Drumroll please: Loc update post!

These are my locs at just over a year and a half.
My babies turn 2 in June

I know I'm long overdue for an update on how my luscious locs have been coming in... as one reader reminds me, I haven't done a post on them since last year. Atrocious! The reason loc posts have been so sporadic is that I haven't really switched up my routine in taking care of them. Just lettin' em grow long and luxurious as nature intended. But I know there's a lot of loc'd up lovelies out there looking for a little guidance and advice on how to care for their own manes, which I'm more than happy to offer. There's also a lot of curious folks who just wanna revel in the awesomeness of my hair... I'll happily oblige you guys, too. On to the post!

This is my hair right after washing. I try and wash my hair every two weeks (some might wash even less than that... because loc'd hair has different needs than loose hair, it's best not to wash it too often), but since I've been exercising every weekday, I might bump that up to once a week. Now that my hair is longer and heavier, it stays down instead of pointing every which way like it used to.

THE LENGTH. I love it. I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with my hair once its past boob-length, and it's definitely getting there faster than I thought it would. I could cut them but then the ends would be straight; I like how each loc curls into its own unique pattern at the tips.

Getting long(er)

One-of-a-kind tips

These are the products I rotate between using on my hair. The Nexxus products I've had since my 'fro days... I find they work well with my hair type, but because they make my hair so soft, I don't use them as often as when my hair was loose. At this point, I'm just trying to use up the economy size bottles of product I have, then I'll probably switch to a brand that's more focused on my current hair needs.

Nexxus. Saved me from many a bad 'fro day

I also use Oyin handmade products on my locs. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll remember when my homegirl Erin and I went to one of the store's bottling parties and got a boatload (well, raftload is more like it I guess) of Oyin products, including these gems right here:

The Honey Wash I love for my locs, because it cleanses them without weighing them down with product. It's a light, almond milk-scented formula and though it's kinda on the thin side in terms of consistency, it definitely gets the job done. The Honey Hemp Conditioner has a creamy, whipped consistency and it also doesn't weigh my hair down. A little of each of these products goes a long way.

This is what I use to retwist after washing. I picked this up on my most recent jaunt to the beauty supply store because it seems they've discontinued my fave shea butter solid, Queen Helene's Queen Helene's formula was more like a shea butter pomade, whereas Jamaican Mango & Lime's formula is more like a hair grease... I know grease is bad for your hair in general, especially if you have locs--it attracts lint and adds to buildup--but since this was formulated specifically FOR locs and I trust the brand name (and, not gonna lie, the smell reminds me of my beloved Queen Helene's) I picked it up.

This is only my first time using it, but I'm not disappointed with the results. JM&L's Conditioning Shine kept my twists in order and delivered the "brilliant shine" as advertised. I like that it doesn't leave my hair greasy either, just shiny and lush

Aerial view. Ignore those fuzzy locs on the left... they just HAD to be different, smh

It takes me about an hour to retwist my locs now. It used to take almost two! I will forever be grateful that I consulted a loctician (big ups to Amanda at Bang Salon!) to install my locs because they are the perfect size for my lifestyle and hair type. I did NOT want to be stuck doing my hair for hours or be forced to pay someone to do them for me because they were so small.

Now that my hair is longer, it seems to have naturally grown into layers. Shorter upfront (which falls into "bangs" when I pull my hair into a ponytail), and longer in the back.

If you only went by this shot, you'd think I had a bob or something...

But as you gradually make your way around my head, you'll see the natural layers start to stand out.

There's still some minor issues I have with my locs, namely lint buildup in the back locs and what to keep my hair covered with a night to further keep lint at bay. I have solutions for both, but they require $$$ I just don't have at the moment: dying the locs that I can't get embedded lint out of (I'm leaning toward a vibrant orangish-red on just the back locs), which may run about $75 or more cuz I'm certainly not doing it myself, and these things called Loc Pockets, which retail for $15-$20. Worse comes to worse, I suppose I could simply dye the linty locs black myself, but I'm not sure how well a store-bought dye will work on dreadlocks. Have any of you tried this with good results?

Anyhoo, hope this satiated your thirst for a loc update! Seriously though, I will try and knock out more of these on the reg. I forgot how fun and informative they can be Don't forget to share your loc tips, suggestions, and experiences in the comments!