The 10 Loc Commandments

Accepting and loving yourself with all of your flaws, shortcomings, inadequacies and imperfections is the number one ingredient for happy locs. You know you’ve achieved acceptance when you’re not picking your locs apart all the time. The love may be instantaneous or gradual but it usually comes with maturity and time.

II. Thou Shalt Be Prepared
This journey is not for the fickle and the flakey. This journey is one of patience and endurance. Be prepared that all will not go as planned; there will be bumps in the road (and sometimes in your locs!) just know “The race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong but to he who endureth to the end.”

III. Thou Shalt Educate Thyself

Don’t do yourself a disservice by being a CULTURE VULTURE. Educate yourself on the history of locs; the different cultures of people that loc and why they loc. Learn about different methods and techniques of locking and the different ways they can be maintained, washed and styled. Know for some this is a lifestyle; not a hairstyle.

IV. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Locs

It is okay to admire a set of beautiful locs; whether they are freeform, organic or cultivated; just be careful not to compare. We all have different mamas and daddys therefore different genes. Your hair texture and/or length may be similar to someone else’s but your locs will not be the same. Don’t compare someone’s progress with your own; it’s not fair to you.

V. Thou Shalt Wash Thy Locs’

Remember locs grow were the water flows! Rinse! Spritz! Wash and Go! Whatever your ritual/routine is thoroughly washing your locs and scalp should be an integral part of it. Drying your hair properly is also equally important.

VI. Thou Shalt Be Patient’

Don’t be discouraged that you’re not yet where you want to be. Be patient! There is no product or method that can be used to make your locs any faster; so learn to take it a day at a time. Once you are locked there is no way to make them get longer, faster! If having and growing locs were that easy everyone would have them and they wouldn’t be so special!

VII. Thou Shalt Not Judge

If there is someone who has locs that are not aesthetically pleasing to your eye; do not judge them. If they don’t choose your method, follow your routine or advocate your product choices; do not judge them. When you judge them, you in turn are no better than those who judge you for the choice you made to loc your hair. For some this journey is not about vanity. Respect their prerogative.

VIII. Thou Shalt Not Over Do It!

Do not over do it with twisting, latching, palm rolling, dying, styling, etc. Less is more! Treat your locs like a fine silk blouse; pamper them. Positively and negatively speaking; what you put into them you will definitely get out of them!

VIIII. Thou Shalt Loc with No Apologies

When you decide to loc you may come face to face with adversity, negativity and/or ignorance. It may come from the usual suspects or even a loved one. Stand firm in your decision to loc and push through. It is your inalienable right given by the Creator to have life, liberty and the pursuit of nappyness–I mean happiness! Rock your locs with NO Apologies!

X. Thou Shalt Remain a Student

If you’ve been locked for 25 years or 25 days we can all learn something from each other and we can all teach each other something. The wise man knows the student is the teacher and the teacher is the student.