Natural hair is so on trend right now, and we’re loving it! We love to see people embracing their differences and being proud of what makes them unique.
If you’re new to the natural hairstyling world, you may never have heard of a loctician. If you’re scratching your head at that new word, then come along with us as we explain what a loctician does, why you might need one, and how to become one.
Let’s dive in!
What Is a Loctician?
First up, what on earth is a loctician? Locticians are experts in dreadlocks. They help clients through the process of dreadlocking their hair.
Contrary to what some people think, creating dreadlocks is not simply a matter of not washing your hair and twisting it into mats of hair. Beautiful, well-maintained dreadlocks require a bit of, well, maintenance.
For those who have never dreadlocked their hair before, hiring a loctician is a great move to ensure that their hair locks correctly and the end result is as beautiful as they were hoping for. Even if you have worn dreadlocks before, a loctician can still be useful.
Let’s look at why.
Why Hire a Loctician?
Dreadlocks don’t happen overnight. How long they actually take to form and how often you’ll need to visit your loctician depends on the texture of your hair. You may have to visit your loctician weekly or twice a month and most people will be working at it for a few months before they achieve strong, mature dreadlocks.
Tame Your Mane
During that time, your hair won’t exactly look amazing. You might love the crazy freedom of your afro, but others may be wondering why you stopped caring for your hair and if you’re feeling all right.
A loctician can help speed the transition stage by “handmaking” the locs instead of waiting for them to form naturally. They do this by twisting or backcombing and it keeps your mane under control until your dreadlocks fully mature and keep themselves under control.
Itchy Scalp Problems
Another reason to visit a loctician is if you’re having problems with an itchy scalp. Though you can shampoo and moisturize your dreadlocks yourself, a loctician has more experience and can treat your itchiness more effectively. Plus, you get a relaxing head massage while they work and who’s going to say no to that?
Temporary Locs
You can also visit a loctician when you’re only looking for temporary locs to try it out for a few days or weeks. Locticians can style your hair with extensions to simulate the appearance of dreadlocks. When you’re done, you can simply take out the extensions and your hair goes back to its previous state. This is not a possibility with mature dreadlocks. The only way to get those ones out is to cut them out or pick them out one by one.
Dreadlocking Style
Finally, there is more than one way to style dreadlocks. A loctician can help your dreadlocks form in the style you prefer. Be sure that the loctician you choose has experience with the style you want to create by looking through their portfolio and checking out their past work.