Are Locs Permanent: How to Take Down Your locs

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What? The very first post is about Loc  Take-Down? Just be patient, I am pulling the old content out of the closet, dusting it off, and revamping it for public consumption once again. In the meantime, this is the first one out of the time machine that I could clean up and load. If you've ever wondered if you can take down locks, you sure can.

The 3 options are:

1. Grow out and cut at the line of demarcation: The meeting place where the new growth meets the lock, located at the base of the lock.
2. Go bald - Cut the hair down to the scalp
3. Take down

Taking Down Locks is no easy task. If you decide that you have met a crossroads and it's time to take down your locks, it's time to get ready for a plan. First and foremost, you need plenty of time, patience and hand agility to take down locks successfully. To take down locks takes a calculated plan and strategy.

Hair that has been matted, growing into an intertwined network of hairs that stick together in a uniform matrix, forming a lock. To loosen each strand of hair without ripping apart the already fragile cuticle exposing the underlying cortex of nutrients, takes lots of conditioner and hot water to successfully penetrate the lock matrix, providing a layer of slickness that will encourage the hairs to loosen their grip on each other.

To avoid shredding hair strands, locks should be soaked a minimum of 30 minutes in the hot water/conditioner solution for at least 30 minutes before attempting to take down/detangle locks.  Even better, if locks can be pretreated with conditioner over a series of washes before take-down, the easier this stage of the process.  This is where the planning comes in. As most successful lockers know, conditioners are admonished through the locking process. Quite frankly, creamy conditioners retard the locking process because the conditioner encourages the hair strand to de-tangle. When locks are exposed to conditioner, they can bunch up, detangle, condense or unravel. When taking down locks, the detangling processes is accelerated, aiding in the detangle process. 

The following regimen may be helpful when taking down locks:

Month 1 before lock-down: 

1. Begin washing locks with conditioner only 1x/week
2. Moisturize daily with aloe vera juice and seal moisture with a curl milk or light application of a creamy conditioner. Work it in until invisible

Week 1 before lock-down:

1. Condition/condition/condition until locks feel gummy and soft, pull back or braid-out to deal with the pliability of locks

One hour before lock-down have a strategy ready: 
Get ready, get ready, get ready! This is where things get tricky. Map out your take-down strategy.

1. Strategize your time:
Think about a hair style such as buns, up-do's etc. On average, for every year of locking, it will take 5 minutes to take down locks that are 12 inches long IF the pretreatment plan is followed. For example,  locks that are 7 years old, can take 7x5 minutes to take-down. Locks that are shorter, may take half the time. Conversely, longer locks can take double the time.

2. Strategize your hair style:
Choose a section of hair/locks to begin. The back is often the best place to start because it's easy to camoflauge  loose hair with blending into buns and up-do's.  Realistically plan to sit down in 1-2 hours chunks of time minimum, preferably 2-4 hours. Methodically plan take down sessions with small chunks of time that work for your schedule through the week, making larger advancements on the weekend.

    •    Once the back half of the head is un-locked, then it's easiest to move to the left side of the head     Part at the end of the eyebrow to the scalp, leaving the center front and right side locked.

    •    As the left side is un-raveled, swoop the hair around the back to the side for and up-do, side pony or bun. Curl the remaining locks or wear bread-outs with the bang and side bang, or swoop the remaining locks into a bun or up-do.
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    •    The next section to take down is the right side. Once again, part from the end of the eyebrow to the scalp, leaving the center front locked. Wear the loose hair in decorative buns and up-dos.  Remaining locks can be worn in braid-outs with the bang and side bang, or swooped into a bun or up-do.
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    •    The last section to tackle will be the center front. Starting at the crown/top of head, begin un-locking and pull the loose hair into the bun or up-do. Swoop the locks over to the side and pin or wear as a curly bang and slide into home base with the finish!

3. Strategize your shopping Trip - gather the right supplies!
The Right Tool-An excellent tool is a dental pick. It has a fish hook to pierce the locks and pull the locked hair down and out of the lock, freeing it. Can be found at the dollar store as well in the hygiene aisle. 

1. ​Conditioner-Get a cheap conditioner at the dollar store for 99 cents and buy 5-10 bottles.
2. Hot Water-The hotter, the better, period.
3. Cup/plastic zip-lock back-used to dip locks in a solution of hot water and conditioner. Some will bag up 2-4 locks before take down, securing with the coated pony-tail holder. Others have more time and will dip locks in the conditioner mixture by hand, pretreating for 30-60 minutes.
4. Liquid Bandaid, arnica oil/gel- sore, bruised fingers will appreciate the help of liquid bandaid and sore muscles will appreciate the arnica oil/gel.
5. Heating Pad-An electric heating pad for sore arms and shoulders will prove to be invaluable.
6. Pillows-Pillow for your back, your arms your lap. Get comfy!!!
7. Remote/Entertainment-You will need entertainment to get through this process! This is a great time to catch up on reading or listening to your favorite book.
8. Hair Clips or coated pony tail holders-needed to secure loose hair on the head away from the lock being taken down 
9. Towel and Wipes-needed to gather loose hair, wipe off product and improve grasp on tool.

And, lots and lots of time, soft chair, pillows, snacks, movies and Netflix! 

Your turn! Let me know if this plan helps you with your lock-down journey!


Keep It Knotty!
 
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