My First Professional Loc Retwist : Pros & Cons

For the first time in about four years I booked an appointment with a stylist to wash, retwist and style my locs. Over the years I have been the primary caretaker of my tresses, but I have come to realize that nothing beats someone washing my hair, while I drift to sleep. I walked into this experience ready to enjoy the process.

When I sat in the chair, the stylist noticed the two headed dragons, locs that had been combined but had not fused towards the ends. She then proceeded to give my hair a better shape by snipping obvious longer and thinner ends. This immediately transformed the overall look of my locs from the back and sides. A thorough cleanse was followed by a conditioner which sat in for roughly ten minutes. The icing on the cake would have been for her to go through the products used and their benefits to my hair.

She worked fast as she retwisted and styled on towel dried hair with a loc gel. When completed I was put under the dryer for about an hour in total (This is not a typically long time under the dryer, note that your style and hair density will vary the drying time needed). Overall, it was a pleasant experience and the stylist was sweet throughout the process.

Here are some pros and cons for seeing a stylist after my experience:

Pros

1. Efficiency -Being a mother of young children, wash days can take much longer than necessary when self maintaining, with a lot of stopping to nurse and trying to complete before bedtime. When your hair is being done in a salon, the main goal is to get you right in good time.
2. Self care – Having some alone time to do something that was pampering felt really therapeutic. I was able to relax mentally and physically. Post pandemic, self care has been a buzz word and a marketing phrase, but we should not dismiss the holistic benefits of taking time out of our regular schedule to do something restorative.
3. Manicured finish – I was really surprised at how crisp the parts were and how every strand of my hair, including my regrown edges were smoothed into a loc and twist. My hair was really neat and that definitely made me feel great!
4. Scheduled time – Many people love to see events in their diary in order to commit. Once I had made my appointment, I was more inclined to go. I have tried for months to have this time set aside and treat myself, but until I had scheduled it and put it in my calendar it would not have come to fruition.

Cons

1. Expense $$ – An obvious con, but going to a stylist regularly gets expensive. My visit was relatively reasonable, but this could vary depending on the style. It is important to respect the hours and dedication it takes to master a craft and become qualified. We the client pay for that. However, I encourage you to do your research in finding stylists that fit into your budget or making salon visits a one off treat. 
2. Lack of flexibility – In my pros, I mentioned the need to schedule the stylist appointment as motivation to attend. However, because I have been my own hairdresser for years, I am afforded the flexibility to do my hair whenever I want. There are months where I am more active and want to wash my hair more frequently. Thankfully, because I am confident and comfortable doing my own hair, I can, whenever I want at little to no cost!
3. Methods and products – In my home regime I usually refrain from gels for retwists and generally stick to a water and oil method. Before I arrived at the appointment I had to resolve that I would allow products like lock gels on this occasion to see how my hair would respond. I am particular about how tight I retwist, especially when I am incorporating a style such as two strand twists, because of my fine strands. Though my hair looked great, aided by the product, it was way too tight. After a week, my scalp started to itch pretty badly. I attribute this to either the product used, the tightness, or both.
4. Lack of advice – In my opinion, anytime you visit a stylist, you should leave with some knowledge. With all the positives I have to say about my experience, I desired to have learned something I could implement. Understandably, having no previous encounter with the stylist may have played a part in this, however, some general advice about products, washing schedules or ways to protect my hair would have enriched my overall experience.

Seeing a stylist or loctician is nice – a luxury that some are happy to commit to. Personally, I will continue to maintain my locs and learn about my hair. I am privileged to have the option. Will a salon visit be in my future? For sure, as a treat to myself. But until then I will keep hooking myself up.

NEHEMIAH 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”