Hey people,
Glad to be writing again, I am learning to remember that blogging is part of the business :). Well it's the month of love and I wish you all lovely things but while we are that and not arguing over the current state of the economy or the dollar to Naira exchange rate ; or if Baba Go slow is not indeed somewhat fast, I would like to discuss a very important Loc Head issue - Interlocking Vs Palm rolling.
First lets define this two loc methods so no one is confused.
Interlocking is the process of getting the hair to loc by passing the tip of a loc strand through the root using a latch hook, a tool or by hand.
Palm rolling is the process of locking the hair by rolling them between the palms in the same direction.
Let me also define what Traditional Locs are: Locs that are neither Free form, Sister locs, thick locs or micro locs are often referred to as traditional locs irrespective of their size.
Now that that is clear, both methods are quite popular for maintaining traditional locs especially here in Nigeria. Like with all things some people prefer one method to the other; from my personal experience with my hair and offering loc maintenance services for about a year here is the Locitude list of Pros and Cons of both methods.
Interlocking
Pros
1. Lasts much longer than Palm rolling
2. Supports air drying
3. Often requires no products
Cons
1. Often painful
2. Can drastically thin out loc strands especially if done without common sense,
3. Seen cases where this method split a loc strand in two places from the root
4. I see this as forcing the natural locking process
5. Rougher finish when compared to Palm rolling
Palm rolling
Pros
1. Not Painful if done correctly
2. Assists the hair to loc naturally
3. Smoother and slicker finish
4. Usually requires a loc gel or butter
Cons
1. Doesn't last as long as Interlocking
2. Often requires the drier when you visit a salon
3. Over twisting can cause breakage.
So here's my verdict, I personally prefer Palm rolling to Interlocking. I Interlocked my hair for the first time in 2012 (started my locs in 2009) and by the end of that year I was unhappy because my locs had significantly thinned out. Some of my locs still break from the weak points of the interlock till date.
The Palm roll method is usually my go to method for loc maintenance, It may be a slower process, but it usually tuns out healthier. However I have a handful of clients who insist on interlocking so I do it with common sense, applying the four point rule to ensure the loc doesn't split. I also make sure not too interlock too close to the scalp so it's not too painful. I must also mention that I had a client who the Palm roll simply didn't work for her hair type. She had a 3 year old massive afro, which we succeeded in palm rolling but every time we washed out her hair it unraveled within seconds into a massive afro. After a few months of trying with very little success, we decided to interlock and my client and I are very happy with the results.
Lastly, certain hair types (scanty) just wont work well with the interlock, so it's best to just stay away and let time loc your hair. :)
Hope the above has helped someone out there with choosing the right method. Beautiful Locs can be achieved with both methods, common sense is the most important method you need.
Alright people, I'm starting a diet tomorrow, not sure if it will have any impact on my hair but it better have a positive impact on my weight. Shopping tonight, I must!
I remain,
Your Loc Head
Ade.
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