TIPS AND RESOURCES
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What is the best method to lock a young child's hair?

In my humble opinion, there is no 'right or wrong" or "best or worst" method of locking hair, including children. The best thing to do is to research the various ways to obtain locked hair and find the one that is best suited to you and your child's lifestyle, etc. Here is a brief listing of a few common ways that people lock:

Freeform - allowing the hair to coil upon itself naturally with little-to-no interference from you i.e. twisting, latching, palm rolling, etc. The locks may be seperated after shampooing to keep them from all growing together. This is a very liberating way of locking but it is also one of the "more controversial" methods because in our society, it may be seen as "neglectful" or "not-as-attractive" as other methods. But this method allows for a lot more freedom with not having to worry about products, tightening, etc. and you can wash the child's hair as often as you desire!

Organic - just like freeform except, the hair is TRULY allowed to lock/grow as nature wants it to...no seperating the roots or anything shy of washing/conditioning it. This would probably be THE most controversial method of locking your child's hair and is not for those who are concerned what others may think!

Two-strand twisting - This is simply twisting two strands of hair to form a "rope" and these are left in to lock. The root maintenance is usually done via palm rolling, twisting or even latching but you could also START with this method but then free form from that point on!

Comb coils or palm rolls - The hair is single-strand coiled (either with fingers, hands or a comb). These are oftentimes be viewed as the method that comes undone the easiest especially after shampooing and some even go as far as to say you shouldn't wash the hair until they "settle" in and won't unravel easily.

Braids - Starting locks with braids is also somewhat controversial but for other reasons. Some say that starting in this manner is "unnatural" and won't allow the hair to lock properly. Well, I started with braids and my hair locked up beautifully. Not only that, but I didn't have a lot of unravelling in the early stages. This was also the way that my children's locks were started as well and we maintained our roots via latching.

Interlocking - Interlocking methods are really nice in that, they allow you to wash your hair often without as much worry about unravelling, you can style the locks almost immediately and it doesn't have to be retightened for at least a month at a time. There are many various ways/types of interlocking that include but are not limited to: latching, Sisterlocks/Brotherlocks, Nappylocs and more! They are usually done with a "tool" of some sort (latch hook, crochet hook, Nappylocs tool, Sisterlock tool, etc.) but can also be done with the fingers. Some of these methods require special instruction and even training in some cases but you can either do it yourself or get someone else to maintain them for you.

How do you avoid lint and product build-up in the child's locks?

The best way to avoid this is to make sure the hair is getting washed/rinsed regularly and to also check periodically for lint and remove it BEFORE it has a chance to get embedded into the locks. If possible, have the child sleep with a covering on their head or at least get a satin pillow cover. Try to avoid really heavy products such as wax as to avoid product build-up and if you DO use these types of items, use them sparingly.

My child is very active, playing in dirt and sand boxes, etc. What can I do to keep his/her locks clean?

If/when/where possible, keep the child's hair covered (scarf, hat/tam, etc) when they're out playing or simply wash/rinse the hair well after a long day of playing.

What are the best products to use on my child's locks?

I don't generally give product recommendations because from my experience, not all products work for all people. But just try to use products that don't have a LONG list of ingredients that you can't pronounce or don't know what they are or what they do. Also, try to avoid products that will attract dust and lint such as petroleum, mineral oil and massive amounts of waxes and gels. I generally like to use a spritz that is basically a spray bottle filled with water, about 1 TBS. of oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed, etc.), a few drops of your favorite essential oil and about a capful of vegetable glycerin, honey or castor oil as these are humectants that will help hold moisture into the hair as long as they are added with water such as in the spritz.

RESOURCES: Coming Soon!