HOW TO DEAL WITH LOC ENVY

~~~HOW TO DEAL WITH LOC ENVY~~~

“I love her locks, they’re nice and thick!”, “Oooh, those sisterlocks are pretty, I wonder what it would be like to have locs that small”, “Her color is the bom!” “I love the length of her locks. I can’t wait til mine get that long.” Loc Envy. We all have it. Let’s just admit it. For those of us who’ve taken the loc plunge, we’ve already signed up for some self-maintenance, watching our locs go through its stages, and letting it grow. But while its growing, we’ve got a little loc envy to deal with. So how do we deal with it?

Well first, give yourself permission to admire someone elses’ locs. That is healthy and it is okay. It allows us to enjoy the wait while we are reaching toward our hair goals. Admiring someone elses’ locs or their journey can be a good thing because we can learn from them and hopefully steer our loc process in the right direction. However, there are a few things to remember.

CELEBRATE YOUR JOURNEY

Realize that while another person’s locs are nice, yours will be fantastic also. Rest in the fact that your locs are unique because they are growing from your head, and you are unique. Just as God has made no two snowflakes the same, know that no two locs are the same and therefore no two peoples’ head of locs will be the same. Celebrate your locs and your journey.

CONCENTRATE ON THE HEALTH OF YOUR LOCS

Concentrate on the health of your locs. Research products, compare results against your own skin and scalp. What may work for some one else, may not work out well for you. For instance, some people may have a peanut allergy and can not use certain products that others deem successful in the treatments for their hair. Your results may be slightly different than someone elses. Concentrate on providing moisture to your locs, tying your hair up at night or sleeping on a silk pillow case. Seek out products made specifically for locs, which have a lighter consistency, and won’t cause buildup. Hair products can be somewhat like makeup, or perfume, in that, what may look right on someone else, may not quite look so well on you. Accept what works and dismiss what doesn’t work.

TRY NEW STYLES

Try interesting styles with your own locs at your current length. There are some short loc styles that are so cute, which cannot be done once your hair gets longer. Enjoy this stage by playing around with different looks and accessories, to invent a new look for yourself. Perhaps, let your loctician try a new style on you, which they think will better fit your face for a change. Why not? It can’t hurt.

LOCS HAVE HISTORY

Understand that while you have a bit of loc envy, you may not know the history of another person’s locs. They may have started with two-strand twists, then switched to tightening. They may have never used color before, while another may have colored their hair ten times! Another loc wearer may never have styled their hair much, while someone else may have constantly styled their hair. Unfortunately, some may have gone through a health crisis, or more stress at certain times of their life and have taken different medications, which can affect the strength of our locs. And finally, what we eat may be different. Some people follow a more nutritious food regime than others, some people get more rest and drink more water, and so on. Strive to be the best you can be and give your body and locs the nourishment they need to grow in the best environment.

All in all, though it’s alright to have a little admiration, the most admiration should be in admiring your own!

XOXO,

Tiffany

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