LINT'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH LOCS
LINT'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH LOCS
LINT'S ATTRACTION TO LOCS
Lint just can’t stay away! Lint has had a long-time fascination to locs and the love affair keeps on growing and growing. We want to deny it, but it’s true, lol. Lint just can’t stay away and it seeks to mate with our locs whenever it can. This is due, in part, because the loc matrix is designed from matted hair. Because of this, lint can attach itself at times to locs, especially the bottom portion of your locs where it is closest to the shoulders. An unfortunate dealing in the loc experience, throughout the loc journey, is the problem of lint. Lint can come from many sources such as blankets, sweaters, clothing we wore that day, bed sheets and the environment. This poses a problem for people attempting to keep their locs clean and groomed. In addition, certain color locs display lint more, just like buying white car will expose more dirt rather than a darker colored car, or a silver or champagne car. Against the backdrop of darker-colored locs, lighter lint can rear its ugly head, upon occasion, a bit more.
BRUSHING YOUR LOCS
So, one way to deal with lint is to brush your locs. Brush your locs from top to bottom, however, it is good to be careful not to disrupt the pattern of the new loc pattern forming at the root, closest to the scalp. Certain areas of the loc may require more vigor than others. But remember not to pick out lint incessantly, as this will cause the loc to weaken and break.
COVERING YOUR LOCS
Wear a silk cap or a silk scarf while cleaning or doing general household work when you will be exposed to more debris flying through the air. Even watch outdoors when people cut grass or you are driving through an area where they are doing construction. But wearing a silk scarf is an easy and quick solution to preventing lint from attaching itself to your locs and from clothing such as robes, hats or blankets.
ACV RINSE SOLUTION
One may also decide to do an ACV rinse or soak. Apple Cider Vinegar has many beneficial properties too many to list! But one primary thing it can be used for is to soak locs to rid them of debris when washing locs is simply not enough. Recommended ACV is Bragg’s with “The Mother” ¾ cup with 1 gallon of water, set in a basin or sink. Some people add Baking soda and essential oils to their mixture. After the soak, your locs will feel clean and refreshed and there will be much less debris throughout your mane.
LIGHT BLOW DRY
Another solution would be to blow dry your locs. This isn’t spoken of much because we are discouraged from using heat on our hair, but a light blow dry after styling or using product can help. Using a blow dryer intermittently, can stave away lint that is on the top of your locs just looking to set itself in. If used immediately after styling, it can dry locs to a point where a minimal amount of lint wouldn’t attach itself as well as prevent mold (if you are attempting to air-dry before going to sleep). Start with a low heat setting and then advance to a higher setting for just a moment. This process can take 5-15 minutes.
COLOR YOUR LOCS
Lastly, it has been recommended to color your locs. Have your hair colored to ensure a uniform color throughout your locs and cover the lint that is now embedded and just not coming out. If you are too anxious about the look of lint, especially with your current hair color, it might be best to see a professional to have it colored. After coloring, lint is generally no longer noticeable at all! It can be a fantastic solution to this problem.
There are many things we are compelled to deal with throughout our loc journey and some of them are pleasant to encounter and others are not so pleasant. We have a responsibility to ensure we represent the loc community in a classy way, where our hair looks their best as often as possible. Loc grooming is key to this. Whether we have locs or not, we still need to remain groomed. These solutions, such as brushing, wearing a silk cap, ACV rinse, light blow dry and coloring the locs, aid us in achieving this goal. Let’s not let lint’s love affair with locs reach the state of marriage. Keep it to a minimum at the “introductory stage” or better yet, non-existent. Happy locing!
XOXO Tiffany
(Disclaimer: Tiffany does not endorse any particular product from the photos used in this article)
5 Responses
Tiffany
I’m so glad this article was helpful! I try to make topics for us fun and interesting while still making it a “teaching moment”. Warren, perhaps in the future I will look into silk products. Good idea!
Kyesha Mbaye
Thank you for sharing these tips. I’ve struggled with addressing lint in my locs and it has been discouraging. Unfortunately I’ve picked lint out knowing that it would weaken my hair, but out of frustration I’ve done it anyway. I knew about brushing the Locs. I’m not sure how often is necessary without messing up the matrix of the hair, so I don’t brush often. I was unaware of the benefits to soaking the locs in ACV and even blow drying. I will try those techniques in my hair maintenance. I’m excited to try those methods. Anything to promote healthy looking locs and actually being healthy works for me!
Geisala
Oh my, Tiffany! Great info! Thank you for sharing!
Warren Cleveland
Thank you first of all for taking the time to write about the things most of are struggling with such as the lint the attaches to the locs. I also enjoyed the fact that you gave locnation different ideas on how to handle this problem.. Do you have any silk garments for sale.. Maybe that would help some of us who just don’t want to go out searching for them. Well thanks again.. And I really enjoy the Earth mist spray I bought…
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Phoebe -Kenya
May 27, 2023
Don’t I just love the humorous fun way you handled it..Great writer