Questions about locing my hair,

I just decided to loc my hair three days ago, or better yet my hair decided to start loc-ing itself and I allowed it to. Now, I am encouraging it by doing a LITTLE bit of twist and rip, but JUST a little! I do not want a lot of parts or a grid pattern, I do not want them to all be uniform. I want them free-form and as natural as possible.

I do have a few questions:

1. I have very dry hair. Can I use coconut oil or hair grease while the locs are developing, or do I need to just let it stay dry and frizzy?? I do not want to impede the loc-ing process. My hair is pretty curly and thick, and I have a whole lot of it.

2. I have an event to go to in a few days and I want to wear my hair down rather than pulled back. Normally I use gel specifically made to maintain curls. Will it be ok if I use this to style my hair if I make sure to wash it out the very next day??

3. I am an Italian female, and i am a racial justice advocate. I have only one of two caucasian friends, and the Black people I am friends with all say "locs" and that "dreads" is offensive. I agree. That is why I use "locs" instead of dreads. I am curious as to why most caucasian people with locs refer to them as dreads, and even call the process dreading instead of loc-ing??? It sounds kind of funny to say I am "dreading" my hair.

updated by @jujube-joanna: 01/13/15 09:52:39PM

Here are some photos from today.... you can see what I am talking about with the frizziness. This is why I have always used some sort of product in my hair to calm them down a bit.

dont ise grease frizzy and dry is good for dreading faster

abiut the loc vs dreads thing ppl who use locs generaly thingk dreads are gross and that the salon imitation is better

just had an argument with someone on youtube about this they tend to think locks are for african hair only but also that only the salon versions are appropriate and if they look natural at all they are gross

dreadlocks the term came from rastafarians who wore locks as a symbiol of dreading gods (jahs) power

so dreadlocks were a religuios spiritual thing

in india they are called jata in spanish culture rastas (meaning dreadlocks i dont think it has anything to dio with rasta beluef but could be wrong) european culture (like shealsphere wrote about them in macbeth) called them elf locks

there was even the polish plait a pure neglect unidread that was often filthy pussy and the result of lack of care but was stoll thought to be bad luck to cut it out

the term locs v is often used to diferentiate the salon style imitation from the more spiritual rel thing

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Interesting perspective. I was speaking to a Jamaican man the other day and he said that the term "dread" locks came from Europeans who proclaimed the natural, loc-ed hair of Africans to be "dreadful". It was also called "dread" locks by people in colonial Jamaica because people with locs were feared.

The term "dreads" or "dreadlocks" were terms reclaimed by Rastafarians, similarly to the way the N-word has been reclaimed by Black Americans.

Anyway, either way... I just seem to notice a difference based more on race than on the type of locs the person has (salon vs. natural)

The other question I was wondering about in the original post is if it is OK to use a regular gel in my hair if it is only for a few hours.

The

most would build up

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Dry hair will lock up better, so I wouldn't use coconut oil. If you don't want your sections to be like a grid you should just neglect, your hair doesn't need tnr to lock up. Let your hair go wild and leave your it down and natural as often as possible. If you need gel sometimes I've heard aloe works well and doesn't leave horrible build up (which can attract dirt and feed mold, ewww). You dont need curl defining gel anymore Enjoy your journey!

What is regular gel to you? Aloe Vera , straight from the plant or 100% pure from a health food store (refrigerated section) is the best thing to use for a special event. Washes right out with no residue left behind. This only lasts a few hours but works perfectly and safely.

In regards to your comment of being a racial justice advocate and finding the term dreadlocks offensive. Words are just words and I am sorry that you and others still find the word offensive when not used in a derogatory way. My hair still looks the same whether I call them locs or dreadlocks, whether I am locing or dreading, I really don't care what they are called. Times change, words change, meanings change, they are not dreadful, they are beautiful, so people can call them what they want. If it sounds funny to you to say you are dreading your hair, then don't say that, we don't want you to feel funny. There are African Americans who think Caucasians should not have locs at all and it is offensive to them, so does that mean that you should not grow them, being a racial justice advocate? Just curious.

I don't grow mine as a statement, a movement, a rebellion, a hairstyle or a fashion trend.

I did struggle for a LONG time over the idea of locing my hair because I do know some people find it offensive. However, I have discovered that the folks who are really out here in the struggle do not give a damn how I wear my hair!!

I actually made kind of a spur of the moment decision to loc my hair after I saw it locing on its own a few days ago. So, I encouraged it a bit by loosely taking a few of my curls, using t n r method for like an inch or so. I am just impatient I guess LOL.

And as for finding the term dreadlock offensive, that needs a bit of clarification. I do not find it offensive if people refer to their own hair as dreadlocks, however, I am careful about referring to other people as having "dreads" or "dreadlocks" because I do know it was used in the past as a racially derogatory term and while it was reclaimed, as was the N word, I still do not feel it is comfortable for me personally to use it unless the person specifically states so.

As for me, personally, I prefer to use locing, because that is exactly what my hair is doing LOL

the Barrellady said:

What is regular gel to you? Aloe Vera , straight from the plant or 100% pure from a health food store (refrigerated section) is the best thing to use for a special event. Washes right out with no residue left behind. This only lasts a few hours but works perfectly and safely.

In regards to your comment of being a racial justice advocate and finding the term dreadlocks offensive. Words are just words and I am sorry that you and others still find the word offensive when not used in a derogatory way. My hair still looks the same whether I call them locs or dreadlocks, whether I am locing or dreading, I really don't care what they are called. Times change, words change, meanings change, they are not dreadful, they are beautiful, so people can call them what they want. If it sounds funny to you to say you are dreading your hair, then don't say that, we don't want you to feel funny. There are African Americans who think Caucasians should not have locs at all and it is offensive to them, so does that mean that you should not grow them, being a racial justice advocate? Just curious.

I don't grow mine as a statement, a movement, a rebellion, a hairstyle or a fashion trend.

You explained it well. By the way, yours was the first posting that I read saying that others found the term dreadlocks offensive. Learn something new all the time.

You will have an amazing journey seeing what your hair can naturally do...Peace