Instead, she extols the virtues of all-natural products.  “For example, aloe vera is great for coily hair.  It’s an intensifier, and it speeds up the natural hairlocking process.  

Patience, time and effort are the main ingredients for starting and maintaining a lush garden of kinky glory.  Depending on your hair’s texture, the locking process can take anywhere from six months to a year.  The hair must be unprocessed—and generally, the kinkier it is, the quicker it will lock.  

When 29-year-old Mary Sutherlin attempted to lock her hair three different times over five years, she learned a valuable lesson: Don’t overdo it. 

“In my first two attempts, the ore I manipulated it, the straighter it seemed to get; I would wind up with Shirley Temple curls,” she says, noting the difficulty she had in locking because of her hair’s fine texture.  On the third try, Sutherlin’s hair eventually locked after about five months. 

“Basically, I just decided to let it do its own thing, and it eventually came together on its own.” 

Though locks have become more mainstream, the people who wear them often face misconceptions about their hair. 

“The most common misconception is that they’re dirty and unkempt,” said Annu Prestonia, co-owner of Khamit Kinks natural hair salon in New York City.  “However, grooming, care and nurturing are involved.” 

Just like anyone else, lock wearers wash their hair regularly, based on its oiliness and/or tendency to collect dirt.  And even though natural hair is stronger than processed hair, locks can still suffer from damage and breakage if not treated properly.  “Over twisting at the roots, improper moisturizing, conditioning and maintenance—these can all have a detrimental effect on locks,” says Harrison. 

Fortunately, maintaining a healthy head of locks isn’t difficult.  Basic grooming is essential—shampooing and conditioning on a regular basis, oiling the scalp and hair and twisting new growth as needed. 

It’s said that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they wear their hair.  For many, hairlocking goes way beyond being a fad.  It’s a statement that says, “I embrace all that I am—every nap, every kink is beautiful!” 

 Sidebar: Keeping Locks Lovely 

When you first start locks, avoid washing the hair for at least a month to give it time to lock a bit.  Massage the scalp regularly to stimulate hair growth and circulation, and to help prevent dandruff buildup.  Cleaning the scalp with an astringent-soaked cotton ball once or twice a week also helps.  If you must wash your hair before it locks completely, cover it with a stocking cap and pour a mixture of shampoo and warm water over it.  Shampoo and rinse lightly. 

 Don’t twist your locks too tightly, or stress the hair by wearing it pulled back constantly. 

Protect locks from dryness by misting the hair and scalp with a light oil before bed and then covering with a sating scarf or bonnet.  For a hot-oil treatment in a hurry: Mist the air with a light oil and cover with a shower cap right before you get in the shower. 

Don’t let anyone tell you that locks aren’t versatile!  To crimp locks, braid wet hair in small sections, then undo and finger-style when dry.  You can also set it on rollers for curly locks. 

Want to try out the locked look before you commit? Twists can be a chic look for those who aren’t ready for the permanence of dreads.  Simply wash them out before the hair locks.

Vonetta Booker is a Connecticut-based—and dreadlocked—writer and student.