Using a Brush on Locs: Loc Brushing 101

Imagine you’re putting together a few must-have essentials for locs hair care. Did you add in a brush to the necessities? If not then you’d better reconsider because Loc Brushing can drastically improve the health of your locs!

6 Benefits of Loc Brushing

1. Reduces Build Up. Loc Brushing helps to remove trapped oils in your locs which are magnets for lint. Once lint is in your locs, you can use Loc Brushing to help dislodge it, remove dead skin cells (dandruff), and other buildup that may have become trapped inside your locs.

2. Conditions & Controls Frizzy Hair. Frizz is caused from lack of moisture and Loc Brushing helps to spread your natural oils from your scalp to the ends of your locs and hydrate the locs while taming any frizzy hairs in the process.

3. Makes Your Hair Grow. Loc Brushing invigorates the hair follicles with the bristles of the brush, bringing more blood flow and oxygen to the scalp while promoting hair growth.

4. Prevents Breakage. Loc Brushing helps to evenly distribute moisture from the roots to the ends and when your hair is properly moisturized you’re less prone to breakage.

5. Detangles Roots. Whether you have Sisterlocks or are Semi-Freeforming, you know finger detangling can be time consuming. Loc Brushing helps to separate tangled hairs and give a neater appearance.

6. Therapeutic. Practicing Loc Brushing gives you a moment to connect with and nurture your crown. Each brush stroke makes your scalp and locs feel refreshed (from my personal experience!).

Wet Loc Brushing vs. Dry Loc Brushing

You can incorporate Loc Brushing into your regimen in several different ways. To help remove dirt, build up, or lint from your locs, dry brushing is a great solution. Dry Loc Brushing is when you use a brush on your locs when they are not wet. Using a brush on dry locs will quickly help to dislodge and remove buildup from the surface of the loc and a few layers within the loc matrix that you can’t completely get with shampoo. With that being said, I recommend practicing Dry Loc Brushing before you shampoo your locs as a Pre-Shampoo treatment.

When your locs are wet you can use a brush to thoroughly moisturize your hair. In the past, I moisturized my locs with water and overlapped it with a sealant however my locs still felt dry in certain areas. Instead of just hydrating the outside layer of the locs, brushing the locs while wet and then brushing the sealant in will ensure full coverage and deeper penetration of moisture within the intertwined hairs.

Type of Brush to Use for Loc Brushing

My professional recommendation is to use a Soft Bristle Brush, preferably made with natural fibers, such as boar bristles. The bristles of a boar bristle brush are most similar to human hair and will strengthen and add natural shine to our hair. Do not use a brush with hard bristles because that will damage the loc matrix and potentially cause breakage or thinning. It is better to invest in a quality, professional soft bristle brush now, than to pay the price of loc repair later.

When to Start Loc Brushing

You want to be sure to begin loc brushing at the right time. If you are just beginning your loc journey, it is best to wait until the majority of your locs have buds on the ends and are in the teenage phase before you start Loc Brushing. Attempting Loc Brushing before you reach the teenage phase puts your locs at risk for unraveling so, at this early stage, it’s better to take preventive measures against lint and buildup by protecting your locs at night and using natural products.

Once your locs are in the teenage phase and beyond, it is recommended to incorporate Loc Brushing into your regimen. You can practice wet Loc Brushing daily or as a post-shampoo treatment and/or practice dry loc brushing as a Pre-Shampoo treatment.

For a demonstration and tips on how to incorporate Loc Brushing into your regimen watch the video tutorial for “Loc Brushing 101“.