I could not decide which picture to start this article, but it made sense to start with the foundation and build. So from the picture above, you see that I have some stray hairs that are "rolled up and parked." You also see I have some minor scalp areas that have suffered from chemical damage. I must also mention that I sleep on my center crown area, and historically, major stressors have thinned my crown area before. Does any of this sound like your story? Even if none of what I just mentioned sounds familiar to you, trust me that the back of my head looks normal and falls into a normal healthy range as far as scalps are concerned. Of course, many hairstylists and locticians are biased to a much fuller head of hair with a looser curl pattern, but somehow, I think my particular natural hair texture actually give many of my clients a lot of relief because they feel that I can relate to their hair struggles. Although, I do have plenty of clients that have looser curl patterns than mine, but many women with looser textures of hair have sisters, cousins, daughters, and other relatives with hair like mine and they respect the fact that "kinky hair" does not define one's essence.
Some people may get stuck on the density of my hair. I assure you that I have seen many people come in with a "thin looking" ponytail and by the time, their hair is shampooed and blowdried out, there are volumes after volumes of hair. So do not let my density fool you. My bantu knots showcase my length.
I started my loc journey at a good time. I do not have any large bald patches, and my length now works in my favor for curling and making my hair look fuller.
As you can tell, below my crown area is "fierce and full." Most people keep their fullness in this area as they age.
My crown area is a little more scalpy, so finger twisting sometimes benefits me to allow a more full appearance. The Interlocking technique can make thinner areas thinner looking if tightened too far down to the scalp.
I created a faux pompadour using my curly length in the front.
I added a hair accessory to the back to enhance my partial updo look. Hopefully, those who were not sure if you had enough hair to get locs, will feel more comfortable about crossing over.
I know what you mean, my crown and the top of my head is very thin, and I wouldn't lock because of it. Now that I have, I see that my hair looks fuller when I curl it, I can see where more length will help a lot. Also, I now know when I retighten not to go to the roots, do less rotations and wait longer between retights. It looks so much fuller when my roots are bushy and not tight, thanks for all your insight, I'm learning so much from reading your blogs, now I just need to get over the shrinking stage and start getting some lenght,
ReplyDeleteGale: I am so happy to inspire you. You have come up with some awesome tips that you have shared. Thank you for your feedback!
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