There are people who dislike dreads/locs because they feel folks don’t 

wash often enough but how often should you wash your locks?   With new clients this is the question that is most important, right after what styles they could do!

The debate on “how often should you wash your locks” varies by individual.  As the person who

makes and maintains them, I see the problems clients could have.  I am going to say this about the subject:

• When you first make dreads/locs, I recommend not washing them for three weeks.  Before all the guardians for dread/locs come for me, let me explain something.  When the hair is just put in dreads/locs, the hair is still soft.  For the locking process to start, it needs to be out in the air.   If the person starts washing them, it disturbs this process and also warps them.  This causes weird loops and bumps – although I have had clients who want those so again, preferences. 

• Many people wash their hair daily or a few times a week, not because they have dirty jobs but because of habit.  Washing your hair more than once a week is usually unnecessary.  It causes the scalp to dry out and the body starts to reproduce more oils to stop the drying.  When they have dreads/locs and daily washing is no longer an option, the scalp goes into manic mode.  You have dandruff because your scalp has been in over-production for years and does not know what to do with all this extra oil.  Happily, this oil producing machine will learn that you have changed your ways and go back to normal in about three months.  
• When the hair starts the locking process, you are able to wash it without it falling apart.  I recommend how often to wash the dread/locs, depending on the client’s ability to keep them neat.  Most do not want the trouble and will come and have the hair done.  Others figure out ways to make it through the next three weeks and some do not care how the hair looks.
• When the hair is fully locked, it can be washed whenever but again, once a week is good. You do not want to return to disturbing the natural oil production.

• If you are considering locking your hair and dandruff is an ongoing issue, you should consider fixing it before starting.  The roots will have to be cleaned regularly and this disturbs a lot of the locking work.
• Washing dreads/locs is far more intensive than straight hair.  If you are someone who does a fast wash without paying close attention to removing dirt, your hair will have buildup spots.

In many instances I have found people wash their dreads/locs too often because they are so flexible.  If you work in smelly or dusty conditions, covering them is essential to avoid trouble.  If you go to the gym, rinsing them rather than always shampooing is good.  Swimming always requires a shampoo because of the chlorine or cleaners used.  How often should you wash your locks depends on your lifestyle and where you are on your loc journey.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” & “Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest”.