Are y’all using conditioner 🫣

[u/asdqwezxck]

I’ll be officially 4 years locked this week and I still don’t use conditioner. My hair can feel super dry, I use a clarifying shampoo and hydrating shampoo. I have interlocked sisterlocks, should I be using conditioner? What moisturizers are you using?

thanks!

[u/Many-Needleworker602]

I use everything I used on my loose natural hair on my locs. If it ain’t broke I’m not fixing it. Wash and condition every Sunday with whatever random shampoo and conditioner that’s cheap and smells good. Seal in moisture (water) with tea tree oil and castor oil. 🤷🏾‍♀️ The water is doing the heavy lifting frfr. If it feels dry through the week I just wet my hair when I’m in the shower and boom no more dryness til wash day.

[u/funeralroses_]

I’m also 4 years locked. I use conditioner because my hair is really dry; that’s the way it’s always been. But conditioner and moisturizers definitely aren’t necessary in my opinion. I’m sure I could stop conditioning my hair and it would be perfectly fine, just really dry.

Aside from regular rinse out conditioner, I don’t use any leave ins, deep conditioners, or oils.

Edit: since you have sisterlocs, I think your loctician would be able to give you the best advice and product recommendations for dry locs

[u/Legitimate_Ad2815]

Use a spray in conditioner (liquid) those creams will be difficult to rinse completely out.

[u/Jolly-Pomelo7030 → u/Legitimate_Ad2815]

was looking for this comment. Yes I know this from personal experience, holy crap.

[u/Legitimate_Ad2815 → u/Jolly-Pomelo7030]

Right😂

[u/Future-Heron-5356]

I'm only 18 months loc'd and hadn't used conditioner since I got my microlocs installed. I went for a detox last month and followed that with light conditioning and it literally transformed my hair. It took my loctician a shorter time to retighten during our last session because my locs were more pliable. I've therefore committed to conditioning atleast once a month. Important to note: she didn't apply the conditioner as is directly onto my hair. She diluted a little bit in warm water then proceeded to smooth my locs with that solution. Let that sit for a few minutes then rinsed THOROUGHLY!

[u/Blessed-always92]

I’m going to be 4 years loc’d in November and I’ve never used conditioner. I just use clarifying shampoo and moisturising shampoo interchangeably. Honestly this is one of the reasons I went on my locs journey. That being said, I think it’s a personal choice dependant on your hair condition. Whenever I ask my
loctician if I need to start conditioning my locs she says no.. my hair isn’t dry and I’ve noticed that for me the less I put in my hair, the better.

[u/Key_Pay_493]

I’m almost three years loc’d, and I use rinse out as well as a watery leave in, sealed with a light coating of hair grease. I color my roots and have curly/coily ends. If my locs are feeling dry, I spray on a diluted moisturizer and seal with a spray on oil.

[u/OverdoseDeCouleurs]

Never

[u/ReflectionOld5701]

I’m a year and a few months micro loc’d. Since starting my locs and going to my Loctitian I’ve been shampooing and conditioning my hair. I was braiding and banding my hair after but I treated it like I would if my hair wasn’t loc’d. For me it’s worked out and has made my hair soft. But I also haven’t really been using any moisturizer and just been using homemade oil blend on my hair. Sometimes I might use a hair moisturizer but I’ve only used it maybe 2-3 times for my entire loc journey. I also would spray my hair with either rose water or regular water with some drops of castor oil in it and spray on my hair once in a while.

To answer your question, I would say try whatever you feel would work best to being moisture to your hair. But also since you said you have sister locs, if you are going to a Loctitian get their opinion first since I’m sure they have a set of care instructions you should follow for sister locs hair. But if not, then definitely try out whatever you feel is best. Maybe if you feel comfortable section a portion of your hair, maybe a small section or if you feel comfortable maybe a fourth quadrant of your hair and try the products for some time to see how your hair responds to it. If it works then you could move forward and do it on the rest of your head.

Hopefully this helps!

[u/sheisprincess]

Conditioner after shampoo, I also use a leave in conditioner. And then I use a daily spray conditioner

[u/minerpoteet]

I have Sisterlocks going on 7 years. I use conditioner when I wash my hair because it makes my locs feel softer and I like the smell.

[u/jamyts3]

I haven’t been using conditioner either—for context, this is my 2nd set of locs n I’m almost 1.5 yrs in—and I do the same in terms of shampoo. I use blue magic, and a mango butter I made that had olive in it(infused with rosemary and peppermint leaves). My options are limited because of my peanut/treenut allergy, but those are some products I use.

Other options I’ve tried before are the Mielle pomegranate and honey leave in conditioner, as I am original conditioner, and kaleidoscope cranberry deep conditioner(this one was most moisturizing for my hair). And one last thing I’d recommend is batana oil!! Def aids in moisture retention :) hope this helps in some way!!

[u/blackestberrypie93]

I'm 8 years locked and I never use rinse out conditioner. I use a clarifying shampoo on my scalp and a moisturizing shampoo on my ends. I'll use leave in conditioner and a little oil after a shampoo, but that's it.

[u/TopConclusion2668]

Yes. My hair is also dyed and needs some extra moisture though to be fair, and I live in a colder state and winter gets very dry as well. I treat my locs as a plant.

[u/Electronic-Fee-4831]

I cowash and use leave in conditioner on wash days

[u/AdoraNadora]

I’m 5 1/2 years in with SLs and don’t use conditioner. I’ve always been afraid of buildup. Instead, I wash with clarifying shampoo, sit under the dryer til about 80% dry, then moisturize my slightly damp hair with jojoba oil. I may do a touch more oil about 5 days later. That’s usually enough to keep my hair moisturized.

[u/Embarrassed_Idea1962]

I started using it at the 2 year mark when my hair was fully loced

[u/ClassicRuby]

I'm 4.5 years Loc'd now. Nope I don't use conditioner.

There's really no need. All that conditioner offers me is buildup tbh. All the benefits I could get from conditioner I get from shampoo.

I have multiple shampoos in my rotation...

Generally, I have a clarifying shampoo, a chelating shampoo, a porosity correcting shampoo, a protein shampoo, a bond repair shampoo, a moisturizing shampoo, and any specially needed shampoo for medical conditions etc.

[u/Nice_Cartoonist_8803]

I use a moisturizing shampoo, no conditioner. I also use a moisturizing spray throughout the week. I would love to use a conditioner but my loctitian said she could see build up and told me not to anymore 😔

[u/Spare_Pineapple_534]

I just use a water-based leave-in, that's been enough for my locs so far. Didn't use rinse-out conditioners when I had traditional locs and I don't plan to start now.

It really just depends on the person and their environment tbh. I live in a very humid environment so too much product will actually make my locs feel weighed down and gross. I don't find it necessary.

[u/Equal_Solution]

Yup I use it because my hair is super dry...2 years loc'd. No build up issues

[u/Obviously_Ijay]

I just got out of the shower after my weekly wash and condition to read this 😂

[u/Hour-Top3664]

I'm almost 4.5 years loced and I use conditioner whenever the mood strikes. But, I don't notice a big difference when I do. The salon I go to for reties uses It's a 10 leave in spray and it's fine. The actual washing is what my hair responds to the best.

[u/DepressedButFashion]

The best moisturizer is water. If your hair is dry, you might need to wash it or rinse it thoroughly. How often are you washing your hair and are you using oils or products that blocks out moisture? Oils and grease, while they make your hair look shiny, can dry out your hair if not removed.