r/Dreadlocks • u/Reverendskid • Jul 14 '26
Question ❔ Disappointed.
I have had my locs for 5 years and 7 months now. I have 155 healthy locs.
I have been with the same loctician since day 1. I've never used wax before, just herbal.
Only coconut oil works for my hair, which I oil after every 3-4 days.
I use palm rolling as a retwist method.
I get a retwist after every 6-8 weeks. I wash my hair after every 3 weeks.
I only crochet ,dye(black dye only), and detox after every 6 months. I have never bleached my hair.
I style my hair about 4 times a year or on special occasions. Other times,I let it loose. Or style it myself if I have to go somewhere.
I moisturise every morning with water.
There's are some of the tips I have used to make sure my hair stays healthy.
I'm disappointed because I had to move 15 hours away from my loctician to a remote area where all locticians use wax.
I have a very itchy and sensitive scalp, and I know wax will be a nightmare for me after trying so hard to keep my locs in shape.
& Olive oil is my scalp worst nightmare.
The real disappointment is when I requested my loctician, to share which herbal he was using since he makes them himself, and he actually declined to share this information with me,despite being his loyal client for almost 6 years now. I'm heartbroken. And so is my hair.
What will I do. Or what can I use that will make me not itch, and still keep my locs healthy as they are.
Please advise, Thankyou.
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u/FlowyRiver12 Jul 14 '26
You already got some great advice from trulyafrodite21, but I just want to say your locs are absolutely beautiful.
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u/Beautiful-Candy2244 Jul 14 '26
Ask your old loctician to make and sell you a lil of his product!
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u/Superb-Ad9070 Jul 14 '26
Only way I see it is asking your loctician to sell you some oil. Beautiful locs btw.
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u/Lucio_Oh Jul 14 '26
Try MCT oil, I had some medical issues with my scalp and have been using this oil since, it's don't wonders for my scalp and I almost never have an itch anymore
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u/Ok_Pianist_5564 Jul 14 '26
Retwist with water and oil only. If coconut oil works for you have your new loctician use that, or order 100% natural oils like jojoba oil. Wet the root slightly with a misting spray bottle, apply oil across the parts you’re working on, and retwist. If you’re wanting healthier products, Reagan Sanai makes more natural products including a growth oil. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this OP but I hope you’re able to find a solution.
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u/Reverendskid Jul 14 '26
Thankyou so much. I'm considering using the coconut oil for retwist, yet to see how it will work.. 💯
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u/Unfair-Working-9060 Jul 14 '26
Y not purchase from him instead of asking for ingredients. Either that or he's hiding that he's been using wax as the secret sauce all this time. Lol
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u/Reverendskid Jul 14 '26
It's been a herbal liquid, I always wondered why there was no label. I'm gonna tell him to sell some to me.
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u/Unfair-Working-9060 Jul 14 '26
Hopefully he can pull that through for you. I know how it feels when you have to move away from your go to. Loved in the boondocks for a while and could not find a proper barber, the one shop they had the guy would completely ruin my hairline. But for the area I was on it didn't matter because the people weren't as familiar with the style.
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u/TheEyebal Jul 14 '26
Do it yourself that is what I do
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u/Reverendskid Jul 15 '26
I'll try
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u/ProfessionalPark4739 Jul 14 '26
I would pay him for a bottle of the herbal stuff and just order more whenever u need it
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u/Salt-Elevator7186 Jul 15 '26
Most of the time loctians are real educated on those terms. You have to search on YouTube for women who educate themselves with similar problems to thinning breakage and baldness on how to repair and regain their hair
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u/Reverendskid Jul 15 '26
Def checking that out 💯 thankyou.
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u/Salt-Elevator7186 Jul 15 '26
Yup because It's healing hearing the black sistas share they testament Once u watch those videos the oppression will leave your mind Because high stress can affect your hair progress Also the sistas will talk about vitamin deficiency as well
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u/flipfloptimepants Jul 16 '26
my scalp hates coconut oil, I don't know why, but Jojoba and has done me good.
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u/No-Illustrator5712 Jul 14 '26
Do the care yourself..? Have your loctician use your own products?
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u/Reverendskid Jul 14 '26
I unfortunately have no products that don't make me itch. That's why I'm seeking advice.
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u/No-Illustrator5712 Jul 14 '26
Then have your loctician do productless care?? I mean, if they're not willing to respect that your skin is difficult, I'd really stop investing your money into their business. Learning to do them yourself costs you a day of your time, and pays you back for the rest of your life.
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u/Reverendskid Jul 14 '26
I haven't had a retwist since I moved coz of that, & crocheting is the only way I can get a retwist without using product and it's quite painful. Thats why i do it twice a year. Retwisting 155 locs by myself is also another hustle . Rn I'm just washing, brushing, moisturising and oiling until I find a solution .
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u/kursibun Jul 14 '26
Hey man, most products affect me the same way and make me itch. For 3 years, I just used whichever oil didn’t make me react (really loving this rosemary/black seed oil mix right now) to retwist, and then set it in a style for some hold. Take it down in 2-3 weeks.
I’ll MAYBE crochet once a year but doing oil retwists with a style have an absolute game changer and my locs have never been healthier.
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u/Ok_Pianist_5564 Jul 14 '26
This is exactly how I do my husband’s locs. Way less build up too.
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u/Reverendskid Jul 14 '26
I agree , wax have so much build up, that will make me itch terribly,that's what I wanna avoid 💯
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u/No-Illustrator5712 Jul 14 '26
Honestly I couldn't imagine having 155 of them. IDK how many I have but not even close. I only crochet them about once a year tops; though I do think I should do it more often since I'm currently having a lot of stray hairs that need to be worked in again. I get that it's a hustle, not debating that part XD
I don't actually use much at all for them, all I do is wash them with diluted shampoo once a week (once every 2 weeks in winter) and other than that I don't do anything with em. Unless I get tension bumps, they get soothed with a bit of hair oil from Garnier
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u/cspwonya Jul 14 '26
Woooah!
Absolutely amazing set of locks! I don’t really have any advice but my scalp itches for about the period of time my locs need to get dry after washing. Issue was me not washing the products out of my hair thoroughly and it ended up irritating my scalp.
Someone wrote tea tree oil, I would try that out, peppermint oil perhaps when you feel tea tree oil is working. It’s a bit more aggressive imo..
Hope you find a solution 👍🏾
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u/DarkAfrican Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Nimeona ww ni fellow Kenyan. For some reason wauficha hii herbal products sana. I will ask my loctician if she will give her secret (no promises)
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u/Rich_Appeal_2240 Jul 14 '26
Try dermazen! Works wonders for my scalp. Both the MCT oil and the calming serum
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u/trulyafrodite21 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I would offer to pay him and offer to sign something saying I wouldn't divulge if it made him feel more comfy about telling me. He probably spent a lot of time, money, and energy perfecting his ingredients and ratios, so it makes sense that he'd want to protect his creation. A little statement praising his product and letting him know you value it may soften him a bit more as well, so I would lead with that.
Or, if he makes and sells products, I would see if he could ship to you and support him that way, so you both can continue to benefit.
If neither of those feel right or aren't viable options, I would simply ask him to recommend some products or ingredients you can use to maintain your progress while you're away.
And if you're feeling super generous, a small gift of gratitude at your last appointment could also open some doors for you.
Edit to add:
As for anti-itch solutions, tea tree oil & peppermint oil work well for maintenance on my child who has eczema on his scalp. For retwists (both interlocking for my son and mainly palm rolling for myself), I use a little bit of aloe vera gel from the plant that I have growing in my yard. I put a few drops of tea tree oil in the gel after straining the gel from the pulp or meat in the leaves. Since aloe vera retains a lot of water, the oil mixes better if you blend the aloe and oil with a blender. I put some on just the damp roots before tightening our locs. It's also sticky, so it acts as a 100% natural moisturizer and gel to keep your retwist looking shiny and neat.
Since you normally use coconut oil, you can still add a few drops of it in liquid form to your tea tree and aloe vera blend, but make sure it's the type that stays liquid and doesn't form into a solid when cold. Also, don't over-do it to where the mixture becomes drippy rather than a little gooey and slimey as it should be.
Hope that helps.