I’m not popping anything over here - at all. But I am LOCing!
Today we are going to talk moisture. You know how plants need water to grow. Our bodies need water to be healthy, it’s basically made of water. The earth is primarily water. It seems that moisture is the key to everything. That’s why moisture in all its forms are a deal breaker for healthy, natural hair. My hair eats moisture. My scalp soaks up anything you put on it. I remember as a kid my mom and aunt would oil our scalps with Ultra Sheen, comb through with a plastic goody comb and JAM our edges with perfection. My hair would look like the cover of a Just For Me box for about 12 hours. Then - the moisture began to disappear, my edges would shrivel up and the glow was gone. Next day: Ultra Sheen on the edges and scalp. By the end of the day - nothing.
This was the horror that was my hair! Fast forward several years. I was now in college and my hair was growing. It looked luscious and soft. But it was also breaking every chance it got to the point I didn’t want to comb it! Add Blue Magic or Ultra Sheen and I looked like I had a head full of healthy, thick hair - even though it was super thin.
Okay, so that was the “secret” I guess: moisture. More and more moisture. With a scalp that acts like it’s never seen moisture before, this has to be an everyday thing. This has NOT been an everyday thing. I will try to make this an everyday thing.
So, I’ll LOC. For those that do not know, the LOC method is just a moisturizing technique. It honestly doesn’t have to be as involved as some naturalistas make it out to be. It’s three simple steps: Liquid, Oil, Cream. You can also do Liquid, Cream, Oil or any variation you choose. The key is to make sure you have a sealant as the last step.
My hair knows what it likes. The problem is I don’t know what my hair likes. So this is a trial and error thing for me. My LOC method trial is this:
- Liquid: This happens for me in the shower. I’ve seen so many blogs and people talk about adding water. I sit thinking: but you’re in the shower! Then I remember: Tiara, these people can actually get to their kitchen sinks to do their hair. We call them “kitchen beauticians”. I don’t have the luxury so all my hair care happens in the shower. Anyway, Shampoo, Repeat, Repeat (if needed), Condition with Shea Moisture Black Soap line, let it sit while I was my body, rinse. Add a small amount more. Rinse. Towel PAT my hair so it’s not dripping all over my wheelchair.
- Oil: This is where all the experimenting begins. Usually, I’d make my own concoction with a bit of water, conditioner and either coconut or olive oil. I love EVOO on my hair but it never mixes well with water (duh!) but the coconut oil does quite well (Note: Only apply Coconut Oil directly to the scalp as a pre-poo). I’d spray that on and rub it in. I think in that version I’ve also taken care of the last step. However, now I’m trying something else. I’m adding jojoba oil (it’s just like the natural oils in our scalp) and olive oil. This all gets rubbed/massaged in - gotta stimulate that growth!
- Cream: Cream isn’t always cream. Cream can simply be the sealant of your choice. Until I get the motivation to whip that shea butter into a cream I will be using castor oil. Castor oil is great for hair growth. It’s super thick and therefore takes a bit longer to massage in - but it’s worth it! I added this to my hair and massaged to my hearts content.
It’s only day one of my official LOCing. Let’s see how it looks/feels in a week.
