hugmyhair

Date

July 09 2015

Written By

Bold Apps

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The LOC Method Explained + How To Incorporate It In Your Regimen

Written By Bold Apps - July 09 2015

Posted by Dalilah,

  One of the most common grievances I hear from my fellow naturals is the inability to keep natural hair moisturized and soft to touch. For those who struggle with this, I recommend trying the LOC method. First things first, LOC stands for Liquid, Oil and Cream. According to Natural Hair Rules, the LOC method is scientifically one of the best ways to moisturize natural hair. It’s a technique, or series of steps, that involve hydrating your hair with a liquid, sealing in the hydration with oil and then closing the hair cuticle with a cream product to prevent moisture loss. I recently started using this method about four months ago and it has literally repaired my hair from all the damage that I’d done to it. If you don’t currently use it, you can try it without having to break the bank because you probably already have all the products you need. Liquid We all know water equals moisture. You can stop here or you can mix other liquids to your water or use an entirely different liquid altogether. I use water and aloe vera juice for my liquid. The aloe vera juice has healing properties and my hair loves it. Oil We all know that oil and water don’t mix but that’s what makes this part so effective in my opinion. When using the correct oil, you can penetrate your hair shaft enough to hold on to that moisture. I like to use olive oil and coconut oil. This keeps your hair strong and your ends from breaking so much. Cream The most important thing about this final step is to make sure your cream of choice is moisturizing or will act as a sealant. I like to use my leave-in conditioner or shea butter for this step. My best results are with the shea butter products. If you don't have a cream on hand, you can also use any oil that will act as a sealant like castor oil, grapeseed oil or jojoba oil. Have you ever tried the LOC method? Tell us how it worked for you in our comments section below.

Date

January 15 2015

Written By

Bold Apps

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The Importance of a Hair Regimen

Written By Bold Apps - January 15 2015

Posted by HMH Blogger When I first decided to wear my hair in its natural state, I had no idea what I was doing. After watching a million YouTube videos over the course of two or three weeks and heading to my bathroom with a pair of hair scissors and cutting off all my long, permed hair in April 2011, all I knew was that I could wet my hair and it would stay curled for the rest of the day. What I didn't know was that if I didn't consistently use certain products and styling techniques, my hair would be a dried up mess. What I didn't know at that time was that my hair wasn't at its full potential because I wasn't using a consistent regimen. A hair regimen is a process that you perform on a regular basis to ensure the health and growth of your hair. Regimens are usually done weekly, but naturals have been known to incorporate bi-weekly steps into their regimen as well. Are you confused yet? Let me explain further. Every Sunday is wash day for me. I start by sectioning my hair into six blocks and detangling my hair with a wide tooth comb. If it's the first Sunday of the month, I'll proceed by washing my hair in sections with a sulfate-free shampoo and following up with a leave-in conditioner. I usually style my hair in flat twists with perm rods on the ends on wash day and before twisting I will detangle more and apply my favorite blend of oils. Every other day or every two days, I use the LOC method (liquid, oil, cream) and every three months I trim my ends. I also wear a satin scarf or bonnet every night to protect my strands while I sleep. So those are things I incorporate into my overall regimen. Shortly after year two of my natural journey, I got extremely lazy with my regimen. I stopped following the steps I'd normally used, I stopped trimming and dusting my ends, I sporadically slept with my satin scarf and guess what? My hair suffered! Big time. My ends were splitting, my hair thinned out on both sides around my ears, and it broke at the same rate of growth, so I didn't retain any length from Year 2 to Year 3. As soon as I started following my regimen consistently again, my hair began to thicken and grow, and it's visibly healthier. I'm still repairing some of the damages I suffered, but I'm here to tell you that keeping up with a regimen is important for the health and growth of your hair. Conduct research on some of your favorite natural hair figures and copy their regimens if you'd like. It's a start to helping you develop your own, and you'll learn more about your hair and what it likes/doesn't like as you go. Happy Styling!

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