Here is another Bradelocz Q & A where I address the following questions from Isabel:
“… I’ve started them with the latching method. How long do I have to wait until I can wash them? Do locs really swell over time? What kind of products can I use to keep my hair moisturized? and last but not least..what can I do about the ITCHIES?? It’s killin me lol.”
In all honesty, all of those questions (and more) are available in my Bradelocz ebook guide, even if you’ve started your locs with the latch hook, the information would be totally applicable because that (latching) is the method I teach for maintenance.
But I will briefly answer your questions, although I highly recommend that you consider acquiring the ebook to really go into depth, as well as provide you with a solid foundation of information, what to expect, managing your locs, and more!
1. Washing
You can wash your hair as soon as you need to because latching (as well as braiding) holds up much better than had you started with comb twists
2. Swelling
Yes the locs do swell overtime. As they go through the process, they will swell and then, over time, condense to their final size.
3. Products for Moisture
I normally do not endorse any particular (commercial) products because everyone is different and I’ve just not found that one, “magic” product that I love.
So I usually recommend mixing a bottle of water with a little bit of natural oil (olive, jojoba, etc.) and spritz the locs with that every so often.
4. Itchies
The itchies are part of the process. For many, an apple cider vinegar rinse after shampooing helps. You could even add a tablespoon, along with a few drops of tea tree oil, to the water and oil mixture I mentioned above and spritz your scalp with that in order to sooth the itchy scalp.
Hope this has been helpful and again, my ebook would be a great one-stop source of information for you to refer to as you go through this process!
Blessings & Warmest Regards,